Engine can't start! Please help me....

1980 KZ1000 LTD
Last weekend, I forgot to turn the switch from the reserve to off... then I went to trip for 3 days. After I came back from the trip, I couldn't start my engine. I changed new spark plugs, and re-charged battery, but it still doesn't work. I am thinking that it is the carburetor problem. Can KZ Doc. tell me what to do....><..
Thank you.

Post edited by: Toge, at: 2007/01/17 10:35

Flooded maybe? Try holding the throttle wide open with the choke off and cranking on it. Then try it with the kick starter. If the battery is a little low, the starter will hog all of the current and the points won't get enough voltage to fire.

Or:
Did you look in the tank to see if there's any gas in it?
Mine will slowly drain out if I forget to turn the valve off.

That is good advice. Check for gas in the tank. That has happened to me before.

Yes, I could see some gas in it. After the event, I could smell strongly gasoline. But, why can't I turn on the chocke?
Thank you for helping.

Post edited by: Toge, at: 2007/01/17 13:18

I take it you meant you could smell a strong gasoline odor?
Then it's flooded.
What your choke does is, it restricts airflow to the cylinder, which causes a stronger vacuum in the carb's primary circuit, sucking more fuel into the head. Adding even more fuel to an already flooded engine is counter productive.
Same with your throttle. Open it wide open while you crank it so the engine can blow out the excess gas.
One you get it to fire a little, return to your normal starting procedure, (choke on, a couple twists of the throttle). Should fire right up.

Wow, thanks man!! I will try it after I get home. Sorry for many grammatically error...haha

If you "flooded" the combustion chamber, the gas ran down into your engine via the cylinders, washing oil along the way and fouling your oil. May have also gotten into your air cleaner. Clean or replace the air filter element if it is soaked or do what you need to as a gas clogged filter will cause to to foul plugs. Change your oil before operating the bike.

leave plugs out so fuel evaporates day or so
clean plugs then give her a go
if no go give a squirt of easy start that will fire her up.

So your bike was running fine until you parked it for three days without turning off the petcock and then you noticed a gas odor and it would not crank up.

One possibility is that one (or more) of the carb float needles fails to completely seat thereby allowing excess fuel into the float bowl which then escapes through the overflow tube onto the floor underneath the bike (source of the odor). Unless you have smoothbores or some other carbs without float bowl overflow tubes, excess incoming gas draining out the float bowl overflows should not cause "flooding" in the cylinder or into the air breather box. And should not cause hard starting unless it leaks to the point of "running out of gas."

Try this -- assure having plenty of gas in the tank, put the transmission in neutral, turn the petcock to "prime" (if applicable, otherwise to reserve) pull the choke lever all the way up, leave the throttle completely closed, turn the ignition switch on, be sure the kill switch is in the run position, push the starter button to crank the engine.

A more remote possibility is that one of the fuel lines between the petcock and the carbs developed a crack and began leaking during the three days absence.

Merely sitting for three days after a run while dripping some gas out the float bowl overflow tubes should not cause a major problem.

So, did you get it running?

I am really thank you for you guy's help, also I will try it tonight. I will let you know the result. However, I have an additional question why I cannot turn the switch to reserve? what does reserve mean? Is it for lower gasoline just like spare gas tank? In my situation , I can see some gas at batton in the tank, does it mean that I need to turn the switch to reserve? or I have better add some gas until I can clearly see gasoline in my tank?

Forgive me if you cannot understand my explaination. If not, I will try to explain again. Thank you.

On January 17 you had the petcock on Reserve. Reserve is for - as you say "lower gasoline, just like spare". Today on the 19th you can see a little bit of gas at the bottom of the tank. I think you would be wise to add gas just to be sure you have enough and then do what Patton suggested.