Stuck Choke -> Engine Turnover issues

[virati]

Hi all! Love my gz250 so much that a few days without riding it is enough to get me cranky. Unfortunately, I'm cranky...

A few days ago doing my normal startup routine in the morning (still cold in the mornings here in Texas), involving cranking the choke to about 3/4 and then starting it. No problems. When i try to close the choke back to normal, lo and behold, nothing happens. Obviously I knew something was wrong but I had to be somewhere very fast. I went ahead and started towards school and my bike died at an intersection. I waited about 10-20 minutes and started it again, keeping my rpms low. That got me to where i needed to go. On my way back home later that day it died twice, with me having to push it for the last quarter mile.

The spring at the carberateur end wasn't enough to overcome whatever junk was resisting the cable so today I take the cable out, worked out the rust/junk and it seems to be back to normal (used hondalube). Unfortunately, I can't get it to start. I figure I've flooded the engine but it's been sitting there for quite some time but hasn't resolved itself.

I did manage to get it going for 20-30 seconds before it died again. This was after 5-6 failed attempts today. And now, it won't start again. Not the battery, I checked the charge.

I figure I must have really flooded the engine. What exactly are my options at this point?