Hot catalytic converter.

[asperan]

Bike with only 9000 miles sat for 18 months (dry in doors etc). New battery & started up...ran rough so took for a high speed run...still rough. Stuck in back in the garage only to notice it was ready to melt down. Converter glowing orange hot - checked for plugged exhaust - looks OK? Any ideas would be appreciated...Thanks...Tony

[Sunbeemer]

Incomplete or improper combustion created a build up of unburned fuel in the catalytic converter that caused it to over-heat.
Could be bad gas, fouled plug, unseated throttle cable, bad ignition wire, nest in the airbox, etc. Check each side's cylinder temperatures after a brief run to see if one side is cold, and concentrate on that side...

Let us know what you find. This is a great information exchange...

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[boxermania]

Bad gas = extremely lean condition = high cat converter temps.

If the tank is full, throw a can of octane booster and run through the tank....fresh gas and a couple of hundred miles she will be purring like a kitten......ride them cowboy......

[cricman]

Do all of the above, and check to make sure no visitors (wasps, mice, etc...) moved into your exhaust system in the last 18 months. Stranger things have been known to have happen.

cricman