caveman

definitely sounds like some sort of crappy connector or water ingress somewhere. As Fastbob said don't use WD40, I see so many people squirt that stuff down ignition barrels and into electrical connectors, it's shocking. Get a tin of dedicated contact cleaner and give the connectors a squirt, unplug them and reconnect them a couple of times. I have fixed many a niggly fault this way and always have a tin on hand. As well as fuses it may be worth checking any relays in the ignition circuit as well.

Hiya . welcome back to motorcycling

Removing and cleaning the carburettors can be done at home with just a few tools. but before that check the condition of the spark plugs before diving into the carbs and see if any cylinders are running rich/lean, they can point you to a problem carb before you even get them off the bike. if you are cleaning then take a pen and paper and take note of the jet sizes as they are cleaned, you can then check if they are stock setup, Carbs 1+4 will most likely have larger main jets than 2+3 so don't mix them up. While the carbs are apart I would change the needles valves and seats, replacements are only a few pennies and worth the cost, even if the originals look good. Before digging, make sure you have the recommended settings for float heights and air screws for re-assembly, for a good start point keep the carb bodies together as one lump, if you split them you detune them and will require a lot more setup

as said

Hiya Well done on passing the theory and CBT, those days of navigating randomly placed cones are behind you and it's onto bigger and better things. Just remember to reiterate to the wife, that in the pecking order.....the bike comes first

Done

Float bowls generally have a little bit of crap sitting around or settling in the drain screw areas which come out when they are opened, Fresh fuel tends to look almost clear and the older is gets the more yellow it goes, I would agree with Swagman, drop the fuel and get some fresh before checking anything else as that looks a little nasty.

And that's the fuller version . Thanks for that , I was on 3% battery . I would avoid disc locks when possible, they always end in the inevitable face plant when you forget to remove them before you set off. Usually when you are in a hurry and drop the clutch...there's a brief second when reality and fantasy come together and the ground comes rushing up. Speaking from experience. If you get a good lock and chain from a recognised manufacture like Abus, they you will most likely get a discount on your insurance as well as feeling a little more secure. Always try to keep the bike in sight or close enough to hear any muppets trying to nick it, or get a pager alarm for when its out of sight. I used to live in cheetham hill and had many confrontations with lower life forms trying to pinch my trusty steed. They had a trick off pulling of the HT caps so it couldn't be started and then returning later to load it into a van along with the railings it was attached to. I always travelled with 2 heavy duty chains, one to lock the front wheel to the frame, and one through the frame, rear wheel and any street furniture. I also had an alarm with a pager and parked it in a visible location with plenty of people around. It may sound like overkill but I still have the bike. Get some CCTV signs and stick them on the front of the garage, add an alarm to the garage even a cheap one will do so long as it wails loud enough to wake the dead. Always cover the bike even when in the garage, criminals love to peek into places they don't have access to. Failing all that you could disguise it as a pantomime horse.

I generally charge batteries to around 13.5v which after charging settles down to 12.8ish. If you consider on a running bike that a battery is generally charging around 13.5 - 14v (or around that). If a battery drops below 12.4 after charging then I would consider it weak and would offer poor starting. Just cleaning the electrical connectors at the battery, starter motor and starter relay can make a world of difference, you will be surprised just how much voltage is lost due to high resistance caused by tarnished electrical connectors. If I have a bike that's stood for a while and is a stubborn starter I drain the float bowls and allow then to refill, this will also check that the fuel filter isn't blocked. I then pull the plugs and give them a quick clean with a wire brush (checking the condition and gaps while they are out). I also warm the plugs before I put them back in, just to rule out any cold start issues...any hey presto! it works! I generally only use prime if I have emptied the carbs of fuel and never leave it on longer then 10 - 15 seconds. If the needles are stuck open then you can flood the engine if prime is left on, and in some cases end up with it in the crank case. If everything worked fine when it last run before leaving it stood, then I would expect it to work again.

first and foremost....welcome I would suspect the battery, just because it's charged doesn't mean it's any good. I would be asking how old the battery is and how flat was it before it was charged. If you have a multimeter then check the voltage before and after cranking the engine to see how the battery recovers. If not then a simple test would be to put the headlight on, if the light goes dull after a few minutes and doesn't stay as crisp then the battery is duff. The better the battery, the better the spark

Greetings

you have no idea how tempting that hammer was, it was inching closer to the bandit on each attempt. I drilled the remaining heads off and removed the exhaust and still they wouldn't move, even with the better access. I ended up re-welding nuts onto the stubs and winding them backwards and forwards for the next couple of hours..but they eventually all came out clean I can finally progress on with the build, cheers guys

Just had a quick browse and steel studs with copper/brass nuts are the way forward, that is once I get the old ones out. I have walked away from it for a few days, although the large hammer sat next to was very tempting! Fortunately I have another build on to keep me occupied and take my mind away from the bandit. Once I reach that placid state of garage karma I will approach it again with positive mental attitude...for at lest the first two minutes.

Cheers guys for all the suggestions. I soaked those bad boys in Plus gas, WD40 and a plethora of heat, nothing has shifted them. The location of the studs make it difficult to access even with the cooler removed. I have tried all manner of stud, hex and bolt extractors as well as welding nuts onto the heads...they just wont move in anyone's lifetime I even managed to get some locking pliers on and tried rocking them backwards and forwards with loads of pressure, but they just refuse to budge. The Allen extractors just sheared off, the nuts I welded on just rounded or snapped off...the heads are now starting to look a little worse for wear and I finally admit defeat. So it's out with the drill and off with the heads, At least if I get the heads off I can remove the exhaust and deal with the studs that are left with better access.

Welcome