Motorcycle Repair: 1982 Honda running mostly on one cylinder, honda gl, screw holes

Question
I have a 1982 Honda GL 500 Silverwing that I am having trouble getting to run right.  It is running mostly on one cylinder-the left one if it matters.  When I say mostly its because the right cylinder is firing and heats up but is not firing properly.  The carbs have been cleaned, fuel is clean, etc.  I got the bike after it had been in storage for at lest 2-3 years.  Old fuel was in it etc.  It barely ran at all until the carbs were cleaned.  It started to run better but lacked power.  then it began to sputter and then take off at around 5000-6000 rpms(the other cylinder seemed to start working properly in this range.  I am now trying to get it fixed without taking it in for an expensive visit to a honda shop so I have a friend with quite a bit of motorcycle mechanical experience working on it.  He cleaned the carbs more thoroughly and has been trying to figure out whats going on, he said the carb bowls are both empty when it runs out of fuel and if he sprays carb cleaner in one of the screw holes on the right carb then it starts to run properly. The plug looks like its running rich but is not overly wet.  We wanted to check compression but have had no luck as we can't get a small enough tip to screw in those small plug holes.  Is compression the way to look or likely to be something else.

Answer
Well Dustin, it's one or more of three things, lack of fuel, incorrect spark, or low compression.  All three are required for the bike to run right.  I would have said that it sounds like lack of fuel based on what you said.  Theres's a fuel strainer in the fuel tank that could be plugged.  If you apply a little choke and the bike runs better, it's a fuel delivery problem and it will be in the carbs or tank.  

If it doesn't run better, it could be compression but that's pretty unlikely, or it could be ignition.  Usually, an ignition problem will be worse under load and at low speed.  Without a little more information, it's going to be hard to pin it down closer.  Let me know if the choke improves the performance and I can probably give you a few more things to look at.

Regards
Rich