If I may make a comment here about decel popping, it would be this; the phenomenom is chaotic.
Like a two-cycle engine idling or under light load, when there are combustion bi-products (exhaust) left in the cylinder, minimal fresh air, and a lean mixture, combustion doesn't occur regularly (it four, six or even eight cycles). In a 4 stroke with normal exhaust there is enough back pressure to insure that almost no fresh air gets into the cylinder from the exhaust system. If the mixture is lean to control emissions, combustion chamber temps are quite high and combustion occurs (requires high energy ignition system and in some cases like the R3 twin spark plugs), no popping is heard from the exhaust during decel.
On the other hand, when there is minimal back pressure exhaust scavaging is increased (A/F mixture goes even leaner). This reduces the chances of combustion, combustion chamber temps drop, air is pushed into the exhaust system by atmospheric pressure during the rarification wave that follows the compression wave generated by an exhuast valve opening, and air and fuel left in the cylinder from a misfire is pumped into the larger volume of the exhaust system. Some misfires in effect pump unburnt fuel and air into the exhaust system where it accumulates and mixes with residual exhaust gas and fresh air. Eventually when the A/F ratio in the exhaust system is correct it is ignited by another cylinder that has fired.
The A/F ratio in a carbureted motor goes much richer during decel than at a steady idle because the intake vacuum goes much higher. This reduces the chances of decel popping, but settings to reduce emissions increase the chances. Setting the mixture to run richer during decel will reduce the propensity for popping but may not entirely eliminate it. Different motors with their unique cam timing, port configurations and exhaust system lengths will behave differently. For example, a motor with short zoomies pops worse than a motor with a long exhaust system. Nothing physical is wrong with the motor, nor will it hurt the exhaust valves or any other part of the motor unless so much fuel and air accumulate that a single large explosion occurs which can blow your muffler off (Only saw this once in my life when water caused ignition misfiring, loaded the mufflers with fuel, and blew both mufflers off the pipes).
Hope this helps clear up some confusion.
Speed freak