glowing red exhausts

I've had my rocket sence 8-13-05 and it has been running great. Last night At 1:00 am in the coolest weather and easiest riding 3rd gear 2200 rpm I noticed a lot of heat from exaust I looked down and the pipes where red all the way to the cat. I rode home 2 miles and noticed that if I went faster or slower than the 2200 rpm range it was better but still some glowing red.
I don't have my manuel yet and thank you guys for the info I get here like how to raise tank ect.
Only 300 miles on her and got to go back to the dealeThey seem like good people though they are going to pickup my bike on Friday and check it out over 100 miles away. but that means no rocket for ? days

[Diego]

Not to worry! Nearly all exhaust pipes glow red in the dark--even my little Bonneville. It's normal.

Unless you have some other reason why your Rocket needs to go back to the dealer so soon, I'd encourage you to wait until the 500 mile service. No need to deprive yourself of it right now.

Why the variation with speed? Most likely this: At 2200rpm in third gear, you weren't going very fast. The air flow along the pipes wasn't maximized, and so you felt more heat from them. (The cool ambient air temperature probably emphasized the contrast.) At lower engine speed you didn't produce as much heat, and at higher speed you had more air flow, so the region of maximum glow peaked around 2200 under those particular circumstances. It would differ under other operating conditions.

thanks for the reply John But I know that they can glow red somethmes a little and it is ok but this is different. It wasn't very dark (city lights) when I noticed it. When I got home I was under the mercury vapor light in my drive way and they were glowing for about a minute after I shut the bike off. Too scarey for me. I did check one of the spark plugs and it did looked fine (just a little white on the tip). But there was so much heat that much more driving I think would have blistered the paint on the side cover. Even the shock was so hot I couldn't touch it. I hate being without my Rocket.

[rockt3]

Mine glow like toaster coils.

[Diego]

> I know that they can glow red somethmes a little and it is ok but this is different.

"Different" is a good word for the Rocket itself. There is a lot of heat flux from its exhaust, and those pipes also have a lot of thermal mass. The glow can thus be significantly brighter than other bikes, but as long as the color was red and not yellow, the temperature is still OK.

I don't blame you for wanting to be sure, but the odds are there won't turn out to be any problem. Enjoy!