Need some help (newbie)

[tucksayre]

I recently purchased a 1971 moto beta premier bebe. I"m trying to get it started and having a hard time. I cleaned the gas tank, replaced the fuel pepcock and put some 87 octane/oil mixture into the gas tank and tried firing it up. It starts, 1 out of 5 or 6 times but dies almost immediately. The spark plug seems to be getting coated with oil, not firing completely or at all. I"m assuming this is causing the bike to cut out.

I'm picking up another spark plug tomorrow, new gas, and some carb cleaner.

Is there anything else I should at?

 

[jeep4me]

If the engine takes a gas/oil mixture and the plug is getting coated with oil, the most likely problem is that the engine may not have been run in awhile and the carb has oil that has settled in it. The gas will evaporate and leave the oil behind causing your mixture to be too high in oil content. You either have to clean out the carb or use a little bit of starting fluid to get things flowing. But go easy on the starting fluid, you don't want to clean you cylinder walls too much and make more problems. I would suggest cleaning out the carb really good and use premium gas with the gas/oil mix.