Motorcycle Mikuni CV Carburetor Cleaning for Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha Tutorial 

Just a line to say thanks for this excellent video. My GS1000 was running like a total dog after winter on three cylinders and terrible tickover. I am no mechanic but having watched through your tutorial three times, I bit the bullet, pulled the carbs and followed your instructions. Hey presto! She starts runs and idles like Suzuki intended. Great sense of achievement and saved a fortune! Thank you so much.

Just to let you know this video is still being watched more than seven years after you made it. I have always been scared of touching the carbs on my bike but now I am looking forward to cleaning them. Thank you for taking the fear away.

This is one of the best videos I've seen that shows carb cleaning. BTW I have found the best way, at least for me alone (ONE MAN JOB) to put these four unit carbs back on the bike. I put the choke and throttle cables on first. Then I set the carbs in place just where they start to go into the lubed up boots and then I use two ratchet type nylon tie down straps around the carbs (one ratchet on each side of the carb) and I anchor or hook the straps to the front forks, then I just carefully ratchet the carbs in place. sometimes i have to ratchet one side a little and then the other side a little and they slide right in. The nylon straps won't hurt the carbs and It only takes about 5 or 10 minutes to get the carbs in and I don't have to try to muscle them in, which can be a pain. It works for me. I hope this saves someone some aggravation.

I was going to put it to the shop, but your video have given me the confidence to do it myself!

Judging from the reception, I don't regret 2 hours of filming it :)

I had a 600 katana when I was 18 and I was reluctant to take the carbs off and dive into dismantling them. I now have a 1988 gsxr 1100 with almost identical mikuni carbs and yet again, this video is helping me build up the courage to get the carbs out and get them cleaned. This video really helped me get an idea of what to expect and probably saved me the headache of losing bits and breaking pieces so I Thank you!

without separating the carbs from the rack, the o'rings for the tubes that carry fuel across the assembly will be subjected to the acetone from the carb cleaner. I would recommend tearing it all the way down. It is an extra 10 minutes to put back together, but in my opinion totally worth it for the ability to spray cleaner everywhere.

Well done mate, I'm not an idiot when it comes to mechanics but I had no idea the grommet was hiding the idle jet & that the main jet defused tube came out Just bought a 1981 Suzuki gs650 gl , it had not ran for six years & the carbs were a bloody mess, carried out your procedure today plus sonic cleaning I know have a bike that starts. Cheers Jim in the UK

You have your reasons for not splitting the carbs but on mine, I went ahead and took them all they way apart, so they could be chemically cleaned, then rinsed. The ethanol will often create a lot of crap on the o-rings between the banks and there are also screens between the carbs that should be cleaned. Its a bit more work but in the end it will be a complete job rather than a 75% er. The fuel tank should also be disassembled and cleaned too otherwise you'll load up your newly cleaned carbs with junk.

I just received new replacement intake boots for my 82 Yamaha xj650 seca and decided to do a full on clean out on the carbs since i had them off the bike...I have never taken on this task myself personally...I must say haveing your step by step instructions on video beats haggering with the manuel...Your production and explanations of how to were very informative and self assureing..!!!....Well Done..!!...Thank You very much....

I just posted a video of my 83 Suzuki GS1100L starting up for the 1st time in 6 years, I was concerned my carbs needed rebuilt. I am confident enough to now to tear into them and give them a good cleaning! Thanks from Indiana!!!

one of the most comprehensive, yet easy to follow, video available on youtube!! and all the little tip about how sensitive the screws are and how to install the main jet with the middle finger was very needed! thank you so much

Brilliant tutorial. Helps me with my zzr 1100 restoration. Very clear audio. Thanks. A1

It's very hard finding information on these carbs, thank you so much for this video it's going to help a ton.

