dirty pilots?

[jetmechmarty]

My bike is difficult to start after it's cold. I have to crank quite a while. Also, I get some popping and gurgling from the exhaust when I close the throttle and decelerate. SEAFOAM no help. The plugs do not indicate a lean condition.

I might add that my "octopus" leaks, so I close the petcocks whenever I shut down the engine.

Is it time for me to go through pulling the carbs and cleaning the pilot jets or might there be something else.

[John]

Marty, it sounds like the choke circuit is plugged up. The circuit is plumbed through the brass tubes that portrude into the bowl area of the carbs. They actually get there fuel from a small port in the float bowl itself. When the carbs are ssembled the tube is inseted into the metal of the bowl. They can be tough to get cleaned, but a piece of small steel wire will get down in there to unplug the port. If you pull the bowls, you will see what I am talking about. If you compressed air then that will help. test the port for airflow. If there is none, then it is plugged. Soaking the bowl in carb cleaner will help also. After turning the fuel off, do you use the prime setting to refill the fuel lines when starting or do you just wait for the vacuum to open the diaphram in the octopus? That would cause a delay in starting by having to fill the bowls with fuel.

[jetmechmarty]

Yes, I use PRIME as I usually close the petcocks before turning the ignition off. I'm thinking about the pilots because of the exhaust popping.

[John]

The popping can be caused by leaks in the exhaust system. Check the tightness of the header pipe flanges at the head. Some times the gaskets get old and start leaking, and can draw air in on decel and cause the popping. Also, check the junction of the #2 & 3 pipes where they attach to the collector just forward of the mufflers.Check the integrity of the clamp and connection at the crossover pipe also.
Also, if the octopus leaks, and you manually turn the fuel off, then have you thought about eliminating it altogether? I have and I can run on just one petcock.
Have you done a search here on the popping in the exhaust? Some good info there.
Good luck with it.