A compression gauge is only $40 or so. Buy it anyways, you'll surely use it again and again and again.

Do that, rule out compression, and move onward to fuel delivery.

 

I will probably go buy some parts cleaner to clean the carbs really good. I already "cleaned" them one time but that was just with the carb spray can.
And probably pick up the compression gauge.

 

I would definitely pull the carbs and clean up the jets/valves, etc. It most likely needs it anyway.
Btw, you gotta be careful using a lot of those strong cleaners on rubber parts.

 

Sounds exactly like the problem that I had this Spring... I had to take the carbs off and clean out the pilot jet on one of the carbs a couple of times - for some reason it was more clogged than the rest. This was the carb on the left side of the bike as you sit on it, and it was running on just 3 cylinders at lower RPMs. The carb would supply fuel at higher RPM, but it would have the one exhaust pipe cold at startup, just as you describe

 

Hit up anywhere with small engine repair supplies. They'll have little wires for cleaning out the holes in your jets. Poke through em all, soak in carb cleaner, poke again, then blow out with compressed air.

 

Then when your all done with that... and it doesn't work, check your compression...

Just 2 cents:
I know the carbs are a common problem, but a compression test should be done before carb cleaning in this type of case, as the cleanest carbs in the world will not fix miss-adjusted or burned valves.

 

Well I bought the parts cleaner and the parts are soaking except for the rubber parts and the casing of the actual carbs. I'm going to soak that after.

Does anyone know if the piece that the needle slides into comes out?

I bought the cleaner and forgot all about the compression gauge
don't worry Procrastinator I'll get to it

 

well soaked and cleaned the carbs throughly they look almost new. put everything back together tried to start it. after awhile it finally started but only with gas shooting out of the carbs. no idea what happened. i must of somehow put the carbs back together the wrong way.

 

two floats were stuck open from the weights that go on them. that problem was fixed. it ran for probably 30 seconds until it died and now everytime I try to start it, it backfires and doesn't start. so is this a timing issue?

oh and when it did run for the 30 seconds I checked the 3rd and 4th exhaust and they were cold while the 1st and 2nd were hot so looks like a compression issue then unless I still somehow didn't clean them out again.

I don't know if this has anything to do with the compression but when I pulled my plugs the 18mm deep well socket went into the 1st 2nd 3rd cylinders kind of hard. I am guessing because of the rubber ring that is in there but when I put the socket into the 4th cylinder it dropped right in with no problem. I checked and there is a rubber ring in there. Anyone know why this would happen and does this effect the exhaust from getting hot for that cylinder?

 

possibly installed the spark plug wires to wrong plugs? check to make sure those cylinders have spark. also make sure the plug wires are fully seated.

two cold cylinders next to each other sometimes indicates a bad head gasket. usualy then you'll have oil in you coolant, or vice versa. get a compression gauge on it...