Nicely done brother. I am preparing this exercise on my FJ1200. My step son and I are rebuilding and learning together as we go. When we are done with the carbs, Breaks, Fork seals, Wheel bearings and throttle cables, Tires and make sure it's running like a cherry I am going to hand over the title to my stepson along with a boat load of protective riding gear and a stiff promise to be wise and safe, but have fun. I am going to fwd. this video on over to him in preparation for this phase of the project. I greatly appreciate the time and effort to film, edit and post this video. I also appreciate that you did not flood it with distracting music, as much as I love good music your commentary is what was needed here and you delivered superbly! Your a real Pro and a gentleman. Thanks!

Well done! The main jet tubes are called emulsifier tubes (the tubes with all of the little cross drilled holes). I have to disagree with leaving the petcock on the reserve position - reserve is for when you run out of gas, and if you leave it on, when you run out - you run out - leaving you stranded! I would have also drilled out the welsh plugs for the idle air screw so it can be adjusted - I find that the older bikes need the screws backed out 1/2 to a full turn because of the newer ethanol fuel - on most of my bikes I turned them out one full turn and the engine idles much smoother.

I had a 74 Z-1 for many years, 1015 wiseco big kit, cylinder machined to piston circumference, Megacycle 417 cams, manley SS valves, head matched and machined 040, 29 mm smooth bores, always good to keep a rust free tank to keep carbs clean Those old bikes were dinosaurs compared to the new bikes as I had a 05 ZX-10

You can try using liquid electrical tape on the diaphragms, have heard of others having success on forums with this method.

Brilliant,well done . Easiest to understand and uncomplicated explanation. Thanks alot.

Dang, dude, I don't even HAVE a motorcycle , and this was still a great video!!

Thanks a bunch!. My '92 FJ1200 is waiting for this work to be done after being too much time stopped due to the pandemic. Now she won't start and I am sure it is gunk in the carbs. So I hope to clean them soon and get the pretty lady back on the road!

Superb video...worked on bikes alot, but never totally rebuilt carbs...now I can! Thanks.

I just acquired a '81 GS850GL and am doing this right now, so thank you very much for taking the time to make/post this!

My uncle and I are starting a project with a Suzuki Gs550 with these carbs, so I find this really helpful. The bike is not running and needs some work but my main concern is the carbs, everything is just minor issues

Just picked up a barn GS750, and the carbs are looking awful! This has helped me save so much time and money being able to do it myself! Thanks!

Great video, one problem, after watching your video was i had missed one jet below the main jet, so now I have to take the carbs off again. I should have watched your great video first.

I am 100% noob. Just bought my first bike. 1977 GS750. Bike shops are very expensive, so vids like this are basically free money to me. Thanks man!!! Keep up the great work:)

Way cool video bro. You taught me how to adjust my floats which i didnt know. I have some tips for you also. The floats go to shit sometimes and you dont even know it causing all kinds of evil shit like leaking gas into the crankcase. Finding a problem like this will drive you crazy. When you have the carbs apart fill your sink with water and put the floats in there for about an hour and see if they sink or lean to one side. If the float starts taking on water you know its time for a new one.

Nicely done. But I would replace the bowl gaskets because the last thing one wants to have is a external gas leak of the weeping kind. Once a gasket is compressed it's best not to be used over again in most cases and gas is something to respect so I feel safer with new gasket, or gaskets.

Thanks for the video. I'll have to strip my bike down as it's been in storage a few years. The carbs have always daunted me. I also enjoyed your Around the world on a motorcycle video. I hope you post again.

Watching you put the weight of those carbs on those floats is maddening. Take the floats out!!!!

You have been a great help for me in restoring my 1990 FJ 1200 Yamaha . I can't thank you enough a very clear and well presented and clear video . Thumbs up from me .

Great tutorial which encouraged me to clean the carburetor for my Yamaha FJ 1200, which doesn`t run well right now. Hope to get it right. Thanks a lot for your work !

This is my nightmare x4 times over. Disassembling and cleaning one carb took me almost an hour, but this on a CB750 would need a BBQ, cold beer, 3 to 4 friends to procrastinate, and some ice cream. Doing that on Sunday would be nice.

