spark plugs - are they telling me anything ?

Yeah, I hate those damm circlips. My GPz, which has a different version of BS34 carbs, does not have them, thank the one above.
May I ask why you decided to set the air screws at 2.5?

unless I misread, I thought this was the correct setting as per the rebuild tutorials ? am I wrong ?

Fine tune the carbs (engine fully warmed up and idling) by adjust the pilot screws in roughly
equal amounts until the highest idle speed is achieved. If the engine speed doesn’t respond to
this tweak, leave them at 2.5 turns.

I just left them at 2.5...

Yeah, I hate those damm circlips. My GPz, which has a different version of BS34 carbs, does not have them, thank the one above.
May I ask why you decided to set the air screws at 2.5?

no problem....

we have 3 days.....lol

of which I was hoping to be riding instead of wrenching....ohhhh well

worse part is if I need parts I won't be able to get anything as most places will be closed and no one around here stocks anything for a 30 year old bike....

I will pull the top of the carbs to check on the needles this afternoon, or after work, which ever is doable....still have to go and get the special pliers for the circlips...

I don't have any cheap needle nose that I can grind the ends to points to use....as Eric showed me.....

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Excellent news, both spyug and GK. Just bear with us on this voyage of discovery, I suspect we are almost there.

I think the screws were set out around 2.5 but GK will need to confirm that.

As things stand now, I'm on standby to go help resynch when the carbs go back on.

We will get it sorted.
Spyug

Thanks

This is correct

2.5 was what I set them at, from a lightly seated position to start with and then backed out.

Just want to add....

the bike is setup with the stock airbox, and a new airfilter, dipped in oil, squeezed out as per instructions, just in case anyone asks...

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Did you do it, or someone you know, or did the PO? Also, when we arrive at that point (we are not quite there yet) we will need to know the settings on your air screws.

I'll jump in as I assisted with the synch using my Morgan Carbtune. I believe we were almost spot on level with all carbs. Leastwise close enough for government work. I've had the unit for almost 5 years and have done about 10 bikes so I think I know what I'm up to. GK did the actual fiddling as it was a learning experience.

I think the screws were set out around 2.5 but GK will need to confirm that.

As things stand now, I'm on standby to go help resynch when the carbs go back on.

We will get it sorted.
Spyug

By where I am, you mean where I live, no problem

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I believe it's 170 meters above sea level, if I remember correctly ?

I can do step by step no problem, I have now 3 days of time more or less...LOL,,,we are into a long weekend here

LOL. I guess there is a double entendre in my statement. What I meant was where you are in your debugging process. And it is a process, trust me. The collective can get you back on the road, you just need to be patient with us as we go through these steps.
One question, you mentioned that the carbs had been synched on the bike, presumably with either a vacuum set or a CarbTune? Did you do it, or someone you know, or did the PO? Also, when we arrive at that point (we are not quite there yet) we will need to know the settings on your air screws.

I call this peeling away the layers of the onion. With an issue such as yours, we have to be methodical in our approach. Step by step wins the game.
This is why I believe it to be a fueling issue: When you come to a stop, fuel sloshes forward, changing the physical level of fuel available to your pilot jets. This changes the air/fuel mixture being sent to your cylinders. I have spoken to a good friend of mine about this before, and he changed the float height in his carbs to accommodate this virtual level change. Once we determine where you are, I will ask him which way he thinks you should go, and we can proceed from there. This is why I am asking you to get excruciating details about where you current are.

By where I am, you mean where I live, no problem

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I believe it's 170 meters above sea level, if I remember correctly ?

I can do step by step no problem, I have now 3 days of time more or less...LOL,,,we are into a long weekend here

bring it on down to dirty jersey! i don't know that i can help, but we can scratch our heads at it together

Well this could be an option, but I have enough head scratchers with me now, that it's getting cramped in the garage.....

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Come on you GS Experts, lets get this resolved.....wish some of you were close by to lend a brother a hand...

bring it on down to dirty jersey! i don't know that i can help, but we can scratch our heads at it together

sorry you're having such a time with it. i can pretty well relate, though not entirely as it seems like you've got a pretty good grasp on what you're doing and have done to the bike so far in regards to a lot of things i'm just starting to wrap my head around. anyway, it IS all valuable work. not just in saving money from not ordering unnecessary parts, but in knowing better for next time like keeping everything written down.

that's how i make myself feel better about pouring all the time, sweat and money into my 850 (which i'm not even sure anymore that i'm going to keep for the long term - initially thought i'd want to own my "first bike" forever). everything i've put into that bike, that i WON'T recoup if i end up selling it, is all going to make restoring the 1000 and any other bikes I may pick up once i actually have a garage, that much easier, and hopefully more and less

I call this peeling away the layers of the onion. With an issue such as yours, we have to be methodical in our approach. Step by step wins the game.
This is why I believe it to be a fueling issue: When you come to a stop, fuel sloshes forward, changing the physical level of fuel available to your pilot jets. This changes the air/fuel mixture being sent to your cylinders. I have spoken to a good friend of mine about this before, and he changed the float height in his carbs to accommodate this virtual level change. Once we determine where you are, I will ask him which way he thinks you should go, and we can proceed from there. This is why I am asking you to get excruciating details about where you current are.

When you check the floats, please check them on each side of the float. The metal part can bend and the floats be uneven, causing bad adjustments.

It was done this way the first time around....but I will double check again tonight...

Check the floats with the float needle plunger extended not depressed.

Eric

yup, full extended, floats were just resting on the float plunger

did I mention gaskets were removed as well


It's not looking like a carb issue, but still have to check the needles and how they are setup, I am thinking if it was jetted correctly they are probably right as well,,,,but one can never assume......

I feel like a dog chasing his tail on this.....and ripping apart all my hard work really has me bummed out.....

maybe now I should go with pods, seems I am having issues, might as well make at even better challenge....



Come on you GS Experts, lets get this resolved.....wish some of you were close by to lend a brother a hand...

Check the floats with the float needle plunger extended not depressed.

Eric

When you check the floats, please check them on each side of the float. The metal part can bend and the floats be uneven, causing bad adjustments.

I beg to differ. Rather than for nothing, you collected extremely valuable data. You now know that the pilot jets have been increased by one size and the mains as well. You just saved yourself $$.
Now you need to check your needles to see if they have been shimmed. Once you collect that data you are ready to reassemble.
Let us know and we can move forward.

And why did you drain the tank? The petcock will keep it from leaking. I pull mine all the time with fuel in it.

And remind me never to have soup with you.

yes your right I saved a few bucks and have the data that I should have had the first time around....ohhh well

I will check the needles tomorrow, have to get them circlip pliers and then I can move on and see.

I took the fuel out, as it was a full tank and it get really heavy to take off and put back on, so draining it was a 2 minute job and make it lighter, so easier to handle

I very strongly suspect the float levels. Since the carbs are off, please recheck them. Don't reinstall the carbs yet. Give us pics of the way you are measuring the float levels, including the tool you are using, and give us the info for each float.

float levels were set by using a digital caliper, and no gasket, and not on the hump of the float but on the flat stepped down part, but I will take the measurements again, and pics on how I am doing it, hopefully 2 hands will be enough, I might have to grow a couple more to hold it all and take a pic...LOL

good thing we have dinner bowls, so soup is always good at my place....no worries there.....

.

I very strongly suspect the float levels. Since the carbs are off, please recheck them. Don't reinstall the carbs yet. Give us pics of the way you are measuring the float levels, including the tool you are using, and give us the info for each float.