Hello, I have some problems I need to share

[crandleman1]

Ive got a 1995 katana 600 with about 20,000 miles on it. I moved into a new place this year without a garage, so this is the first winter it has been in the elements under a tarp. I keep it on a trickle charger so the battery is always primo. I would go out on semi warm days in the winter above freezing and try to fire it up to no avail. It was 60 degrees the other day so i went and bought a little starting fluid to get it to fire and sprayed into the air box and voila, it fired and stayed running with some choke. Before my first ride i noticed a little fuel drip near the petcock so I shut it off. I inspected the lines and sure enough I found a small tear in the line. So I thought I was putting the petcock to off to take off fuel lines but apparently put it to prime. Now in my defense I do not have a knob so I use pliers and to top it off i believe everything is upside down because run seems to be in the up position rather than down. There was so much gunk over the positions (pri,on,res) I did not realize it said "pri" until I did some research online and wiped the gunk off. Anyway, I left it on prime overnight with one of the fuel cable disconnected and fuel was not pouring out so I assumed it was "OFF". So the next day I replaced that line and another that would kink a little so that neither would kink. When I did so I switched the bike back to "on" position and it would fire and start but wont stay running for more than 3 or 4 seconds even if i'm maxing on the throttle once it starts. Just starves out and has trouble restarting before the battery drains and i have to put it back on the trickle charger to recharge for 30 minutes before I try again to the same thing happening. It just ran perfect last night and idled fine what could i have done wrong and how do I fix it. I just signed up to this forum so I hope I can find some help on here.

[92xjunker]

Place in prime for a minute or so, then to run and start it. yes ,your petcock is upside down. reserve= forward run=down prime=to the rear. being that it sat outside there may be condensated water in the tank. I know you had it coverd but, there is moisture in the air also. THERE IS NOT AN OFF SETTING Run or reserve would be as close as your going to get because both settings require vaccum to the petcock to flow, at least a properly functioning one.

[crandleman1]

I have placed in prime for about 30 seconds and switched to on and it does fire and run for a few seconds then dies out. I will try a full minute tomorrow so I dont upset the neighbors tonight.

If It set it to prime and had the line unattached wouldnt fuel be spilling out?

Im wondering if it has to due with the vacuum line but everything looks attached and the fact that it ran fine yesterday other than a small fuel line leak boggles my mind. Not that I have the largest mechanical mindset but I like to maintain my vehicles as much as I can and if I can't I try to learn how.

[crandleman1]

Pictures of my bike and the pic of my rims after they were finally transformed from the stock purple to a gloss black. Thanks to my buddy ben with extra paint lying around in his garage

[92xjunker]

prime flows freely. usually short runs are from lack of fuel. being that the hose was old and split, you may have gotten some pieces of the hose in the carbs, try draining the bowls first (screws at the botom) open them to a good flow.

[crandleman1]

So I took a fuel line off the petcock and turned the petcock position to where it has been in position for the last 6 years that I have had the bike and it is apparently prime where fuel flows freely and that is how I ran it the entire time i've had it. On and reserve function properly because fuel will not flow out without the vacuum. So I know my positions on the petcock. I tried prime for a minute and then switched to on with no luck.

So when I took off my gas tank for the first time the vacuum line was not attached to my knowledge and the petcock was on prime. So I thought maybe if Undid the vacuum line to the petcock like how it was and set the bike to prime that it would flow freely into the carbs and work for me like i have ran it for 6 years and it still didnt work. Its not helping that some days are 64 degrees and some are 25 at night. That could be screwing me but Im with you on draining the carbs i just dont have the right tools to get to them and my fingers aren't doing the trick.

[crandleman1]

Drained carbs works great with fuel in on position with vacuum hooked up. Thanks 92x u are the man.