Hey all you bike experts...Is this the Answer?

[northwoods]

So I'm laying in bed, can't sleep, thinking about my bike problem (which many of you have read and tried helping with..thanks). My problem with my 81' 550L is that fuel isn't getting to carbs, won't start. Without boring you again with all I've been through (you can read my other post). I read that my bike won't start unless the throttle is closed and choked. Now in the numerous time that I've had the carbs out and back in, when I hooked up the throttle cable, I've had to crank the throttle flaps (whatever they're called) open to get the cable to go in. Then the idle is pretty much set with the cable and doesn't rest against the idle pin adjuster. So does this mean that since the throttle is not closed that the carbs shut off fuel to the pilot jet and hence no fuel to engine? I'm almost tempted to go out there right now at 1 in the morning, pull the throttle cable off the bracket and choke it and see if it starts. If any of this makes sense please let me know.

[chef1366]

That's a bad dream. The only things that can prevent the bowls from filling are bad bowl venting (the two hoses that go nowhere), a bad petcock, no vent on the fuel tank or a kinked fuel line. Also inline fuel filters will also constrict flow.

[Schweisshund]

or gummed up gunk in the petcock that got in there via rusty tank

take choke cables out, insert fishing line and clean clean clean

[Steve]

Yeah, I have to move the throttle butterflies to insert the cable, too, but they should close fully when the cable is installed. If the cable is too tight, or the idle speed screw is adjusted too high, it might upset the vacuum enough to affect starting. Not worth getting out of bed at one in the morning to try, but certainly worth the effort when you are already up. 8-[

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