Grab them on both sides of the tray and rock them fore and aft whilst pulling them upwards and they should come off never had to resort to wood etc and I've removed a few sets before .
Remember to unhook the idle adjuster cable first from the bracket also.

And make sure you have plenty of slack in the clamps.

Old inlet rubbers go hard making carbs difficult to remove. Fit new inlet rubbers and it makes the job far easier

I lever mine up off the rear rocker cover with a piece of wood, once the rear carbs are out the fronts just pull free.

Thank you for the suggestions. Should I try to pull the carbs out of the rear heads at an angle directly in line with the rubbers (forwards and slightly up which will be trying to push the front ones in more) or pull them vertically up at 90 degrees from the ground?

LightAndFast wrote:Thank you for the suggestions. Should I try to pull the carbs out of the rear heads at an angle directly in line with the rubbers (forwards and slightly up which will be trying to push the front ones in more) or pull them vertically up at 90 degrees from the ground?

Yes the fronts will pop out anyway as suggested new rubbers will save a lot of grief getting them back on once you come to refit them some use the nc35 rubbers that make reffiting a lot easier.

Is that yes to pull the back carbs forward and up in line with the rubbers or just vertically up?

Forwards in line with the rubbers and they should move alternatively loosen the engine side clamps if you can access the screws also if it helps getting them off in the unlikely event that someone before has used glue or something daft before you got the bike
If you have an assistant get them to pull the carbs or prise them with the method geetee described and you can get a small flat bladed screwdriver and carefully try breaking the seal between the rubbers and the carb Stubbs .

I always refit them with a bit of grease smeared inside the rubbers

Makes the carbs a lot easier to remove next time

GeeTee wrote:I always refit them with a bit of grease smeared inside the rubbers

Makes the carbs a lot easier to remove next time

What type of grease? I wouldn't want to use anything that can react with the rubber and break it down.

vfrman wrote:

GeeTee wrote:I always refit them with a bit of grease smeared inside the rubbers

Makes the carbs a lot easier to remove next time

What type of grease? I wouldn't want to use anything that can react with the rubber and break it down.

Yes i also use grease to help ease them back on. I use the red rubber grease (castrol i think) that i also use for fork seals.

As vfrman suggests make sure you get the right stuff or it will go like goo and make eat away at the rubber.