Fuel stabilizer

Mate of mine bought a Ducati in the summer, it went unused for 3-4 months and then when started wouldn't run properly at low speeds. Bike shop diagnosed gunged up carbs , so mate stripped the carbs and cleaned them ultrasonically , this seems to have worked. Bike shop advised him to use stabilizer when the bike was lying dormant, so my question is :-
My Commando is used all year round, but it can be 4 weeks between rides, if I know it will be this long I drain the float bowls, but if I used fuel stabilizer, would this mean I won't have to drain the carbs and they won't gunge up.
What exactly does fuel stabilizer do ?
Sorry for long winded post, but I have no personal experience of stabilizer in my bikes, and tend not to trust manufacturer blurb.
thanks .
sam

Modern fuel begins to break down 30 days after it leaves the refinery. Stabilizers prevent this from occurring, at least as far as clogging up fuel systems is concerned. Sta-Bil 360 is formulated to work with ethanol-laced fuels. So it not only keeps the fuel from clogging up your carbs, it also keeps the ethanol from separating and sucking water out of the atmosphere. Regular Sta-Bil has a bit of kerosene and while it works, you have to be cautious about using too much, which will cause a smoky exhaust. The best method is to add to a full tank and run the engine enough to get the stabilized fuel in the lines and float bowls.

Fuel stabilizers prevent the volatiles in fuel from chemically breaking down over time. This would normally occur without chemical stabilization. Today with ethanol introduced to fuels, there is also the threat of water being introduced into the mix. Ethanol is hydroscopic, it will absorb moisture from the surrounding environment. Unfortunately, water/moisture will separate from the Gasoline/ethanol fuel over time. The water tends to settle to the bottom of the gas tank since water is denser that gasoline. The “free” water can cause corrosion to the fuel tank bottom. Also the water will eventual be pulled into the remainder of the fuel system (fuel lines, carbs, injectors, etc). Today’s fuel stabilizers contain compounds that keep the water/moisture dissolved in the fuel to prevent these issues.

I use the marine Stabil which is designed for high humidity marine environment.
I have a mix of carb-ed and EFI bikes that all get the stabilizer treatment. I have stored some of them for as long as 5 months without issue. They start virtually immediately afterward.
Without the stabilized the fuel degrades within 2 months or so.
I made the mistake of leaving my Ducati 999 unused for about 2 months once, and I was unable to start it up.
I had to drain the tank and replace the fuel to get it started. That was enough proof for me.

Also, on my carb-ed bikes, in addition to the stabilizer in the tank, I do two other things.
First, I make certain to shut off the petcocks when I return from a ride.
Secondly, If I know that I am not going to be riding the bike for an extended period (winter months), I ride the last block or so with the petcock(s) closed to use up the remaining fuel in the float bowls.
This minimizes the possibility of dried fuel residue fouling the internal jets and passages in the carb.

OK Thanks guys, looks like it might actually "do what is says on the tin"
Good thing is, it's available in the UK
sam