last night i was letting my bike warm up and as i went to ride i noticed my front head pipe was slightly glowing redish orange i have s-e buckshot heatshields so i think thats the only reason i saw it. it is only glowing at the top right at the bend and you cant see it during the day or when you put light on it. But as i started to ride it went away. I have V&H straight shots no power commander and stock intake on a 07 nightster. I did a search and the most common answer was it was renning lean but the most recent answer was from a couple years ago. Sany info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks alot

 

I was doing some research on pipes last night, and it was talking about the max temps pipes can withstand without ruining the finish (1500F) and that one of the main reasons pipes get above this heat, and (possibly glow red hot) is because the mixture is rich or lean, and is actually combusting in the headers, creating really high temperatures. That would be my best guess

 

I'd bet the pipe gets that hot quite a bit but as you say you can't see it unless it's dark and you look around the heat shield.

 

Switched form an old Goldwing to a 07 1200 roadster this year, I do alot of riding at night and have never seen the exhaust glow. Ran stock for awhile then did stage 1 upgrade, exhaust, SE air, ECU stage 1 download.

I know there is alot of input on this but I'll put it out there anyhow...one of the local dealers mechanics, older rider not young, and 3 of my friends that have ridden Harleys for along time, I'm 49, said that you should never change exhaust or air filter without going all the way and changing the exhaust + air filter + jets/ecu upgrade.

They say any time you change the air in or the air out without accomadating for everything you are asking for trouble. Air in alone or Jets/ECU upgrade alone will cause problems quickest. Exhaust alone will run longer but get you sooner or later.

If you have any popping you are running lean!

Just what I've been told...sure someone else will have a different opinion...

 

+1 - BUT, there is no reason for letting an air cooled engine "warm up" to the point that the pipes are glowing. Air cooled engines need air flow, once the heads are warm to the touch, it's time to ride it.

 

It's pretty much true with any bike..air-cooled or water cooled.
I had a customer with a brand new ZX7 start his bike, then go inside when he heard the phone ring. Started yakking on the phone, and didn't come back out for I guess a couple of hours.. The motor got so hot that it completely seized, burning the paint off the entire motor, and melting the head to the jugs.
You just want to use common sense, and don't start your bike until you're ready to ride it. Let it warm up for a couple of minute, then take off.
Personally I've seen my bike try to walk on the sidestand, and not trusting the Harley 'Jiffy Stand" to begin with, I no longer let it run unless I'm sitting on it.
BTW- your exhaust glowing isn't necessarily indicative of it being too lean. 4-strokes aren't nearly as affected from jetting as two strokes are. You'd have to be extremely lean to get it running so hot that your exhaust was glowing from it being lean all by itself.
If it were that lean, you wouldn't prolly even want to ride it, it'd be running so bad.