check the spark plugs first- if one looks different than the others, then you have located you problem cylinder
if bike sat during winter, and you are having to use choke to band-aid the running of the bike, the problem just might be the carb. If gas sat in there, it could have slightly varnished and collected in the bowls, causing poor fuel circulation. And bad gas dousedinto a cylinder can also damage a sparkplug.

Check the basics and you should be OK- it probably will not be anything major

 

I think you're on the right track. Don't waste your money on synthetic. Just use Yamalube.

I bet cleaning the carbs and changing the plugs will cure it.

 

feel the header tube, if it's cool, then that cylinder isn't running. Check for good spark at all plugs and voltage coming out of the coils.

Sounds more like gummed up carbs.

 

Chances are you have to clean the carbs. My 900RR did that when i bought it, I cleaned the carbs and the thing runs like a champ now!

 

Chances are you have to clean the carbs. My 900RR did that when i bought it, I cleaned the carbs and the thing runs like a champ now!

After you cleaned the carbs, did you have to resynch them? I don't have the carb-synch tool, but will get one if necessary. (this bike will be sold/traded very soon, and I don't want my Bro to dump anymore cash into it than he has to)
Also, what type of cleaner do you recommend? I saw some carb cleaner in a spray can at the dealership, but didn't read the instructions on the back.

 

Basically, I did it the LAZY way... just threw half a bottle of carb cleaner in the gas tank and when i had to refuel threw the other half in ... It ran like SHIT during the first half cause all the crap was being removed, but by the second half the bike cleared up and is as good as new. This bike was sitting from Dec of 2002 to May of 2003

 

The plug in #4 would get wet somehow on my '95 if it sat for any length of time(Think it'sa bad valve). Just pull the plug and hit it with a torch and put it back in. Cheap way is check your plugs then drain the possible bad gas, fill with good stuff and carb cleaner. this may not fix but is the best place to start.

 

to clean the carbs, pull them completely off the bike (very easy) and do one side at a time. Pull the bowls off one at a time and use carb cleaner spray to clean out the bowl area, then the float (carfeful), unscrew the jets and blow them out. If you are confident enough, unhook the floats and carefully pull out the needle seat and clean that. Put it all back together then flip to the diaphram side, pull out the diaphrams and needles and clean them, then carefully slide em back in. Make sure you get a perfect seal with the thin o-ring on the caps.