If you regularly use your bike to ride, you may notice the engine bogging at full throttle. After all, you get your bike dirty and worn out with time.
So why is a motorcycle bogging down at full throttle: how to avoid it? The problem can occur from the carburetor, air filter, fuel pump, spark plugs, fuel injection issues, etc. Keep the components mentioned clean and check for faults to avoid bogging down your bike.
Below you will find a more in-depth explanation of the problems and how to avoid them. Read ahead to avoid seeing your motorcycle bogging down at full throttle.
Motorcycle Bogging Down At Full Throttle
The motorcycle engine gets less fuel, and the engine sputters or even lags when at full throttle; that is motorcycle bogging. There are several reasons you may encounter your motorcycle bogging. However, you will also find a simple way to avoid them easily.
Types Of Motorcycle Bogging
There are mainly three types of motorcycle bogging. They are lean bog, rich bog, and gear bog. Below are brief explanations of the types of bogging you may face with your motorcycle.
1. Rich Bog
This happens when there is too much fuel than air in the chamber. The sign of rich bogging is slower and thicker throttle response. If you pay close attention, you will feel the gears set one or two higher than their actual gear.
2. Lean Bog
Lean bogging is the exact opposite of rich bogging. It happens when the chamber has more air than fuel. You will be unable to accelerate correctly because of heavy amounts of air.
It may happen due to needing more fuel or if the air boxes are kept open for a long time. It may feel like you are killing the engine when driving with lean bogging.
3. Gear Bog
This type is similar to rich bogging because it occurs when the motorcycle works in high gear. The motorcycle’s acceleration will feel slow identical to driving your bike through a road full of thick mud.
Why Motorcycle Bogging Down At Full Throttle? How To Avoid?
Below is a list of why you may experience motorcycle bogging and how to avoid them.
Blocked Air Filter
A clogged or dirty air filter is the first and foremost cause of motorcycle bogging. It affects an engine’s longevity and performance. Clogging happens very quickly when you drive your motorcycle around dirty areas regularly.
As a dirty air filter also causes carburetor jets to get dirty, you will face fuel issues that cause bogging.
How To Avoid
Replacing or cleaning the dirty air filter frequently keeps the fuel/air mixture in the right amount. This is the easiest way to avoid motorcycle bogging due to air filter issues.
Spark Plug Issue
Having a damaged spark plug can cause bogging as well. Because of a faulty spark plug, engine misfiring occurs, which is noticeable if the motorcycle is under load during acceleration. An incorrect connection with the spark plug also causes bogging. Here are some of the symptoms of a bad spark plug.
How To Avoid
You must check your spark plug connections regularly and see if the plug is loosened. Also, check if there is oil on the plug’s end or if the plug wires are loosened. Change if the plug has been damaged with its caps and wires.
Carburetor Issue
The motorcycle carburetor, like spark plugs and air filters, can also get damaged or dirty. It is another common reason for bogging. A bad carburetor can cause lean bogging, engine backfiring, and overheating. Problems with the carburetor also cause clogging of the jets, which causes fuel problems.
How To Avoid
To avoid problems with the carburetor, you need to clean it regularly. Clean the debris regularly and also check the jets if they are dirty. The jets also require regular cleaning. Use spray cleaners and compressed air to clear out dirt from the jets.
In front of the carburetor, check the air-fuel mixture screw and clean it. Loosen the carburetor to reach the screw easily. Remember to count the turns while unscrewing and turn the same amount when screwing back. You can also check this video to fix the problem with the carburetor float:
Fuel Injection Issues
Like an air filter, you can also have issues with the fuel filter and/or fuel pump. This occurs mainly with bikes that have fuel injection. Using low-quality fuel causes problems with fuel injection, and dirt and debris can also cause the issue.
How To Avoid
Regularly cleaning the fuel pump will keep the fuel injection issue away. Also, use better quality fuel that your bike responds well with. Check with the manufacturer’s suggestions for guidance.
