Hard starting with good valves?

[MisterCinders]

My valves are good. Checked them last week. Bike struggles with starting though.

Even with warm weather, she needs lots of choke to start and putters at 1000 rpm with full choke for awhile. After some time I can kill choke and salvage the idle with a hearty rev. That seems to break through, because it runs fine thereafter. After running for.while it.starts right up.

Sometimes it won't start unless I open the idle screw more, having to dial it back once it breaks through. The idle doesn't hang or sag.

Ideas?

[Agemax]

funny how you dictate your vast carb building knowledge to members old and new, when actually you cant even set your own carbs?????
try Bascliffs web site tutorial, thats worth a look, or buy a quality carb rebuild kit and start from fresh again.

[Nessism]

Have you performed a compression check lately? Only other thing I can think of is carbs.

[MisterCinders]

Have you performed a compression check lately? Only other thing I can think of is carbs.

Compression is solid and even across all four. Still working through the idle settings but carbs fully cleaned.

[MisterCinders]

funny how you dictate your vast carb building knowledge to members old and new, when actually you cant even set your own carbs?????
try Bascliffs web site tutorial, thats worth a look, or buy a quality carb rebuild kit and start from fresh again.

Dictate? Really?

Quality carb rebuild kits come from three sources - Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and The Tooth Fairy. Not gonna wait until Christmas and just missed Easter. Here in the US, we stop losing teeth at about age 12.

Let me know if you have some useful info.

[Agemax]

check your intake boot o rings?

[MisterCinders]

check your intake boot o rings?

They looked pretty good when I took them out of the package last week to install with my new boots. Plus, the idle is fine once the engine gets over this odd kick off obstacle. No hanging or sagging. Last night's low throttle chop showed plugs that were almost right on the money. One or two were just a touch on the rich side, but only barely.

[Agemax]

cleaned your air filters lately?

[MisterCinders]

Last week, when I rebuilt the carbs with quality parts despite the lack of kits. Since the air filters run all the time, I don't see how a dirty filter would hamper starting but do nothing to the idle otherwise.

[hampshirehog]

Gunk in your choke pick up tubes or where they pop in the float bowls. Your choke isn't working if she's only revving at 1k.

[MisterCinders]

Gunk in your choke pick up tubes or where they pop in the float bowls. Your choke isn't working if she's only revving at 1k.

I'll check them again. Note that once it gets over the hump, the revs do climb with choke per normal. It's just the first start up that struggles.

[Dogma]

How long has it usually been since you last ran it? What you describe sounds like being on the verge of needing primed (due to fuel evaporating or leaking from the bowls). If my CV carbs sit for a couple weeks, it takes a little time for them to recover.

[MisterCinders]

How long has it usually been since you last ran it? What you describe sounds like being on the verge of needing primed (due to fuel evaporating or leaking from the bowls). If my CV carbs sit for a couple weeks, it takes a little time for them to recover.

This happens if the bike sits for more than 3-4 hours, overnight, etc.

[Agemax]

new carbs, new fuel tap, new filters. that should cure it

[Dave8338]

When you cleaned your carbs, did you pull the choke plungers out and make sure everything in that circuit was clear and clean? If everything else you mention has been done, is in speck, and from your explinations, it only seems to happen on a cold engine, it HAS to be in the choke circuit. Is the choke slide pulling the plungers ALL the way out?