То 900/1000 guys with old carbs. Cold start?

up to 80 old style carbs.
How is your cold start?
Mine is pretty bad, it is lean. Shaking and stalling, RPM don't go higher than 1000.
I cleaned cold start tube holes.
Is there jet sitting in bowl? Did you look in the bowl hole for cold start tube?
I didn't clean bowl jet and don't know if it is there.
The diagram shows a jet in bowl.
I will drill tube hole like Swest did, I just want to see if bad cold start is a common problem.
Thanks.

My bike starts up cold just fine with no modifications. I do turn on the petcock for a bit so the bowls fill up.

Some carbs have a fuel passage cast into the bowl itself for the choke circuit. If you'rs has one make sure it's clear.

Kidkawie wrote: I do turn on the petcock for a bit so the bowls fill up.

For how long? For one minute? Is your bike on side stand usually?
Are bowls empty next day?

Both my KZ1000s, 1979 KZ1000MKII, and 1980 KZ1000ST always start fine cold. A lot of cold start problems are caused by pod filters. If you don't have the airbox, lean condition during start in my opinion. I may be wrong, but the KZ650s I've owned, pods every time made starting a real bear, stock airbox much better. Never put pods on the KZ1000s thankfully and zero problems.

When I bought Bossie in 75, I always had to pull the choke and let the revs go up before I could ride. I almost have these big a$$ carbs doing that. Lean is mean.
Steve

That is why cold start is lean! Jets were increased except cold start jet. I have pod filters and VanceHines exhaust.
Thanks!

when I got my shaft it was awful to start when cold.it popped and cracked and when i thought it was time to take off it would almost die and i would have to pull the choke to get it out of the drive.
Now its a non issue. But there again im runniing the stock airbox and finally got the jetting and the carbs working well.
if your running the pumpers you want to make sure the check balls, e clips and that the orings are in place on the sprayers.
and make sure the bowls are clean where the enrichener goes.
your in Fla you dont have cold start weather lol
i say you need bigger pilots

car5car wrote:

Kidkawie wrote: I do turn on the petcock for a bit so the bowls fill up.

For how long? For one minute? Is your bike on side stand usually?
Are bowls empty next day?

Yes about minute. The carbs arent dry the next day, but some fuel evaporates the longer it sits.

Car5car you do what you want but i dont think drilling that jet is your answer.
and it may open up the door for more problems..
If you havent done it yet you need to COMPLETELY disassemble those carbs .
you bike should not have a cold start issue and either something is still stopped up or your jetting is wrong.
also the float levels play a large part so doing the clear tube method is a must.
when you get them right youll be able to pull that chock lever up, and almost immediately go back down with it.
I made a stand to place my carbs on so i could set the float levels and verify the sprayers are working.

The nozzles are just a dumb jet sicking up in the mouth of the carbs. Nothing to them really. It's the adjustment that matters. A lot of times guys go right to the carbs when all it needs is a valve adjustment. It's like pulling teeth to get some of them to do it. Drilling stock jets in stock carbs on a stock engine is a mistake but who am I to say? :whistle:
Steve

strum wrote: If you havent done it yet you need to COMPLETELY disassemble those carbs .
.

I did take apart/cleaned/adjusted fuel level and synchronized them.

car5car wrote:

strum wrote: If you havent done it yet you need to COMPLETELY disassemble those carbs .
.

I did take apart/cleaned/adjusted fuel level and synchronized them.

I agree with Steve on the Valve adjust.
But im still leaning (pun intended) on larger pilots.
what sizes are you running now?