So soon after I got this bike a year ago, I took it to a mechanic, which turned out to be a huge mistake as it left him in worse shape than when I gave it to him.
All the problems I'm having now with it have got me wondering about the condition of the carbs again.
Anyway, among other things, he told me at the time that the carb slides were "hammered", sticking, and needed replacement (needless to say I turned that one down as the slides are $100 each and the bike was running fine before). Is this even possible? I don't see how a carb slide can be damaged just from normal operation.