New to the Xj need Card Diag???noob

well i just purchased my fist road bike and its a 81 yamaha xj maxim 650. it has a 4 into one exhaust new tires and the rest is stock and i got this all at a really cheap price. the only problem is with the carbs from what i can see. thier seems to be a leak between the #1 and #2 carb on the fuel rail, and when i start the engine the bike runs nice when i have the "choke" on but as soon as i get off the choke the rpms die and the engine sputters out. now if u try to keep the rpms up while doing this it backfires and slowly dies. now i figured it was running rich but i checked the plugs and all four looked golden brown so it has me stumped!!! would it be running too lean? compression is good all across and the engine has 55000 kms. also this might sound stupid but is there a way to check the oil level?

any help would be great this is starting to bug me haha

 

Nice lookin' bike! I wish I had the knowledge 2 help ya out.. Goodluck with ur issues..

 

Welcome to the site ian354, look at the first picture you posted. Above the rear brake lever you can see a small window used to check your oil level. If you look at the motor casting beside the window it's marked with two lines, keep the oil level closer to the upper line.
I would suggest you pull the carbs off the bike and clean them thoroughly and also change out the fuel rail orings. Do a search on this site for carb cleaning and you will find many topics covering this subject.
Nice looking bike! Where are you from?

 

thanks nick i figured that might be fore something haha im gonna have to clean it up to have a good look at it. i had the cards off yesterday and put new bowl gaskets in the jets needle and seat were not worn or tarnished but the orings will probably need to be replaced . would i be able to get those at the local napa or hardware store?

 

I tried to get the fuel rail orings from Lordco and they were just a tad bit too large. I ended up ordering mine from the local Yamaha shop!
Your bike will run with choke but sputters and dies without suggests that the really tiny jet and/or passageway for the idle circuit is clogged, or the float levels are out of wack, or the carbs need to be sync'd.
This link will show the commonly missed jet.
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8918.html

 

how do u adjust float levels?

 

Beautiful bike Ian!
I highly recommend the XJCD (see the sticky at the top of the forum)
So much info, your head will explode

 

You need to get yourself a service manual, or the XJCD or both. I got my Clymer book from an eBay store, http://stores.ebay.com/Cycle-Manual-Store for under $25. You'll need to re-read the carburetor section about 4 times before even starting...and I thought the XJ would be a step up from the Amals on the Norton...

 

You need to get yourself a service manual, or the XJCD or both. I got my Clymer book from an eBay store, http://stores.ebay.com/Cycle-Manual-Store for under $25. You'll need to re-read the carburetor section about 4 times before even starting...and I thought the XJ would be a step up from the Amals on the Norton...

 

Here's another useful link on float levels and the xjcd.

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8592.html