Fueling issue - Carbs?

[adder70]

I have an '01 that I purchased used in April. I have ridden it intermittently due to foot issues and a surgery that limited myh ability to ride, not to mention a 3-week trip to Okinawa.

Sorry if I posted similar before. Been away for a while and couldn't find my previous post. I may have just asked questions of locals at a meet and greet before I had all the symptoms. I have had a fueling issue (or what I perceive to be a fueling issue) that I noticed soon after purchase. It was checked out before I bought (pretty cursory, 1/2 hour labor), and the maintenance records show that it was given a carb cleaning and adjustment just before it was put up for sale, with the local used bike superstore receipt indicating that the tech thought it was running fine.

Here are the symptoms:

1. The bike is EXTREMELY cold blooded, requiring heavy choke to start and at least medium choke for several miles, but only when it hasn't been ridden much. If I'm riding every day, after about 3 days, I barely touch the choke, literally starting and riding away with no choke if it's above about 65F.
2. It is garaged, and I smell gas when I pass the bike. I originally thought it was a gas can (and I suppose it could be), but it seems like the fuel level is noticeably lower when I ride after being away from it for a few weeks, and it seems to smell that way even when the gas cans are empty.
3. The fuel mileage appears to be low 30s, which seems low to me. I will try to get back into riding regularly and get about half a tank of riding daily and a fill up to see if the mileage goes up.

I am wondering if the carbs are poorly adjusted in general and set to run really rich to cover the issues, to the point that maybe the float bowls are causing a minimal leak when the bike is on the sidestand. (I will put it on the center stand as well and see if the gas smell is reduced or eliminated.)

Thoughts?

 

[Uncle Phil]

Might check the carb sync, fuel filter cleanliness. Could be a carb diaphram tear or just a leaky fuel bowl.

 

[gmast1100]

+1 on what Uncle Phil says. Look at all the variables. Good luck on finding the culprit!! Gotta LOVE those 1100's.