Remember - bending the tab down - when holding the carbs upside down, will put more pressure on the needle and move the float down, resulting in a lower fuel level in the chamber. Not the other way around, like You said. And remember - float height is measured from the lowest point where the gasket meets the body. You pointed at the inner edge above this lowest point, resulting in at least 0.5 mm too low fuel level when put back on the bike. Also remember - a fuel inlet needle that drops under weight of the float, can be totally OK. It might be the float that is too heavy from a leak, or it is dirty. I always weigh my floats, to ensure they weigh exactly the same. Shaking them, listening for fuel slushing around inside, is no good, because the fuel inside them might have solidified, which is impossible to detect without testing the weight properly. The set of floats on the carbs I'm rebuilding right now, all weigh 123.45 grams, and I'm pretty confident I can continue the work...

Spot on rarely you find such a well structured and instructional video on you tube. Gold star buddy, i certainly learned a thing or two that i will be taking into account when im cleaning my carbs tomorrow. Keep em coming!

Fantastic video! Exactly what I was after. Now wish me luck with my gs850 carbs. Can’t wait to hear it start and run for the first time!!

I feel like I will become an amateur mechanic with enough of these videos, keep em comin.

Well done! Just what I needed for my '79 XS Eleven Special Yamaha. Thank you!! : )

lifesaver dude! I trying to figure out how to bring my gs550 to stock jetting, this will help alot. the PO drilled the orginals and couldnt get it to run right. cheers

this is a great post. and all diaphragms should be inspected thoroughly using this method

Probably the best most informative video on utube and I’ve watched them all ! Thanks so Much !

Thank you so much sir for this video the best video on RU-vid for carb cleaning I’m getting into vintage motorcycles right now and this is going to help me so much

Excellent, thank you Sir... Gonna do this on my GS next week...

Great tutorial! Enjoyed watching and it will instil confidence in others to do the job themselves. Well done!

This is one of the best tech video I've ever watched on RU-vid :D Thank You very much !

wow. no wonder they invented injection.Delicate work undertaken masterfully. I think your film making deserves an award. beautiful sequencing with assured instruction, perfectly explained, without tension.Usefully, when one reinstates the diaphragm and also the main jet (in this case) one might use the term 'relocate' which explains the designed and only acceptable position of these components. I stumbled on this and was totally pleased.

just bought an 82 gs850g. this video is amazing and will help me clean the carbs with confidence and ease. thanks for making it!

Hi Joe, I'm glad that it helped out. Keep the stock air box, pods are expensive and will require re-jetting the carbs.

Great video but what about the (air screw needle?) with the SUPER SMALL washer and o-ring on the airbox side? Thanks for your time... you really helped me.

Thank you, this is a great video. I'm pretty sure, I will clean mine with no problem at all. You're a good instructor! Thanks again!

Thank you so much. You just saved me a potential $300. Your a saint. You should put up a video on how to clean the gas tanks!

A superb video showing simply...what to do.

THE BEST VIDEO THAT I SEE ABOUT TO CLEAN 4 CARBURETORS,,,,VERY HELPFUL,,THANKS,,I WILL DO IT FOR MY 1989 YAMAHA RADIAN

best carb cleaning video ive watched!

Great video, its gave me the confidence to do my own on a xj 900 f

great video just bought a 1993 gsxr 750 and was told the carburetor is leaking fuel. funfilled day of tearing down the carburetor tomorrow!

Thank you - single best carb clean vdo out there. Can't wait to clean the carbs on my 79 gs850 👍🏼

Thanks dude. It was so much easier than I thought it was gonna be

Great tutorial, they look exact as my GSX 1100 Katana carbs, I will clean all the staff soon. I had a lot of kind a green mud dirt in first carb after some years without running an did a major cleannig, but didn't clean the pilot and air jets, so the bike doesn't run 100% fine at low rpm. Thanks. The only point I disagree is using nneddle in jets, you can damage them.

This was very demonstrative! I managed to do same to my Yamaha Seca 1982 Mikuni Carburetor. Thanks a lot!

