So I put a 2002 carb into my 1993 GS.  I couldn't get it to start last fall so I left it in my garage and started working on it again last weekend.  The bike won't start with just pushing the button, I just hear it trying to start but the engine doesn't turn over.  I manage to get the bike to start after I took the intake off and sprayed fuel right into the carb.  If I stop spraying it died a few times, then it kept running even when I stopped.  I let it run for a few minutes to clear everything and warm up.  I shut it off, then tried to turn it on again and it wouldn't start without spraying fuel into the carb.  Anyone guess the problem?

clogged jets? will it start with choke on? correct float height?

Jets are clean.  Choke slide is also sticking, I've tried messing with the idle screw instead.  Not sure about the float height.

Let's make sure our terms are clear here...

The bike won't turn over: You press the starter button, and the engine doesn't spin.
The bike won't catch: You press the starter button, the engine spins, but never fires up.

We could save a lot of confusion by always using the right words.

bike won't catch is the problem.  sorry.

Sorry, I don't mean to be a punk about it. Catch vs. turn-over is a pet peeve of mine.

no problem man! anyone have any ideas?

Ok so you cleaned the carbs last fall....left fuel in them and are now trying to get it to run,  right?

If so- take the carbs off and clean them again- fuel evaporates out and leaves all those nice additives they put in the gas. This will clog up small orifices ( pilot jets and small passages in the carb bodies).
Go over them again and give it a try. Verify the float height while you're in there....did you put new float needles etc in last time?

I will try to clean the carb again this weekend.  It looked very clean last time I had it out.  I did not check the float height, I will read up more on that.  What is the factory recommended height BTW?  I did not put any new needles in, I just put the carb in the bike as it came.

What you mean you didn't put new needles in ? did it have needles to begin with ?
Now you're getting the float bowl's to fill ?
01+ carbs usually dont have floats that wear high like the 89-00 ones.

Cool.
Buddha.