TOPIC:

Hello folks! Nice forum you all have here!

We picked up an 81 KZ440 this winter for my wife to ride. It's in great shape (?) but the thing will not do anything more than idle. I have cleaned the carbs out very well but anything more than an idle and it spits and sputters and dies. I can 'assist' it a bit with the choke and it will rev up for a second, and then die again.

All the fuel and air jets are nice and clean. Everything is blown out with compressed air and all. I really can't see a problem with these things. The bike has foam pod air cleaners and what I believe is the stock 2-1 exhaust.

Any help or insight would be appriciated. I'm really scratching my head on this one (and I've worked on a few bikes).

Thanks!

Most folks who believe they have cleaned their carburetors thorougly, haven't really cleaned the inside passageways. Second, you have not provided any info on other tuning that you have done. Has the bike been tuned up? The carbs are the last in the tune up sequence and another issue may be causing this problem. Have you cleaned and lubed the mechanical timing advance on the ignition? Last, you may also have a situation where the bike is starving for fuel. Try popping open the gas cap when running the bike and see if that clears the problem. If the carb vents are obstructed/plugged, it will also have this type problem.