Starting problems

[lockheed]

I got my kat about a month ago. I don't ride it often so maybe that is the cause of the problem, but the seller said it started from the boot after winter so...

Anyway, here's the problem: I left the bike standing for 5 days. When I got on it again, it took me about 3-4 minutes to start it. It was just like it was lacking fuel. Once it started, it run fine.

Now, today it was standing almost two weeks and when I got on it, it took me 5-8 minutes of pressing the start button before it started running.

Is this normal? If not, what can be done about it?

[wickeded]

I've had a couple of katanas that did not have clean carbs, whenever I let them sit for over a week I had the same difficulties getting them started.
It might just be you need to clean your carbs.

[phantasm]

Are you priming the carbs before trying to start?

[lockheed]

Are you priming the carbs before trying to start?

No because I don't know what does it mean
How would one clean the carbs?

Are you priming the carbs before trying to start?

Wo, wo, wo... I just read that priming might mean leaving the petcock at Pri instead of Res and this is supposedly bad... I though this is how it should be and we should switch to Reserve only if one runs out of fuel...?

[phantasm]

The petcock is vacuum opperated. In the on or reserve position, no fuel flows from the tank to the carbs unless the bike is running. Prime lets fuel flow non stop with the bike off. If the carbs dry out from sitting, it could take a while for fuel to get back to the bowls just by cranking.