It won't make that much difference. I run 36:1 with excellent results. If you run a spark arrestor it will trap spooge and drool more but thats not an indication of being too rich. What needle do you run now? I had an '03 and it came with a #6 slide, which made needle selection tough. #7 is what you should be running. JD Blue has been the best, most consistent needle in all my 250s with an ASI carb, including the '03. The '12 and '07 give up nothing to any other 2stroke on HS starts.
Be careful with advice on specs by guys from Austraiia with different carbs.
