Motorcycle Repair: 97 vlx 600 honda shadow, fuel cut relay/fuel pump, float bowls, jumper wire

Question
 On said bike; It will only start on choke and idle for a few seconds and then slowly die out as if it is starving for gas. You wait a few seconds and do it all again. Key note here; if you touch the throttle at all - it dies immediately. I had suspected the fuel pump wasn't working, (actually it wasn't) but got by that obstacle by running a hot jumper wire up to the feed for it and it does. Part of my ? is the 'fuel cut relay' (honda speak) that is electrically up stream of the fuel pump. I am wondering what tells the fuel pump and/or relay to turn on. There is a third wire on the relay that goes back down to the ignition control module. I'm thinking that might be a signal wire to pull the relay in  and send power to the fuel pump. With nothing telling the fuel pump to modulate, seems like that would put a heavy strain on the float bowl needle valve. There is no return fuel line from the the pump to the tank. So, I am suspicious of the relay. Power is coming to the relay, but isn't going to the pump. The other part of my ? is: could a passage way in the carbs be causing part of my problem?   df

Answer
Hi Dave,
I believe there is a chance your issues are much less complicated than the direction of thought.

1st thing to do is remove the carbs, flip them upside down, remove the float bowls, and see what youve got.
If you see ANY chunks at all right away, im sure this is where your issue lies. The PILOT jet has an orifice smaller than a small pin.
the pilot jets will be located (usually) at the bottom of a small tube cast into the body of the carb. If you can't see through them after having removed them. they are plugged.
This is one of the most common things to happen to a bike, and once youve done it once, its a piece of cake.
Do one carb at a time, and pay very close attention to where each part goes, they all have a purpose..

Hope this helps!!

~Mark Panka