Can a noob like me handle this

I was wondering if someone with slim to none mechanical inclination could change out the valve cover gasket and clean out the carbs on my own.

I have the XJ700 service manual and my father is an auto mechanic but I basically dont want to do more harm than good to the bike if I won't be able to do this on my own, plus the labor charges at my local bike shop are crazy.

 

YES YOU CAN! You have the requisite four fingers and an opposable thumb yes? More than two brain cells bumping into one another? You have all you need! The other requirement is a service manual. The cheap and easy (that has served me reliably for 17 odd years now) is the Haynes manual (I'm assuming here, you didn't post the year of your machine). They have a reasonable book and they also carry a How To Basics and Advanced books on motorcycle maintenance. There is also a great online tutorial called Dan's Online Motorcycle Repair course (http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm) which is a great FREE place to start. Fear not and ask lots of questions, you will be a great mechanic! The valve cover gasket is a no-brainer, easy day. The carb cleaning requires just a bit more preparation and care. Do not be alarmed nor swayed by it's appearance, it is not terribly hard. Just follow the logical steps outlined in the book and take a ton of notes and photos (if you have a digital, bonus!). Again, any questions, step back and write us, someone should be along shortly to help out. Do Not force anything in the carbs, you will pay for it! Easy does it and lots of patience are required. Otherwise, go for it! Clean the machine nicely beforehand though, you don't want to introduce any gunk if you can avoid it. Good luck to you!

 

Najus, with a little encouragment from the guys here on the board, this newbie just finished breaking down his carbs, and not only didn't screw up too badly, but also found the problem that was causing my problems (rusty float assembly was jammed with the float pin held open...and I wondered why it felt like it was flooding!) Get the manual and go for it. Just remember, it's not a speed competition; take your time, plan ahead, and learn! (I shoulda done this years ago!)

 

Well thanks for the update Jazz! Been wondering how the carbs were going. The suspense has been killing me. Trick on float pins is to get some of mothers rubbing compound or even valve lapping paste, dip the pin in the paste and then insert it in a dremel tool and at a low speed spin the pin inside the float it fits to. This will smooth both parts and make them work so well! Did this on mine which were in bad shape.
As for Mr. Najus....yes you can! Too many here have done it and too many have seen the bike shop do it wrong. Plenty of folks here to help you who have already done it and are happy to pass on the experience. There will be problems and hard things to do like installing the air boots. Did this yesterday for the 6th time and it is still tough. I would get the XJCD which I have said countless times is worth the $10 just for the carb info. You will need some special equipment such as a colortune plug and YICS tool if you are going to clean the carbs thoroughly. The colortune is about $70 and the YICS is $36. These are for tuning not cleaning. But if you clean thoroughly that means pulling the pilot mixture screws which will call for these tools to reset them accurately.