Coked up exhaust ports

Took the header pipes off the XT600 for the first time today. There are two exhaust ports on a single cylinder engine.

Both ports are a coated with a black soot, but not really "coked up" in that there isn't a thick layer of crud. The left port as you look at the front of the cylinder head is worse than the right.

Didn't notice anything particularly untoward with the colour of the spark plug last time it was changed, but the plug wasn't screwed in properly and the crush washer had rusted onto the threads, so the new plug I have fitted is fitted properly, and will be sitting lower in the cylinder than the old one was.

Is this telling me anything about the engine or the carburation?

Thanks

[Bibio]

normal unless its a huge build up.

Thanks. Is it worth putting some petrol on a cloth and cleaning them up? Thinking that they would be clean in a new engine and if the ports are cleaner gas will flow better - or that could be nonsense

If you do that then it will not take long to get back to how it is now, It's your choice, wont do any harm.

[Bibio]

dont worry about it m8. as said they will soon soot up again.

OK, thanks. Will leave them as they are!

[punyXpress]

Best way to clean them is go for a blast - I'd wait till next weekend though!

On our race KWACK engine we had polished ports and and tuned to run on Avgas for a season and much to our surprise at the end of the year it had minimal build up to the extent I would say it was still very clean. 10 races and practice equates to about 1000 miles but all at high revs
Normal road fuel will always leave some sort of deposit.