Ask The Editors: We Have A Bog Here

Let’s see if we can’t narrow it down a little.

This is one of those questions that’s almost impossible to answer without checking out the machine in question because the laundry list of possibilities is nearly endless.

We can, however, tell you where we would start investigating. Usually when you have a bog like that, it’s a fuel delivery issue. Can we assume you are starting with fresh gas? New spark plug? You mention checking the carb but has it been rejetted? Or is it still to stock config? Have you blown air through each of the jets and correctly set the idle? If the machine has an air/fuel adjust screw, this is often able to work out any bogs or surges. Have you checked if the bog is still present when the choke is applied?

Check the spark plug after it’s bogged and see what it tells you. If the engine is running rich, it will be black, tarry and caked with carbon. If it’s running lean it will look clean and gray to white.

Most of the times it’s carb trouble but if not, we then move on to the air portion of the formula. Check the airbox – make sure you have a new, properly oiled filter in place.

If all of the usual culprits check out, then it’s time to go a little deeper. That;s when it’s time to get out the meter and start diagnosing electrical components. In this case we’d start by checking the ignition coil. We’ve had cases where the coil wasn’t producing a consistent enough spark to keep up with combustion.

Hopefully these suggestions give you a starting point on your quest to narrow down the cause.

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