Is it My Speed or My Pipe?

It could also be the tobacco. What kind of tobacco are you smoking? Aeromatics tend to bite more than other tobaccos.

I would lean towards the type of tobacco. I also find that aerobatics bite me more often than not.

It's not broken in,for one thing. And, as the previous two posters mention, if you are smoking aromatics (especially OTC aros), that could be part of your problem.

It could be the type of tobacco you're smoking -- it would really help us to know what it is -- and, as Jud said, the fact that it's not broken in yet.
One other issue I've seen with cheap pipes -- and if it's branded, it would help to know the brand -- is that some are actually varnished with a shellac that gives them a beautiful -- and permanent! -- shine but which makes it impossible for the briar to breathe. The one varnished pipe I've tried would only smoke hot, and even sanding off the coating didn't help. (Probably because it was used on briar that hadn't been properly dried/aged.)
Varnished or not, if the briar wasn't properly dried and aged, that could also contribute to an overly hot smoke, which in turn could lead to bite. And the odds of that being the case are higher with a low-priced briar than with something that cost, say, in the $80-100 range.
Finally, and this is probably the least likely scenario, you may be encountering an adverse reaction to perique (if the blend contains perique). I experience this myself, but I've never encountered anyone else with the same problem: When I smoke a blend with perique in it -- no matter how small a portion -- I get a sensation like needles piercing my mouth. When I was a younger smoker, I called this "tongue bite." I've since discovered it's more like an allergic reaction. But I've discussed this with a number of tobbaconists (and even Greg Pease) and they've never heard of anyone else having this kind of reaction. But I'll throw it out there, just in case.
Bob

One other reason it could be is if you are smoking blends that are heavy in red Virginia's, I have a body chemistry thing that makes them un-smokeable for me. I get an acid burn on my tongue the minute the smoke hits it.

flintlockjohn and cigrmaster:
Wow, sorry to hear about your own -- I'll call them allergic reactions -- to certain leaf. I'd seen people's posts here about red Virginias, but had attributed that merely to their tendency to require great care when smoking. (There's definitely a sharpness there.) But it hadn't really sunk in that your reactions were actually similar to my own physical response to perique. (While I enjoy an occasional red Virginia, I love Turkish leaf. I'm very sorry you can't enjoy it, flintlockjohn!)
Bob

Thanks for joining and posting up Travis.
Please check rule #9 at the bottom here:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/forum-rules-read-before-posting-please-1
I fixed the title for you.

Before getting down on your pipe or tobacco, I'd just suggest it's just because you're a new smoker. My advice would be to wait until your tongue feels better, and then put a pipe's worth of tobacco out on a peice of paper until it is really dry, almost crispy. This will make the pipe very easy to smoke. Then, load it up and smoke as slowly as you can--you only want to see a tiny whisp of smoke. If the bowl gets too hot to touch, put it down until it cools off.
I will bet this makes for a much easier time. Don't get discouraged! Almost everyone gets bit when they're new.
Oh, and it's okay to take an occasional big puff. Making a nice big cloud of smoke every once in a while is part of the fun!