1982 GS550L IDLE issues after cleaning. Can't be THIS complicated....

[Guest]

I've been riding alot this summer after rebuilding carbs, replacing o-rings in intake, etc.
Bike has been running great, idling ok, but not perfect. so I figured I would dig into everything again this winter

Valve cover starts to leak and its time for valve check anyway so....
I check and reshim valves (all are 2-3 sizes too tight)
NOW the Bike is running great, idling perfect, revs easily to 9k-10k

SO I drive 1k miles or so.
The bike is running ok but has developed a VERY slight, almost unnoticeable stutter/misfire at barely open throttle.
I need to redo the tank this winter as well. It's old so I assume trash in the gas
I drain carb bowl and indeed find trash in the gas.

So yesterday I removed the carbs (rebuilt about 3k ago, beginning of summer)
drained the bowls, blew through a little carb cleaner through all the passageways just because. Everything inside still looks great. main jet and all passageways are clear. New rubber stoppers still feel new so
I reassembled and reinstalled carbs...

Now it runs poorly, won't steady idle (either too high or too low, won't return to idle unless bogged down. like it has a leak but I didn't miss anything in carb/airbox reassembly)
EDIT - Rectifier wasn't grounded - solving THIS rev problem <<<<<test ride, won't rev past 8k without stuttering or just dropping off. >>>>>

Seriously, this can't be THIS complicated and delicate, otherwise the thing would never run. WTH did I miss?
I'm banging my head against the wall with frustration. I love this bike. It's fun and comfortable to ride, but there is absolutely NOTHING elegant in the way the engineers put this thing together. Just the pulling of the carbs is way more trouble that it should be, like EVERYTHING on this bike!

[tom203]

"Everything inside still looks great. main jet and all passageways are clear. New rubber stoppers still feel new "

if if you dropped a carb bowl and found "trash".... chances are good that this stuff got sucked up into the idle circuit passages - where you can't see. Blowing gumout might just jam stuff even deeper into tiny places. Sadly ,a dip and/or ultrasonic cleaning is calling.

[Nessism]

Is the battery fully charged? What's the charging voltage at 5000 rpm? If the battery is low the spark may be cutting out at high rpm, which would cause the issues sighted.