Lack Of Fuel
If there is a lack of fuel, the engine doesn’t have enough to ignite and generate power. That is when bogging occurs. The lack of fuel can be caused by issues like the gas tank getting vapor-locked or the fuel line getting pinched.
It can also happen due to a lean mixture of fuel, meaning more air than fuel and the carburetor float height set too low.
How To Avoid
Regularly check the gas tank to avoid getting vapor-locked. Keep an eye on the fuel line and carburetor float height to see if they are set accordingly. Also, check the fuel tank for mixture issues.
Quickly Opening Throttle
Some motorcycles have issues if they are throttled very quickly at full. This can cause bogging due to poor jetting or the accelerator pump needing adjustments. It can also happen because the engine needs to be warmed up properly.
How To Avoid
Properly warm up the engine before throttling and check if there are any issues with the accelerator pump. If you don’t have an accelerator pump, you can add one (Only if your bike has four stroke carburetor). It helps avoid lean bogging.
Vacuum Leaks
Your motorcycle may face an imbalance of air-to-fuel ratio because of vacuum leaks inside the chamber. It will cause air to travel through intake boots and faulty gaskets. An incorrect mixture causes the engine to produce less power and causes bogging.
How To Avoid
Check the gaskets and intake boots for any cracks or breaks. Notice if you feel any brittle. Check for leakage in the air hose clamps. Replace the gaskets if they are too brittle.
Loose Throttle Cable
The throttle has a throttle cable connected to it. This cable connects the carburetor and the opening and closing controls of the butterfly valve. If the cable line is loose, the control will not be accurate, and airflow will be inside the chamber. This affects the fuel and air mixture and can cause bogging.
You can learn more about throttle cable here.
How To Avoid
Check the butterfly valve while you twist the throttle. Fully twisting the throttle will open the valve. If not, you will have to adjust to increase the cable’s tension. Then tighten and adjust the cable nut as needed. If this doesn’t work, you will need to replace the cable.
Timing Issue
If your motorcycles, instead of carburetors, have fuel injections, your motorcycle’s bogging might be caused by this. A Delay in spark plug firing can cause bogging. It can also cause exhaust to backfire. A broken electrical system generates it, or there is a problem with the mechanical timing system.
How To Avoid
Repairing the electrical system is the easiest solution. You can also improve your timing skill to fire the spark plug at the right time. This way, you can solve this issue. Otherwise, your engine might be permanently damaged.
Video Of Fixing Motorcycle Bogging
Below is a video showing how to fix motorcycle bogging. Watch the video to learn more about the fixes.
FAQs
Here are answers to common inquiries that other motorcycle users usually have.
Q: How To Fix Accelerator Lag?
The easy and straightforward solution to stop the lagging of the accelerator is to attach a throttle response controller. It is installed on the gas pedal. You can control the Throttle Response Controllers using Bluetooth. The device is cheap and significantly changes the gas pedal response.
Q: How To Increase A bike’s Throttle Response?
Driving the motorcycle at lower gears, such as 4th gear, usually solves the issue with throttle response. But it may only be feasible to drive the bike at extreme gears sometimes. Even then, it would help if you tried it, as it is a simple way to improve the engine’s throttle.
Q: Do The Spark Plugs Have Any Effect On The Throttle Response?
Worn-out or dirty spark plugs need to be changed as soon as you notice them. They are one of the causes of lagging throttle response. The residue of oil can cause an inconsistent or weak spark. And the weak spark does not create the necessary force to accelerate.
Conclusion
Now you know why there is the issue of motorcycle bogging down at full throttle: How To Avoid it. You can take care of the various part mentioned earlier, such as the air filter, fuel pump, carburetor, spark plugs, etc. That way, you can easily avoid motorcycle bogging when your motorcycle reaches full throttle.
Take care of your bike so you can enjoy the rides it provides without damaging the engine permanently.