Why does my starter sound like it is just spinning?

Check the line from the tank to the carbs, disconnect where it goes into the carb and see if you have fuel flow. If nothing then try blowing back up the line to the tank to see if it is blocked as stale/old fuel can go off and cause a blockage in pipes and filters.
The following may not be applicable to your machine, but my bike's fuel tap is operated by vacuum and needs the engine running to open the tap up and allow fuel to flow. There is usually enough fuel in the carbs to fire the bike up and open the tap, but it does have a "priming" position just in case they are dry.

Yes they are plugged if they have any ethanol fuel in the fuel system and the fuel system had no stabilizer added. The fuel system will need cleaning

If the bike was running correctly when it was put in storage two years ago, I would start with the easy things first: As the previous poster suggested, install new, correctly gapped plugs, along with a new battery. Your bike uses an electronic ignition system, and it will not opporate correctly if you have a bad battery. The bike will miss, pop, and backfire, because there is not enough electrical power in storage (battery) to properly run the ignition system.

If these two things do not get the bike running correctly you will need to look at the carbs. Was the bike stored with fuel in the tank and carbs? If so, this is the most likely reason for the bike not wanting to run correctly. Flames from the exhaust are an indication of a very rich fuel/air mixture (a float could be stuck open (it can also be caused by the ignition not working properly and allowing unburnt fuel into the exhaust system)). Cleaning and reassembling mulitple carborators is not that difficult if you are careful and reasonably handy, but tuning them properly can be very difficult. You can save a lot of money if you rebuild them yourself, then take the bike to the shop to be tuned (The standard service rate these days is around $75 an hour)

The crankcase breather on an 88 model is down low on the engine cases and exits underneath the bike. If you have fuel coming out of this breather, your crankcase is full of fuel due to a leak in the needle and seat of the carb. Your cylinders may be full of fuel as well.

First, turn the petcock off and stop the fuel leak. Then jack the bike up off the ground and shift the transmission into high gear. Remove both spark plugs. Turn the rear wheel by hand in it's normal direction of rotation and make sure the engine is not hydrostatically locked up due to the cylinder being full of gas. Once you know the engine is not locked up. Put the transmission back in neutral.

Now, if you spin the engine with the starter, it will pump the gasoline out of the crankcase. But, it will probably overflow the oil tank. I'd drain about two quarts of oil out of the tank and set it aside. Plug the oil drain hose and spin the engine with the starter for about 15 seconds with the spark plugs out of the engine. Wait three minutes and do it again. Then, drain the remaining oil out of the oil tank and pour the two quarts you initially drained out back into the tank. You're going to finish flushing the engine out with this oil. Spin the engine again with the starter, wait three minutes and do it again. Then, change the oil and the filter. This should get most of the gasoline out. Check your primary to see if the gasoline got into it as well.

Then fix the carb so that it doesn't overflow and remember to turn your petcock off when you get off your bike.

Good Luck
Steve

Check the fuel pressure, the electric in tank fuel pump may be sticking.

I have had batterys that will put out enough amps to spin the starter, but will do this with a voltage to low for the electronic ignition to fire the spark plugs. Can you push start the bike? If he bike has been sitting for a while it helps to drain the carb bowls to get some fresh fuel from the tank into them. Sorry this is a couple of quick fix options, you may need to post the question again if this doesnt help

Sounds like timing chain broke.

I would remove and clean the sparkplugs - sounds like one may be fouled.

Okay, let's have a look at it. Say Ahaaa.
The probable cause of the problem is not the spark. Get a fresh set of Stock NGK spark plugs, ground the plus to the engine, and check each cylinder for spark as the starter button is pressed for 3 seconds or so. I will wager that the spark is present.

The likely problem is the fresh gas was put into a very rusty gas tank. Bits of rust now inhabit your carb and are having fun plugging up the carb. Look at the gas valve. With a little luck there is a small bowl behind the valve. Remove it and tell me what you see in the bowl.

JUST A SHOT IN THE DARK ON THIS.

TRY DISCONECTING THE POSITIVE POWER CABLE ON YOUR BATTERY,AND WAIT TEN OR TWENTY MIN.THEN PUT THE POSITTIVE BACK ON IT.

SEE IF THAT WILL RESET IT.

HOPE THIS HELPS

ELLIOT NEACE