Currently putting the bike back together after months of neglect. A little background, I took the air box off of the carbs, and it seemed to have lifted off effortlessly. The joints/tubes that connect the carbs to the airbox seem rather hard compared to the opposite ends that direct air to the filter itself. They don't seem to be dry-rotted, but are a bitch to install (I thought it would be easier to install the joints onto the carbs first before putting the airbox back on). Is this normal? I wanted to get an experienced opinion before I broke something/started to order parts that I may not need. Pictures below for reference, thanks in advance!
Joint in question:
![Image](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/NeuspeedGTi/Mobile%20Uploads/F075C0BB-46BF-4BDA-95A4-57024553E90E.jpg)
What I am attempting:
![Image](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/NeuspeedGTi/Mobile%20Uploads/3F4E2DA2-A185-4792-BC05-95BCA49503DE.jpg)