Thanks mate this is just what I wanted to do the carbs on my FJ 1200 Yamaha. Awesome vid.

This is a very articulate, clear, knowledgeable how to video. Very well done. Thank you so very much! You've made my project much less intimidating. I have an 84 magna which has similar if not the same carbs. I've been told by several people that the reason I'm having issues with my motorcycle is that the carbs are filthy inside. I'm about to fix that, taking apart the carbs for the first time. When I put the carbs back in am I going to have to worry about having them synced or some setting messed up that would keep it from idling properly? Would you recommend I build the DIY carb sync tool with water bottles, I've seen in other videos, to make sure they are synced or should I take it somewhere that has the right tool. if I do everything correctly is it likely to work fine and I don't need to worry about the sync part? Any other settings I should be aware of? Would appreciate anyone knowledgeable person's reply. Thanks! :)

Excellent, my wife has a Royal Star quad carb, I will have to clean the carbs on, this video will be handy.

Sometimes the 2 middle carb will run a slightly bigger main jets so that cylinder #2 and 3 run a little richer thus running a little cooler! So when take them out check what size main goes in each carb so that they go back the same. My XS1100 had 110 mains on cylinder 1 and 4 - and cylinder 2 and 3 had 120s

Excellent well presented video for the carb strip, clean and reassembly. Has given me confidence to tackle my Triumph Triple. Thanks for doing this

I would like to see a single video on youtube showing someone disconnecting carbs off the rail and putting them back together.

Legend, just restoring my 85 GS850G and this is just what I needed. Cheers.

To take the pilot jets out of 2/4 of the carbs on my '89 Suzuki Katana (GSX600F), I had to use a flathead bit from an interchangeable screwdriver set and press down with my finger while clamping and turning the bit with a pair of pliers. For some reason I couldn't get the proper angle to bite the head when I put the screwdriver on. Just a tip in case anyone else is having trouble!

My friend you did a great job and a very complete video! Thank you very much. God bless you 🙏👍😎🇺🇸🌴

I replace the needeljet with an apx. 5" long M5 bolt. Stick'n true the mainjetfunnel upwart to the Diaphragmachamber, srew the needeljet on and pull the Jet down and control the nut, screw the bolt out and the Main Jet in...

I don't regret the 31 minutes I spend to watch this video thanks !!

IF you follow this advise and not replace the bowl gaskets, you are going to removing them again and order the bowl gaskets. Never ever heard of not replacing them EVER. Also if the jets are heavily oxidized, they become very brittle and are prone to breaking. PB Blaster will be your best friend and let it soak for at least 10 mins. I use a gentle propane torch to heat the aluminum for difficult ones to remove but I have broken a few. It becomes a PIA if you do. You SHOULD invest in a needle jet cleaner file set to make sure the jets are clean, and the choke emulsion tube is free of obstructions. The Main Jet will also need to have each of the tiny little holes cleaned out as well. I've seen very very clogged ones but the needle file cleans em out perfectly. One thing he does not address at all is when those inserts for the main jet get stuck. I used a bolt sized by the threads (forgot the size) and gently tap it AFTER soaking it in PB Blaster. I've never not gotten one of them out. And the carbs I've done sat for over 10 years and were extremely dirty and corroded. With some caution and NOT going Cave Man on them you can save most carbs.

Thank you soooo much my bike runs like new again, this is the most useful video on you tube!!!!!!!

Great tutorial, I appreciate people like you taking the time to share their knowledge. Its probably wise for people to check their own workshop manuals for any specifics but your overview if fab! 👍

This video is very good made, YOU show very well all the procedure to do...i will do it tomorrow on my r1 1998...thankyou very much for your help

Thank you that was a great video. I'll be tackling this for the first time this winter.

