carb help

[2strokejohnny]

carbs is not my strong point so i need some help, gt550 is hard to start takes a lot of kicks, however if i run it on prime for a good 10 seconds it starts first kick so where do i start ?John

[Alan H]

Leave it on prime for 20 secs before trying to start it - or run it more often.
The carbs 'dry out' if you don't run the bike often as the petrol is volatile and evaporates.
I take it the electric leg doesn't work?

[2strokejohnny]

yes lecky starter does work,i start them all up at least once a week , but this can happen daily which is a concern

[barney01]

Diaphragm sticking in petcock. Prime will bypass the diaphragm.

[Alan H]

If the carbs are 'dry' they'll take a helluva lot of kicking to get petrol through unless you go to prime first. Or just use the lekky, 5 seconds should pump fuel through - a motobatt helps with that too!

[willowden]

Starting them up once a week without giving them a good run will probably do more harm than good.
They will never achieve full running temperature & will generate condensation.
Just turn the engine over if your concerned about the crank seal sticking.

[2strokejohnny]

when i say started them up they are are the centre stand after a few trips round the drive way and then a good run up and down the gears until warmed up, been doing that for the last couple of decades and seems to work.

[arthur]

I have the same problem with my 380 once she starts we are away for the rest of the day
leave her over night and she is a pain , fires on one then two, don't touch the throttle or she will die! eventually all three will chime in ring a ding ding ding !!!!
OH and I should add I have not sure where the petrol is going! I have taken out the drain plugs from the front of the crank cases and they are dry(ish).
although the left hand down pipe has a black sludgy mess below it and the drain hole in the silencer blows crud out when she run.

I am leaning toward the idea that leaving her on the side stand somehow allows petrol from the right and center carbs to drain through the left carb flood the cylinder and exit down the exhaust I don't have a center stand and a paddock stand won't work/fit.
At the moment I have stood her upright on the workbench and ratchet strapped her so she cant move, I am thinking turn the petrol on fill the carbs and then see what happens overnight if the right and center stay full ans she start more easily I may be on the right track(and another carb strip is on the cards.

Has been a good lock down project and judging by todays news a few more weeks in the shed are on the cards (better get the woodburning stove stoked up and the Dalek coffee pot on standby.

[Gary66]

I have the same problem with my 380 once she starts we are away for the rest of the day
leave her over night and she is a pain , fires on one then two, don't touch the throttle or she will die! eventually all three will chime in ring a ding ding ding !!!!
OH and I should add I have not sure where the petrol is going! I have taken out the drain plugs from the front of the crank cases and they are dry(ish).
although the left hand down pipe has a black sludgy mess below it and the drain hole in the silencer blows crud out when she run.

I am leaning toward the idea that leaving her on the side stand somehow allows petrol from the right and center carbs to drain through the left carb flood the cylinder and exit down the exhaust I don't have a center stand and a paddock stand won't work/fit.
At the moment I have stood her upright on the workbench and ratchet strapped her so she cant move, I am thinking turn the petrol on fill the carbs and then see what happens overnight if the right and center stay full ans she start more easily I may be on the right track(and another carb strip is on the cards.

Has been a good lock down project and judging by todays news a few more weeks in the shed are on the cards (better get the woodburning stove stoked up and the Dalek coffee pot on standby.

Yes my 380 does pretty much the same. From cold it takes ages to start, the original fuel tap i bypassed with an inline tap so i dont have a "prime" option. This was done as the tap leaked if it was turned so i decided it best to leave in the "on" position but didnt want to risk flooding the crank cases. This has worked really well so far but it does occasionally p155 me off kicking it into action!
I have noticed recently some very cheap fuel taps on ebay for the 380 (£8 ish) and have considered purchasing one but as the saying goes "if it aint broke dont fix it", not, "fix it till it is broke!!

Just out of curiosity though has anyone bought one of the cheap taps and has it been successful in its operation, i wouldnt want to part with a full £8 all in one go if they arent up to the job!!!

[arthur]

I too have a inline tap one might say great minds think alike or maybe we're just tight