Different kind of Carb question

[BriTXbike]

So here's a question. Most of us talk about rebuilding the carburetor b/c it was time or needed to be done.

I'm at an impasse right now b/c I'm changing out a few gaskets, due to leaks, and I inspected the carb inlets and everything looks clean with no varnish of any sort. Thus should I really rebuild them? They don't leak but she runs kinda rich.

After reading post after post about carbs I have to wonder how stable these are. Now this is my first run at a carburetor but it would seem that these things are so finicky that they constantly need adjustment. Maybe I'm reading to far into the posts but I have to wonder once I get everything working again how long it will last before yet another adjustment. Don't get me wrong, I love to tinker with my bike but am a little intimidated about breaking them apart as it maybe a month before I could get the Bike running right again.

[Anonymous]

Im with you on this one. I have yet to get my bike running, but Im getting a little worried about my carbs also. It appears that they are pretty finicky and arent going to work.

[gspaul]

Dont let it bother you, these carb's are no problem once set up corectly.
When you have them right no further adjustment will be required for a long time!
So continue on, clean every little pasageway,do a good job, set them up properly.
Then you can forget about them.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Carb work, like anything new to a person, seems intimidating at first, but if you have patience, it's not that hard.
You need a good manual, preferably the factory manual. Then you ask lots of questions here. Procedure, tools, rebuild parts necessary...we can help you learn and if you can supply pic's, it's even easier.
You said the bike runs rich, so you're getting lower MPG, carbon deposits inside the engine...but it depends on how rich we're talking.
You can't necessarily blame the carbs either. You first must be sure the rest of the bike is right, such as compression, spark, valve clearances, air filter...
If the carbs are in need of maintenance, a rebuild done right can last a very long time. It's not a constant job. Depends on conditions. A bike that's ridden regularly, winterized correctly and has a clean gas tank, will have few if any carb related problems. If the bike sits with fuel in it for long periods or has a rusty tank, etc, then you'll probably be messing with the carbs off and on more. Non-use causes varnishing in the carb passages and the o-rings and rubber parts dry out. This can get expensive besides the work. If you treat the bike right, just a vacuum synch once in awhile is all you'll need.
Each situation is a little different. But we can help you if it's just inexperience you're worried about.
If you do the job right and take care of the bike, you'll get many thousands of miles of trouble free use.