2001 BANDIT 1200 ISSUES - CARBS/STARTING - HELP

[getsum]

OK -
You guys know a lot more than I do - Please fill me in / advice / etc....

Bike has always been a little hard to start and takes the enricher being used and hitting the starter button 3- 5 times fo sure.
(I have even put a new battery on it - still the same)

I ride it 2-5 times a week. All local trips - 10 - 35 miles on average.

I got the bike out a couple weeks ago for a long trip from PLANO to WACO and back.
250 miles round trip on HWY averaged - 70 mph or so.
Bike ran great and had no problems.. Heck it rides smoother now that I have had the long ride.

PROBLEM I SEE --
When I start it - "cold"
I have noticed every other time or so after I try to start it I hit the starter a few times with the enricher pulled a little and it seems to kind of "HYDRO LOCK" or that is the symptom that I feel I get. I hit the starter a time or two more and it will kick over and run.

-- NOW - I have noticed on cylinder #1(FAR LEFT if sitting on bike)
Right above where the connection for the exhaust pipe is , there is a small little hole and it seems to SPIT OUT a 1/4 of a shot glas worth of fuel onto the front of the cylinder.
(ONLY HAPPENS ON THIS TYPE OF START UP...)
It is not oily, I believe it is just gas, but fill me in on this symptom.

My un-educated guess is this :
Somehow, after the big ride from Plano to Waco and back the carbs are cleaned up a little from the run, but maybe something is stuck in one of the holes in that carb - and this is causing the inital issue upon start up.

Anyone have info on this hole ? and the symptoms I am getting ???

[Mongo]

I had the same problem, replaced the petcock and the problem went away!

[Red01]

From your description, it sounds like you are talking about one of the spark plug tower drain holes.  Are you sure this is gas?  If so, that would mean the spark plug would have to be loose and your mixture so rich it was pushing that much fuel thru the spark plug hole.  Since you had an uneventful trip of 250 miles, this doesn't sound too plausible.

As for cold starting, not all bikes seem to react the same - part of it could be due to climate. 
Here's what works for mine in all but the hottest weather (>100*F):
Full choke, no throttle, then as soon as she lights off (cranking time varies due to air temp, colder takes longer), reduce choke  to keep idle @ 2000 RPM.  Put in my earplugs, don my helmet & gloves (reducing choke some more may be necessary during this), then get on and go.  After ~1/4 mile, turn choke off if it hasn't made it that far yet.

[Mongo]

PROBLEM I SEE --
When I start it - "cold"
I have noticed every other time or so after I try to start it I hit the starter a few times with the enricher pulled a little and it seems to kind of "HYDRO LOCK" or that is the symptom that I feel I get. I hit the starter a time or two more and it will kick over and run.

-- NOW - I have noticed on cylinder #1(FAR LEFT if sitting on bike)
Right above where the connection for the exhaust pipe is , there is a small little hole and it seems to SPIT OUT a 1/4 of a shot glas worth of fuel onto the front of the cylinder.
(ONLY HAPPENS ON THIS TYPE OF START UP...)

This is the exact symptoms I had on my bike it would set a few days and seem like it was hydraulic locking, at first I thought it was the battery going south so I replaced it and after letting it set for a few days I would have the same gig.

I noticed when I was removing the air injection tubes while pulling the smog crap off that fuel poured out of the left cylinder. At first I thought it was a float issue so I figured it was time for jet kit anyhow so I would check the floats while I had carbs off. The floats checked out OK when I did the jet kit but the problem was still there after setting a few days.

I picked up a petcock on e bay figuring I would give that a try and I have not had a problem since!