Motorcycle Repair: 1989 honda elite 80 running problems, honda elite 80, speed jet

Question
hello. I was recently given a 1989 honda elite ch 80 from a friend. It sat around for 5+ years before given to me but i was told that they had drained it of fuel first.

So, ive put a new battery, spark plug, and oil in it and i gave the carb a quick cleaning (quick because it looked relativly good to my eyes). When i crank it over it sounds like it almost wants to start but it wont. If I spray a starter fluid into the air box it will start and stay running, but i can only keep they throttle at about 10%. If I decrease the throttle or try to increase the throttle it will die.

Ive gone through the checks the manual has for the electrical system and everything checked out well.

Ive ordered a new air filter, which I hope helps. But im pretty sure that it wont solve the whole problem because the filter doesnt look too bad.

Im also curious if running it on premium versus regular is better for it?

Thanl you.

Answer
Jason, you have a very good friend to give you a motorcycle.  Well, the problem is still the carburetor.  It's not getting fuel.  You'll need to take out the jets and make sure they are clean.  Will the bike run if you leave the choke on?  If so, that usually indicates a plugged low speed circuit.  Make sure the carb is actually getting fuel and that the fuel line or petcock isn't plugged up.  Open the float bowl drain and make sure you get a steady stream of fuel out to make sure the fuel is getting to the carb.  If it is, you'll want to take the carb off and find where the dirt is but it will be inside the jets so you'll have to take out the main and idle speed jet to clean them.

Good luck
Rich