1980 KZ1000 E2 firing on two

[leftylou]

I wonder if some folks can come up with a diagnosis if I tell you what is going on...? Cause I am in the dark (and not much of a mechanic).

I bought my '80 KZ1000 E2 (shaft drive) last Spring and it ran pretty good. Really, once I got it up and going, no problemo. Then, after it sat a few months this winter, well, it's been pretty mild in southwest Virginia, so more like a few weeks, it was very problematic to start. Changed the plugs and limped into the shop where they said it was running on two cylinders when I brought it in and said I'd crossed the wires when I changed the plugs. I didn't really see how that was possible, cause they don't reach that far. Anyway, I figured I was an idiot, paid the bill for a bunch of little screws and they found nothing major.

It was hard to start again and I finally had to insist they change the battery. I decided to go with a more powerful, maintanence free one, as it is problematic to start.

The bike has been running okay, but it needs 20 minutes about to warm up enough to stop coughing and backfiring. Today, it was cold again last night but only brisk and sunny, I dressed up a bit and tried to go for a spin. Had a real hard time starting it and every time I got it going it would die when I tried to go. I felt the left two pipes and they were cool. It was running on two again, but the wires were correct. I took the two left plugs out. They were wet and black. I replaced them with dry black ones that i cleaned up the best I could. It started running on four again. But still backfiring more than it should.

I just know someone out there knows RIGHT NOW what is causing this!! Please share. What could it be. The shop tells me I will have less problems with the backfiring if I put the stock air box back on it, instead of the fancy filters someone put on it. That may be, but I can't see how that would be causing the plugs to foul and not fire. BTW, the bike was in a garage, that wasn't rain in there. Had to be gas. I left it on the center stand, thinking it might fire better when I take it back to the shop on Monday, rather than leaning over and dripping gas on the plugs. I have no idea if this is a valid thought.

Also, is this really obvious? Perhaps the shop (who originally sold me the bike) know full well it needs a new cylinder head or engine or something, and don't want to admit they sold me a bike needing so much repair?

any help will be gratefully appreciated. Thanks, leftylou
If you could, could you cc me on the answer too? Thanks,
hlbaldwin@earthlink.net

[Frankt07]

sounds like a rich problem. maybe after leaving it int he garage for a few weeks was enough to maybe get teh floats to stick al ittle open and flood those two cylinders
run some seafoam thru it and see what happens
you might need a carb job done

[eglass64]

Clean the carbs and go from there, sounds to me like the jets mite be clogged and there is no fuel going into the cylinders.