Re: 1981 535 Virago Help

This sounds silly but check to be sure your battery is FULLY charged. You have been starting it over for short times, each time draining the battery a bit. My 535 did the same thing and it was because the battery wasn't any good and robbing the system of power. I has to get a boost then I could barely make it home. I put a new battery in and instantly the problem went away. Check that first.

If it is backfiring then it is not getting gas, or not igniting the gas fully so:
If it won't idle smoothly - idle jets are dirty.
If it idles but won't accelerate - check the diaphram in the carb to be sure it is still all in one peice. I have photos of what it should look like here.
viragotips.googlepages.com

--or it is not getting fuel to begin with from the pump