10 Most Common Reasons Why Motorcycle Dies When I Give It Gas

motorcycle with chrome hand grip stopped at roadside

Whether you use your motorcycle daily for going to work or if you use your bike for cross-country commutes, there is nothing more irritating than being stranded in the middle of the road because of a stalled engine.

There are many reasons why your motorcycle’s engine could die, even when you give it the right amount of gas. Wondering what are those?

Well, you have come to the right place as here we will provide you with all the causes that could result in your bike dying even after getting refilled with gas.

So, keep reading –

Reasons Why My Motorcycle Dies When I Give It Gas

  • Choke Lever Left Open
  • Petcock Lever Not on ‘ON’ Position
  • Air to Fuel Ratio Running Lean
  • Clogged Fuel Filter
  • Damaged Fuel Pump
  • Idle Too Low
  • Too Much Spark When Giving Gas
  • Clogged Fuel Jets
  • Intake Leaks
  • Lower Degree of Compression

Choke Lever Left Open

If you pull on your bike’s throttle and it dies, the choke of the engine could be left open.

This happens more often than not after a cold start or when you have just parked your motorcycle after long-term storage. Keeping the gas cap of the bike open can damage the spark plug, air screw, combustion chamber and throttle cable causing the motorcycle to lose power.

Now, if this is the case with your bike, then chances are that it will run once you push it to operate at fast idle speeds and gradually rich the mixture till the choke cuts off.

Solution: If you don’t want to go through this process, then what you can do is pull the choke lever and slowly turn it clockwise till the red dot aligns with the top arrow.

Petcock Lever Not on ‘ON’ Position

It is quite possible that either you accidentally closed the petcock before filling up your gas tank or forgot to turn it on as soon as you began filling up fuel.  

That would lead to a complete drain of gasoline from your motorcycle’s carburettors which in turn would result in a stalled engine.

Solution: First thing, check if the petcock is in an ‘ON’ position or not. If it is, then turn it to the on position and restart your motorcycle.

On the other hand, if you don’t find any switch on the tank, then simply open the drain bolt located underneath it and drain all of its fuel into a suitable container. You can start your bike now as chances are that there would be enough gas left for running your engine once again after draining out the gasoline from carburettors.

Air to Fuel Ratio Running Lean

This happens due to an improper air fuel mixture or vacuum leak, mostly when you ride your motorcycle at longer distances and the gasoline inside it begins to evaporate or get too hot due to high RPMs or high temperature, resulting in lean running engines.

The non-availability of enough amount of fuel results in the stalling of the engine.

Solution: There are several ways to solve this problem.  You can either switch on your engine and let it idle or drive at lower speeds for a couple of minutes so that the fuel injectors would cool down, thereby increasing the richness of your gasoline mixture.

You can also turn off your motorcycle’s ignition, remove its gas tank and store it someplace cool for some time till you are ready to continue with the ride again.

Clogged Fuel Filter

When your motorcycle’s fuel filter gets clogged because of dirt particles, rust from metal flake particles, or even corrosion from salty water, it may have adverse effects on your bike’s performance and lead to shutting down of the engine while giving gas for acceleration.

Solution: You can either try to blow through the filter by applying compressed air or you can replace your old clogged fuel filter with fresh gas or a new air filter.

Damaged Fuel Pump

When your motorcycle’s fuel pump gets damaged or stops working because of several reasons, you will not be able to get it running again.

Solution: You can either replace your vehicle’s fuel pump with a new one or get the old one repaired if possible.

Idle Too Low

It is quite common for motorcycle riders to adjust their idle speeds to too low due to which they run into problems while accelerating, especially on inclines and declines.

The stalling of the engine can happen in such cases because reduced airflow at lower RPMs results in loss of power

Solution: If this has been happening quite often with you then what you can do is raise the RPM slightly so that your choke lever only activates above 2000 RPMs.

This will help the engine to warm up faster and also provide enough air for its smooth operations.

Too Much Spark When Giving Gas

If you are turning your motorcycle’s throttle too quickly while giving gas, then it may overheat due to increased spark plug voltage which in turn would lead the motorcycle to stall out.

Solution: One can solve this problem by slowing down their right hand when they twist the throttle. This would result in lower cooling of engine parts and prevent stalling. Also, use a carb cleaner so that no damage is done to your spark plug.

Clogged Fuel Jets

If the fuel mixture has impurities such as dirt, rust, and metallic particles present around your bike’s jets, it would eventually lead to their blockage. The dirty air filter in the fuel tank will damage the motorcycle engine. This could be quite dangerous as it may lead to overheating your engine and destroying it.

Solution: Clean the jets before riding again on the road. If they are severely corroded, then replace them immediately with new ones so that you wouldn’t have to face any problems while giving gas for acceleration.

Intake Leaks

If there are intake leaks in your motorcycle, then chances are that it will shut down its engine while giving it gas for acceleration.  

The reason is that the air-fuel mixture will leak into the surrounding, especially if there is a large hole or crack somewhere along with the rubber gasket of your motorcycle’s carburettor.

Solution: If you find an intake leak, then get it repaired as soon as possible so that you can avoid any problems and proceed with your ride on road without any trouble.

Lower Degree of Compression

A lower degree of compression ratio may also be responsible for stalling your bike’s engine while giving its throttle for acceleration.  

This happens when the piston rings of your bike become worn down and lose their sealing abilities which causes compression to drop and this results in the shutting down of the engine during such instances.

Solution: You can either get your piston rings replaced with new ones or you can add a high-quality two-stroke oil in a high ratio to tackle the problem.

Can Gas Leakage Cause a Motorcycle to Die When Gas is Given?

Gas leaks in motorcycles can indeed cause them to die when gasoline is supplied. A variety of motorcycle gas leakage reasons, such as loose fuel lines, faulty fuel injectors, or damaged gas tanks, can disrupt fuel flow and lead to engine failure. Timely maintenance, regular inspection, and immediate repair of any gas leakage issues are crucial for ensuring the smooth operation and safety of motorcycles.

Conclusion

Now that you know what could be the probable reasons behind your bike shutting down after taking gas, you should have an idea of how to tackle them so as to get rid of problems associated with stalling engines.  

There is no need to panic when such problems arise because by knowing the reasons behind such issues, you can easily tackle them and prevent your motorcycle from stalling during acceleration.

Hope that was helpful information for you! Don’t forget to share with your friends too!

Ride safe & have fun!

About The Author

daniel and sarah on motorcycle

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