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Should start a new thread to ask a new question rather than replying to a thread that's a couple years old. That way you don't send an email notification to everyone subscribed to the thread.

Whether you actually need to pull the carbs probably depends on what bike you have. On my 440, I could shimmy the starter pulley off of the starter while sliding the starter backwards, then fanagle the starter out of the engine without removing the carbs. But that may not apply to your bike. I'd say try it, but be prepared to pull the carbs off if you get stuck. You'll only rarely make things worse doing that.