So many opinions, but what really works?
I'm going to presume the carburettor(s) are already removed. I'm not going to go down the route of remove tank, air box etc. because there are way too many variables with different models of bike. If you're already at the stage of thinking your carbs need a clean, you're probably more than capable of doing a great job. So from the simplest Amal Concentric to a bank of four Mikunis, we'll delve straight into what actually bloody works at home - 'cause that's where I need to do it.
Here's the replacements I bought off eBay. They're rough, but hopefully good enough to make one set of complete carbs for my GS550.
Possible reasons for cleaning.
- Bike not idling correctly?
- Misfire or flat-spot at certain engine speeds?
- Yellow varnish on the outside?
- Covered in dirt?
- Maybe they're corroded?
Call 'em what you will...
But this is the thing, the 6Sigma jet kit was ready to be fitted; the carbs were looking a little worse for wear; they needed a damn good clean; and I bought a damn cheap ultrasonic cleaner.
That last point, and my grammar, was a problem...
Now the bike ran ok - ok it didn't idle properly (but then it was in a pretty bad state), but it gave me enough of an inkling that most of it was pretty good inside. And that's half the battle. If you have a non-runner, "do it up" and find something's not right afterwards, it can be hard to pinpoint the problem. At least now when it all goes tits up, I'll know it's probably something to do with a part I've stripped - like the carbs.
Initially, they looked like this.
Dirty on the outside and, due to an air filter that was long overdue for replacement, not too good inside either. So onto eBay for an ultrasonic cleaner.
