Fuel for thought

I guessed the problem with the carburettors was just a sticking float and was easily fixable if I could get the carbs off the engine. I have previous experience of tinkering with carbs (well carb - singular) from my early days of biking when I had a Honda CB100n that had a lot of problems, so I at least know where to find a float/float chamber.

The kawasaki carbs looked intimidating. I spent a long time looking trying to figure out how best to get them off. I saw a few likely suspects in some bolts in the engine that might do the job, but these were inaccessable to I ruled them out, I eventually found the little circular clamps that held the carbs to the rubber inlet bits (my knowledge of techincal terms is getting a bit ropey here, sorry). So I loosened the clamps and tried to pull the carbs off, they moved a bit but ultimately stayed where they were and I wasn't sure if there was something else I had to do. Then I noticed that although the carbs were in a bank, they were all individual and may I sould just take off the one that I wanted to look at, so I removed the bar on top that held them altogether and then I noticed that there was a long (and slightly flimsy) bolt that went through hem all at the back, I loosened it but I could pull it out beause it hit the frame, but only just. So I tried to lift the carbs up a bit so the bolt would clear the frame and guess what? The bank of carbs popped nicely out. I had just not pulled them in the right way before.

I quickly put back all bits I had unnessacarily been removing and opened the left hand carb float chamber, which was indeed gunked up with a strange slightly gritty brown mush and wouldn't wash away with parafin, but would with water, (which in myexperience is quite odd for a motobike) I looked in the next carb along too just to make sure that was OK as the overflow pipe that was leaking petrol served both carbs on the left (it did need a bit of a clean).

With the carbs all clean, petrol all connected and a freshly charged battery, I gunned the engine... it turned over, but didn't start, tried the choke, which was of course still stuck. I removed the cable. It has an adjuster half way along that had rusted a bit, a quick clean up and re-lubrication later, the choke was ready for action.

With the carbs all clean, petrol all connected, a freshly charged battery and a working choke, I fired her up again. The engine ticked over... and rumbled in to life!

No leaking carbs this time, only a deafening roar due to the lack of silencer. I stopped the engine, suddenly aware that I hadn't check any fluid levels, oil was a bit low but OK, but the coolant was way too low so I topped it up. Starting the bike again, I let it run a bit, but if I let go of the choke it stopped, I figured I just needed to let it warm up, but with no end can, I was in danger of seriously annoying the nieghbours, so called it a day, happy that I had a running engine, now all I had to do was sort out the rest of it...