I rarely need to keep my choke on for more then 5-10 seconds. Once it's running I push it in.

 

I have an associates degree in automotive technology and I'm an ASE Master tech, so I fix these types of problems for a living.

A rich condition or a timing problem are the only two things that will cause the header to glow especially in such a short period of time. If you were running so lean that the exhaust could glow at idle, the valves would melt.

A rich condition cools the combustion chamber and the excess fuel burns in the pipe. A lean condition heats up the combustion chamber and cools the exhaust.

 

My bike runs super hot when it's to lean. Riding wearing shorts (like a squid, coz we all do it in Thailand) the exhaust heat is almost unbearable from the header pipe on my leg. Richen her up & the temp goes way down.

 

The OP has an idle problem, and a pipe that got hot at idle. I know that when my pilot was very rich (#38 when it didn't need it with the fuel screw out a ways), and I let her idle for a while in the evening when it was darker, I could see the pipe start to glow red. No air leaks that I know of. She still idled, but could not hold a steady rpm.

OP: what kind of idle problem were you having? Can you elaborate?

 

hmmm, im just confused to why it would be running rich all of a sudden, the last 3 times i rode it was perfect.. i let it sit for 3 weeks and now i have problems!! arghhhh... thats just weird!

 

put fresh gas in 93oct or so and use an ethanol treatment, idk if mine glows its wraped up, and to the guy saying its too rich you are correct, i design diesel motors for a living and almost all of the jobs i've had have beem working with motors, if you take it in the way diesels work they are constantly lean and don't make a lot of egt's because its burning all the fuel in the cyl. now when you start dumping fuel in(more than can be burned) the egt's go sky high because the fuel is being burnt as its pushed past the valve, and to the op have you looked at the air box to see if anything has made it a home?

 

+1, If you have to keep your choke on more than 15 seconds then its not jetted or setup properly.

 

Ethanol blows chunks! I'm buying non ethanol gas at the Pettit bulk plant.

 

I don't know how you guys have bike that will run off choke so quickly. Every bike i've ever owned (wheelers too) have to warm up for a minute or two with the choke before they will idle smoothly without choke/enrichner.

Even my buddies with FI bike have to let them sit and warm up a bit before you can ride them with decent engine response.

What the secret ???

 

Ha, I've smilar feelings, especially on cold mornings. But, the red hot header freaked me out. Now i just use the choke to get it started and let it warm at normal idle.