Motorcycle Repair: 1981 Honda XL185S ?, internal combustion engines, honda xl

Question
Chris,
I am having some real trouble getting my 1981 Honda XL 185S started. It used to run in its day and since then (supposedly nothing broke) it just sat and sat in my uncle's garage.
I have extensive car knowledge and am very mechanical, but I just can't seem to get this bike running. I'll run through the things I have checked/done:
-Carb. (cleaned and found two blocked jets and am trying to find replacements/replacement carb)
-oil change
-fuel filter
-spark plug
-checked to see if ignition was getting spark (it was)
-changed the battery (got a brand new one)

After finding the two bad jets in the carb. I have yet to find replacements nor a replacement carb.
When I tried kicking the bike over in the beginning I would spray a little ether in the carb then when I kicked it I would get a huge backfire out through the intake.(I had the air cleaner off)
Could the timing be off the chain is ok and no teeth are missing.

Any Ideas?
Thanks for listening look forward to your response!

Best Regards,
Tony Mandella

Answer
Hi Tony.
 Since the bike has been sitting for so long, there could be problems with rust on the pistons and rings.  This could cause a loss of compression, but you need to check the compression that you get against what the manual says it should be.  If you haven't got a manual for the bike, then you should be able to get one either at www.repairmanuals.com or through the local Honda dealer or any decent bike shop.

 Since the bike was running before it was stored, the problem is not likely to be timing.  Can't hurt to check, though.  Could also need a good cleaning out to get rid of any carbon deposits over the years.

 What you need to remember is that all internal combustion engines function the same way.  The real differences are the small details and what the engine is used in (car, boat, motorcycle, airplane, etc.).  Outside of that, all of the same basic principles apply.

 Just continue to treat each issue as you would if someone brought a car into your shop with similar problems.  You have gone in the right direction, but you have one thing holding you back; the carb.  Without that, the only thing that you can do is check and adjust the rest of the engine.
 
Good luck and ride safe.
FALCON