well... i got 97gs500... but why the hell does it take so long to warm up the engine... and mess with the choke so much... other people seem to not even touch the choke... they just start the engine and go.... is there anyway i can make the warm up time lot shorter???

The standard wisdom is to replace the under-sized 37.5 pilot jets (compared to the GS500Es in the rest of the world) with size 40 pilots.  But since you're planning to mount a K&N exhaust, you'll already be into the carbs for other jetting changes.  You may just want to wait until then, and do it all at once.

there is only 2 jets right?? main jet and pilot jet??

That's right ... and (for each carb) 1 needle that you may need to raise, and an air/fuel mixture screw that you will probably need to turn OUT, and holes in the slider that you may or may not need to block, and a float height that you should check.

And while we're at it, a carb synchronization screw between the carbs that you may need to tweak.   :mrgreen:

What, no main air jet at the top of the emulsion tube?

Assuming a cold start, I just start it with choke, put on my ear plugs, helmet, gloves, let off the choke a bit (about half way so idle ~2K rpms) and go.  Its usually warmed up enough that I don't have any trouble.  Once I've gone about a block, I'll go to no choke.  I have box stock jetting and never have any trouble with cold starts/hot starts/whatever  :dunno:

I also have a 97.  I have long warm up times also.  So far I rejetted to 40 pilots and 127.5 main jets.  Cleaned out the carbs but no resync yet.  I didn't know how to do it at the time.  Replaced the air filter with a drop in K&N.  Although the bike seems more warm blooded now, it still takes a good 15 minutes I would say.

Also, I don't know about you but mine idles kind of rough.  I really think I need to to a carb resync.  Tried messing with the idle air screws and it really doesn't do a whole lot.

:dunno:

ASLAM.

Does jetting, adding a K&N airfilter and different exhaust kill the ablity to use the choke normally.  My bike was done by the previous owner and if I use the choke at all it will not start.

No your choke should still be functional.

Only thing I can think of is maybe you want to check the cable and make sure the choke assembly is correctly pullnig the slide on the carbs.

ASLAM.