Spirit 1100 Hissing noise when choked

Hello all - no pun intended with the title

Anyway - had the carbs out tonight in order to rejet for my new baffles (more substantial than the lollipop baffle).

Anyway, with the normal amount of pain and suffering, I got everything back together. Decided to start it up to make sure I didn't royally screw it up and noticed a hissing noise when the choke is applied with the engine running.

As far as I can tell it goes away or is just less noticeable when the choke is closed (off). By opening and closing the choke I was able to trace it to somewhere above the front cylinder, up by the steering head.

As far as the noise itself, it's not a high pitched hiss, but more of a sound of air being sucked through an orifice (similar to the sound of blowing out of a straw). As far as I can tell, everything is connected...

Anyway, just curious if anyone knows if this is normal? It may be, and I just never noticed it before, but I figured I'd probe the knowledgeable minds on here.

I may try to check for any leaks in that area if I find some matches...

One other thing, does anyone have any tips for those dang choke plungers? Mine have a rubber "boot"/"sheath" around the cable and that nut/threaded portion that fights every turn of the nut as it is "gripping" the nut and trying to twist around the cable.