Exhaust Issue
 

I have recently began a project in which is now almost complete in rebuilding a 1998 Superhawk. I will add pictures of the bike later in it's before in the middle and current condition. However, I am now running into an issue that I didn't notice before with the bike. Once the engine is running, and the bike is idling for about 5 min or less, the exhaust pipes both front and rear are turning red and almost a molten lava color. Is this normal for the bike, or is there an issue somewhere that someone can shed some light on. The major difference in the exhaust is that the left rear exhaust is a Yoshimura exhaust, and the right side exhaust is the OEM exhaust. By virture of acquiring the bike as I did, certain things are still being fixed. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Sounds like its running way lean, the exhaust gets hot on these bike but not that hot

I've never heard of one doing that, so yeah you have a problem and yes i would start first with checking for a very lean condition.

Dont run it until you richen it up... alot. The next thing to go with running temps like that are your pistons. Like blowing holes in them. Or valves, burning them. So stop runnning it and get those carbs off for a look around.

I figured out the issue.. The idle was a little too high... once I readjusted the idle and was assured the bike was running at about 1300-1400 RPMs, the pipes stopped glowing.

yea but it still seems like its running lean for it to be doing that, for example if you're riding and cruising at 3000 rpms, that would be just about the same thing as it idling high, i would seriously look into your carb setting

Yeah...otherwise everyone's bikes would do that every time they rode it...

welcome to the forum. Hope you get this sorted out quickly.

I would love to see what those plugs looked like. They ought to be white running that hot. The other question is what damage has been done already because it's likely that this isn't something that just happened. Or could an obstruction in the carbs temporarily cause a lean condition.

I have been to the "glowing headers alter". I put a high lift Holley intake manifold on a 350 Chevy engine in a LandCruiser (old one) and forgot to plug a hole in the back of the manifold that was for an unused PC port. My bud got half way to Denver and cratered the engine.

clean the carbs, if it's been sitting there's junk in the jets causing your lean mixture. Mine did the same thing when I got it, but only on the front pipe cause the rear carb was totally stopped lol.

Thanks for all the help! The bike is now running great, with no glowing pipes at all! I do have another question and issue... The front brake handle should cause the rear brake light to well light up... However, it doesn't.. I've checked the connectors, and it's hooked up... what do or should i do next? This is the first bike I have ever rebuilt, and I'm doing it with next to no help.. It's fun, and all the major issues have been fixed... now just the little stuff.. Like findings stock used fairings for the bike... it's very naked... Thanks again!

Erik

I don't understand how high idle could cause glowing pipes-very strange indeed. We're missing something here, but whatever.

Brake light switch. I had a similar problem, took the switch apart and got it working again. That's all I remember.

My BMW would get the pipe glowing when it stopped firing on that cylinder, usually from using the sidestand instead of the centerstand and having oil drain past worn parts into the low cylinder. Bike ran like shit also, of course. I think this would be an overly rich condition. Which makes no sense to me.

Things to check: rear brake lights up then front brake switch or wiring to the light. If rear brake doesn't light up then fuse, bulbs, connections to taillight (they go in sideways).

The brakelight will light up when the rear brake is depressed... however when the front brake alone is depressed it doesn't light up at all.. I've taken the connectors apart and put them back on but to no avail.. I will have to find the fuse that runs those now, but don't know where to look.

It's probably just a bad switch then. That's easy (and cheap) to remedy. Should be like $10 at your local dealer.