Yep reg-recs got hot.

but shouldn't instantly melt your hand.

If its sparking when your touching it to the frame you either have a short in the REG/REG

OR your LIVE Wires to the REG/REG are touching the reg/rec

My reg/rec gets pretty warm pretty quick, but not hot enough to burn your hand, if its that hot then a live inside is shorted to the heat sink. Strange that it still works regulating&rectifying, check the connections at the reg again, as suggested, maybe somehow wires are touching, but more likely an internal short.. Could always rip it apart?...

Thanks MexicanGringo and Neosophist I have unplugged everything and nothing seems to stop the short and I have checked the reg/rec wires going into the loom plug and can't see anything wrong so I think I will get a r6 yamaha rwg/rec and see what happens then.

brido, if you want to try another nc30 reg/rec i have one off the bike i can lend you for an evening, get in touch if it's of use.

royster81 that would be great, I already have your mobile number so will give you a buzz on friday and we will arrange something if thats ok with you??

Reg/Rec should be warm, maybe hot depending on battery charge. I know the Reg/rec for the NC24 is electrically isolated from the frame ?!?

my reg rec gets bloody hot. You could not touch it with the inside of your arm without jerking away!

Well everyone good news, my r6 reg/rec arrived yesterday and I just had to try it and see what happened, so I temporarilly wired it up, and success no more earthing to the frame, so it was the honda reg/rec after all. So thanks to everyone who replied and thanks royster81 for the offer of his spare reg/rec. So I will now permanently wire up the reg/rec and solder all the connectors.