It’s rare to find a vintage motorbike that doesn’t need some attention to the carburetors. As a case in point; I’ve purchased vintage bikes where the previous owner paid good money to have carburetor work done, and in the end I still needed to rebuild the carburetors myself.
Now I suppose there are some vintage bikes you run across that don’t need the carbs re-done, but if your bike is hard to start, or won’t idle right, or just doesn’t run right, well your bike could probably benefit from a carburetor rebuild.
Now when I say rebuilding carburetors, I don’t mean cleaning the carburetors. I mean stripping those 30+ year old carbs down as far as they will go and replacing every o-ring, gasket, or seal that they have. In the process, you will meticulously clean every port, part, spring, and washer you come across.
Remember back in the beginning I said my goal was to save you time, money, and frustration? Well here we are! Now if you are not comfortable rebuilding your motorbike carburetors yourself, it is always best to take it to a qualified mechanic. However, for those who are mechanically inclined and have a bit of patience, a carburetor rebuilding project can be a rewarding and relatively straightforward task.