I have a 1983 Kawasaki Spectre KZ 550 with 1400 original miles - the carburetors were rebuilt by wiredgeorge in Texas five years ago. The bike has been in storage and winterized for the last three years. I got it up and running in the last few weeks road it proximately 5 miles. Initially the exhaust pipes all read about 800 degrees Fahrenheit with a laser temp gun. Then the outside right exhaust pipe was only reading 150°F. I took the bottom float bowl off and cleaned float bowl, the float valve seat and needle. Took the top of the carburetor off - it had gas on top of the diaphragm that I cleaned off. I used carburetor cleaner on the needle and carb throat which were also already clean. I put it back together it started up again and the corresponding exhaust pipe read approximately 275° degrees Fahrenheit. I have good icompression in all cylinders and the spark plugs spark plugs are all firing a strong blue spark. Obviously that cylinder is not getting enough gas from that outside right carburetor. Any suggestions on what to do next?
Mileage is no indication of carb condition so rebuilding the carbs straight away would be one of the first things I'd do. I wouldn't send them to wiredgeorge though.
We are getting thread after thread now that spring has hit from guys having carb problems. The advice on what to do is always the same: remove the carbs and go through them properly. On a set that was rebuilt in the last 5 years you can avoid busting them down all the way and soaking the carb bodies, but I'd most definitely remove the pilot jets, pilot screws, and various other jets you can reach easily and shoot carb cleaner spray though all the passages. Before reinstalling the pilot and main jets hold them up to a light to be sure the orifice is open. The bike won't run right unless the carbs are surgically clean and the airbox is installed and everything sealed up.