Great tutorial. I need to do my 82 Honda CBX 1000. 6 of these buggers. Since the worse part of he job is removing the rack of carbs, I think I will just toss the nitrofil floats since you really can't tell if they are bad. Note, nitrofil floats are surface sealed and that surface sealant is attacked by some of the chemicals and alcohol that they put in the fuel these days. When you remove the floats, the fuel inside the bad float will evaporate and the float will "float" in water.

Hi Homer, I've edited a lot of video and i'm uploading them now. They are giant in size so they take forever to upload. Be patient, there are a lot more to come.:)

Hi all. Excellent video, thank you. 2 questions to everyone. 1st one. After removing the slide/diaphragm, can I clean the mating surfaces with carb cleaner? 2nd question. 2 of my slides move freely and 2 have some resistance at the end of the "drop" when the spring pushes it down... What causes that? Do I need to just clean that "cylinder" and the "bore" and then it will move freely or is there some thing else to do?

Excellence video, thanks... my Suzuki 600 gsxf Katana carbs are on the workbench and I am love the detail you gave.

Thanks for the video helped me quite a bit with the jets and pistons every thing was jammed on mine had not run in 12 years great vid :)

My man. I have a 1979 Kawasaki Z650 I bought recently, and the last guy who did the carb rebuilt didn't do a very good job so I need to clean it and re-sync it. I did not know how to do so I paid 250 for the shop to do it. But next time, thanks to your video, I can do it myself and save 250. Keep up the great work bro

You're welcome, thanks for stopping by.

Hi , great video. I will subscribe....two questions....just bought a GS 550 , same carbs. It has been sitting for 25 years or more. Anyway I'm cleaning the carbs..... 1. What do the rubber plugs inside do? Why would they plug the pilot jets from getting fuel? 2. I understand the middle hose is the fuel hose.....what are the other two hoses used for? They are on a pivot. This bike was in pieces so I'm trying to figure it all out. Thanks

Fantastic video, exactly what I was looking for. Thought it's rocket science - doesn't seem to be after all! I have petrol leaking from the third carburetor on my 98 Bandit 12S, so I guess this should be the solution....Again, thanks a lot for a brilliant tutorial!

Yes clean those Carbs, Once in the morning, Once in the evening and everytime after you've riden around. To maintain strong healthy carbs.

Superb video! I wish all RU-vid could be this well presented. Thank you!

HELLO Q GOOD VIDEO, I CONGRATULATE YOU, THAT FUNCTION MEETS THE RUBBER PLUGS

Wow what a great video. Very clear, and concise. Thanks a lot 🙏

Holy cow!! Thank you for posting this video!! This is an excellent tutorial!!! (I only wish you would have shown a bit more of HOW you cleaned everything!! That seems to be a key secret!!) Cheers!!

What are the hoses on tge left and right side, vent overflow hoses, tge others I'm guessing are vacuum and fuel line hose

Good video, informative. But why not go all the way and remove the floats as well. That’s the part I really wanted to see.

Hi there,that was great teaching's of how to give the carburetor's a good clean,you really put great care & explained everything in perfect clearness,thank you friend for all of your time & efforts,thank you so much, "A Great Video" 😊😊😊

Very helpful tutorial i thought. Used it when rebuilding my carbs. Although, i still have a cold start issue. Help me out.

Yap, I recorded this video in Paraguay:) It was just a regular maintenance but it needed it.

One bit of advice, do NOT clear out jet holes with a needle. It can damage them. Use fishing line, plastic bristles, anything non metallic.

after this video i have full Confidence to do it on my yamaha Tmax. Thank you for sharing .. thank god i have two cylinder :)

Did he say he was in South America and didn't have the tools to remove the floats...did he break down in South America and saw it as an opportunity to shoot a tutorial? haha if so that is awesome. Great video I learned a few things here.

A question; why go through the trouble of doing all this and not at least inspect the float needle? Aren't those the most wear-prone part of the carb? Every time the float goes up and down that needle has to seal to prevent overflow. Also, is it really a good idea to clean brass jets (particularly the pilot jet) with a steel needle? I was always taught to use a straw from a nylon broom or a piece of heavy-gauge fishing line to clean those.