The lead on my battery melted this weeked when the thing attached to it got super hot (sorry not a very technical explanation) It didn't arc the wiring isn't fried, and after chipping away the lead connector and hooking it all back up the bike still starts. I let it run for about ten minutes to see if it would get hot again... it was still cool to the touch when I shut it off, any ideas what happened? I don't want to get a new battery only to have it melt on me again.

side note to a great weekend....it is spring break here and some kids decided to celebrate it by trying to steal my bike from in front of my garage, wheels were locked so they didn't get it far, but they shoved something in my ignition to try and unlock it, my key still fits but it is really rough....about how much is a new ignition going to run me and can I get it to work with the keys I have now.
thanks,
Katie

I think the posts on the battery would get very hot if shorted (maybe more mischief during the attempted theft?); or somewhat hot if the battery was either charging or discharging very quickly, like if the regulator went haywire and started making 40v.  If it got hot due to sudden overcharging, then it should also be very low on water.  But I'm dubious that overcharging would make it hot enough to melt metal.

Not due to attempted theft, that happened after the meltdown, could be rapid discharge, I think it happened while I was trying to start it, perhaps to many tries to get it running in quick succession. It was to hot to touch when I opened her up to check the battery to see why I had lost all power to lights (It is a fairly new battery).

The most likely candidate if it got that got is that the battery terminals got shorted.  not sure how that would happen, but that would cause the battery to get extremely hot, and eventually either vent rapidly or explode.

I accidently did that last week to a pair of NiMH AA batteries... was kinda educational to watch.  check your seat, etc for possible metal parts that could short things.  if somehow the positive terminal got shorted to the frame that would do it as well.

I did this on my car once. Tried to install the battery to quickly and rachet crossed both terminals. It took a hammer blow to unweld the rachet. No damage to the car.

Felt as stupid as I should have.