Hard starting when cold 83 KZ550 LTD Shaft drive

I think I know the answer but I'm interested in your experience. I bought this non running KZ550 a couple of months ago. I'm just getting around to getting it running. I've pulled the carbs and cleaned them, or so I thought. They were about as dirty inside as I've ever seen. Well now once you get it running it runs and idles great but that first start in the morning takes forever. Choke pulled is no help. Actually it starts better with no choke at all but as you can imagine it takes a lot of feathering the throttle until it's warm. Once warm I can pull the choke to half way detent and idle speed increases for a few seconds then starts to load up and fall off. Same with full choke. Now that is what I would expect. But what I don't get is why pulling the choke either half or full is no help in cold starting....

FYI this has those TK CV carbs. Stock air box and filter. Stock exhaust.

Idle jets, or pilot jets are still blocked. They are really hard to clean as the hole in them is under .010" usually. Hoping you at least pulled them out to look through them.

If pulling on the choke makes it harder, there's a good change you're already running rich, and adding the choke makes it worse. If you can get it up to running temp and let it run without the choke for a while, switch it off and check the colour of the spark plugs.

Dumb question - but are you giving it any throttle when starting on 'choke'?

For a standard set up, opening the throttle cancels out the cold start enrichment circuit -the 'choke' . The problem on these is usually they race from cold on full choke. All of the 550's 'chokes' are rubbish when cold.

All good suggestions. I've pulled the jets and cleaned them. when warm it will idle at 1000 rpm just fine and carb sync confirms that all 4 carbs are working as they should. This isn't the first time I've been to this dance. Idle is fine and color of plugs is normal and still mostly white as I only have a few minutes run time total.

When cold I can pull the choke and without touching the throttle nothing happens. May pop once or twice but no start. Push choke off and it will fire then have to open throttle the tiniest bit to keep it running. Usually about this time I pump the throttle 5 or 6 times to get the accel pump to put some gas in there and it will fire. I'm convinced the enrichener/choke is not working. It is too lean to start but once started and running everything is normal . But no setting of the choke will allow a rich enough mixture to start cold. I can put a rag over the air intake and it will start confirming the choke isn't working.

The part that is puzzling to me is that once warm pulling the choke acts like it's going lean on me and won't run after initial increase in idle speed. Also has a lazy return to idle speed with choke pulled, After few seconds I have to push the choke back in to keep it running. I know that sounds crazy but that's what it acts like. Almost like the choke is just sucking air instead of sucking more fuel from the bowls. Remember it's not a choke but an enrichener circuit on these CV carbs.

My main question was directed to someone with direct experience with a good running KZ550 and see if their choke acts flaky too. I remember reading a period review of the 83 KZ550 and the author said that no setting of the choke would give him a smooth idle. But when new he didn't indicate that there was a cold starting problem.

I'm afraid I have to pull the carbs again and this time pay special attention to the enrichener circuit. Frankly I've never had to do that with a set of carbs. It's usually the idle circuits that are clogged and require extra attention to get them open and sticky pistons/dirty needles.

Pulled the carbs again and found all 4 enrichener circuits plugged. This is the first time for me on TK carbs and I overlooked them. My bad. Well I'm working on them now and hope that fixes the problem.

Success! Got it starting and running like a champ. Rode it around the block with a fuel tank from a lawn Mower but got it to the red line twice. Idles great at 1000 rpm. No hesitation or off idle lag. Nice running bike.