exhaust getting soft on my 80 MNS

[Brian]

No backfire ever, A little bit of lean pop when warming up and taking the choke off too soon in the past. This could have been a factory issue, or a result of having everything welded on with old gas I suppose. Really weird.

Glad I found it and obviously I should have removed the emulsion tubes during past cleanings.

[Brian]

Update to everyone who help and other curious XSive types.

Installed the replacement Emulsion tube and the bike runs better that ever (at least since I've owned it and brought back from it's 20 year nap).

Thanks to everyone. But of course I have one problem that has surfaced only at idle, that I am playing with. I have a slight random pop and the exhaust (now the right side) is soft, then a quick explosive pop. Once I twist the wrist and ride, it goes away and accelerates really nice and smooth.

So, like you I am thinking I need to check the pilot jet. Plugs look good- more tanish gray than off white, but the 3rd cylinder is much hotter than the other 3, based on my laser thermometer. I would have thought the 3rd plug would be stark white, but it's not. Played with the pilot screws on all 4, based on plug color and the left 2 are coming in really good.

Am I on the right track?

Brian