The problem may be that your inlet rubbers (carb-to-engine) are buggered. The engine would run OK once it was going as the vacuum pressure would suck the carbs firmly to the rubbers, but on starting it would run lean therefore very hard to get going. Also check the vacuum line running from the LHS inlet rubber to the fuel pump (if you've a Tenere).
Failed inlet rubbers seem to be a common problem with XTs. When I removed my carbs the rubbers just fell off the engine side. I also had starting problems which were cured once I'd fixed the leaky inlet rubbers.
If you are tight like me, you could just seal them up with gasket goo instead of forking out £25 each for new rubbers. David Lambeth mentioned that he had uprated versions if you're interested.
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Barry
3AJ Tenere
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Barry
XT600Z 3AJ Tenere (rebuild in progress)
SRX600
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