+1 on maintenance to solve 99% of problems with new to you bikes. I just did a carb synch, valve adjustment and some fork stuff on a 94 EX500 today, and it runs beautifully now.

 

I believe in a full tune up as well. Sometimes I go beyond just maintenance...like with my yzf600 it is actually the best parts of the two yzf*s I had. I have since sold all the spares and have a solid bike to play on. The hurricane that I bought new in 87 has sentimental value. The other 87 and the 88 are basically parts to keep my original going...and I have enough spares to fighter a second copy. The history of the spare bikes is unknown but that does not stop me from tuning them up before I rob parts. I buy new parts if the spares are questionable.
Earlier this year my wife and I purchased new bikes so now the old ones are either up for sale or available for full restoration. And a couple of years ago I managed to buy a house with a garage which I an slowly turning into my vision of bike heaven.

 

Here is the start point

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Prep the work surface and obtain containers to keep parts for the carbs separated. Remove the float bowls. This is twenty one plus years of grime.

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A little closer look at the bowls and floats.


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Remove main and idle jets then remove floats and seat.

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float seats and carb bodies with all removed


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Straighten lock tabs and remove screws. separate the two sections. Now we can get at the choke actuator.

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loosen the screws and remove the rod. With the rod removed the actuators slip off too. Now remove the two screws that retain the choke cable bracket.


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Remove the covers and expose the diaphrams. The rubber is still supple. Well that is as far as I got tonight. Just one thing to note... use good quality screw drivers, the heads of all the fasteners are quite soft and easy to strip.


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