trouble starting

[cid]

So just got the bike back from the shop. Carbs cleaned, set and bike timed two fouled plugs replaced and everything pretty much checked over and given a clean bill of health. Guy says to me the carbs are drained for the winter but if i wanna start it just goose the throttle a couple of times and turn it over. he said it runs superb for a 1984 gs550l. So i get it home and the wife wants to see it run after droppin a couple hundred on it so i say "absolutley" damn thing wont catch, turns over fine but wont start. petcock tried in prime and open with choke fully open but nothing. any tricks to getting these things to fire? or is it just cold? its about -10 c.

[cowboyup3371]

Were you using the choke? Did he adjust the valves as well? Were the carbs synched and are you sure your battery is good?

We really don't suggest using mechanics to do the work as they are only out to take your money - case in point, you paid a couple of hundred on the carbs when you really only needed to spend maybe 35 dollars to do them yourself. I'd recommend going through the carbs yourself following Nessism's tutorial, adjust the valves, check your electrics and generally follow everything Basscliff gave you in your welcome.

[Steve]

I'm curious why he suggested to "goose the throttle a couple of times".

There are NO acellerator pumps, "goosing" the throttle does NOTHING, except exercise your wrist.

When you used the "choke" did you also apply any throttle? If you did, DON'T.
Giving it ANY throttle while using "choke" defeats the 'enichening circuit'.

You sure you had it in PRIME? Turn the lever anti-clockwise, so the lever is pointing BACKWARD.
Don't forget to put the lever back DOWN to the ON position when you decide to give up.

Have the valves been adjusted? Tight valves make it very hard to start when cold.

And, ... it shouldn't run "superb for a 1984 gs550l", it should just run SUPERBLY, no qualifiers.

.

[Suzuki mad]

I'm guessing it a late GS with CV carbs.

Turn the fuel tap (pet cock) to prime and allow a minute for the float bowls to fill. Choke on, no throttle and turn the power on. Give the starter button a go and it should start. DONT run it on PRIME!

Works on my GS1000E thats been sat all winter with a charged battery in it.

[850 Combat]

I'm guessing it a late GS with CV carbs.

Turn the fuel tap (pet cock) to prime and allow a minute for the float bowls to fill. Choke on, no throttle and turn the power on. Give the starter button a go and it should start. DONT run it on PRIME!

Works on my GS1000E thats been sat all winter with a charged battery in it.

Considering that the first post states that it is a 1983 GS550L, that is a reasonable guess, but they should be the odd ball two barrel type.

[tom203]

Open up float bowl drains to ensure you got fuel. Were the two fouled plugs off same carb?