Way back - halfway down page 2 - Chaterlea John suggested the carb wasn't supplying pilot jet mixture, and I suggested trying another carb. Now, after trying practically everything except a different rear wheel, what stood out as the pre-eminent problem has finally been addressed.
I understand how frustrating it is to have an issue one can't resolve (I currently have two - a small generator with no spark and a Ford Focus that won't run properly) but for me the worrying thing with this case is how many distractions from the obvious culprit were allowed to frustrate the eventual solution. Has the engine got a spark, at the right time? Easy to check. Has it got compression? If yes to both, it's fuel - either stale or not getting there.