Motorcycle Idles Rough? (RPM Goes Up And Down) SOLVED

A rough idle on a motorcycle is when the RPMs develop inconsistencies and go up and down sporadically while idling.

Rough idling is often accompanied by vibrating and shaking, causing riders to bounce up and down in their motorcycle saddle under challenging situations.

In some cases, the motorcycle idle RPMs will return to their typical rate after a while, while in others, the rough RPMs continue while riding.

We’ve put together a quick troubleshooting guide of the most common reasons why a motorcycle idles rough.

1. Poorly Tuned Cam Timing

Your motorcycle’s timing belt or cam chain is responsible for the mechanical rhythm of your engine.

In some cases, the timing belt or chain wears from typical use, as all mechanical devices do in due time.

Once worn, the cam chain or timing belt can’t retain its proper tension, causing it to slip out of timing.

In other situations, new timing belts or cam chains are installed incorrectly-if it’s even off by a single dog tooth, your idle will start to run rough and stall out intermittently.

Improper valve timing is one of the most common reasons a motorcycle’s idle RPMs go up and down sporadically. Poorly timed valves hurt air intake and exhaust valves, reducing engine compression.

2. Ignition Timing Is Set Improperly

Unlike the mechanically functioning cam timing discussed above, your motorcycle’s Electrical Computer Unit regulates your motorcycle’s ignition timing and air-fuel distribution electronically.

Some modern motorcycles equip a crank or cam angle sensor that can be manually adjusted to delay or advance your ignition timing.

Motorcyclists sometimes unintentionally adjust their ignition timing with their angle sensors. Other times, the ECU’s software needs to be updated or flashed by a dealership diagnostics CPU. Regardless, the ignition timing will need to be rectified for the idle to stop running rough. 

Adjusting the ignition timing with a cam or crank angle sensor can be pretty straightforward, depending on your make and model motorcycle. Consult the service manual for your particular year model to learn how.

3. Air Filter Is Stopped Up

Your motorcycle’s air intake pulls air in through a filtered box.

Your bike’s airbox filter is reliable for purifying the air of any dust, dirt, moisture, and debris before it enters your air-fuel mixture, and causes damage.

If your motorcycle’s air filter is clogged with dirt and debris, the amount of air needed for typical ignition can’t pass through the filter, harming your motorcycle’s idle and causing your RPMs to advance and delay.

While some air filters are made of reusable plastic, rubber, or metal mesh, other airboxes use disposable paper filters that need to be replaced once they’re contaminated or clogged.

4. Idle Air Control Valves Are Out of Adjustment

Many motorcycles have air control valves that manipulate how much air your throttle plate allows past the throttle body, adjusting your motorcycle’s idle speed.

The idle control valve automatically maintains the engine idle speed against fluctuations electrical components like radiator fans and LED fog lights can cause in your motorcycle’s battery power as they switch on and off.

It also keeps the idle speed regular when the cold weather weakens your battery and affects the rate at which your battery current travels.

If your motorcycle’s Idle Control Valve wears out or its adjusted idle speed is incorrect, your motorcycle idles at inconsistent RPM speeds, especially when multiple electrical components are running. The bike’s idle speed will change most during cold starts. 

5. Failures Within the Carburetor

If your motorcycle is older, it may be carbureted rather than fuel injected.

The carburetor is the system responsible for distributing fuel into the chamber for combustion.

Your carb jets spray the fuel.

A bowl and a float needle mechanically shut off the fuel flow once the carb bow has filled to a certain point, ensuring the proper amount of fuel is distributed and no more.

If carburetor components are rusted, jammed, clogged, or worn, your motorcycle’s fuel supply will run lean due to interference with fuel flow. Once the air-fuel mix is poor, your bike may develop rough idling and rising and falling RPMs.

If a compromised carb system is the reason your bike is idling rough, you’ll need to remove the carb, dismantle it, detail clean and replace any affected parts, and rebuild the carb.

Please also read our article about reasons a motorcycle won’t rev past 4,000-6,000 RPM.

6. Clogged Fuel Injectors

Modern bikes deliver fuel using an ECU-regulated fuel injection system. The fuel injector system is governed by a computer that communicates with various electronic sensors to adjust its ignition timing and fuel injection.

These modern, more consistent fuel systems utilize a series of injectors to shoot fuel into the combustion chamber.

If your fuel deteriorates from sitting or if your fuel supply is contaminated by trace minerals, moisture, debris, or rust, these fuel injectors can get clogged.

If your motorcycle’s fuel injectors are blocked, your fuel supply will run lean, your idle speed will run rough and sputter, and your RPMs will go up and down. 

7. Spark Plugs Are Expired or Burned Out

As the name implies, your motorcycle’s spark plugs are responsible for the initial spark that initiates your bike’s starting process.

The electricity generated by your bike’s spark plug ignites the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber.

All spark plugs burn out eventually, as they get shocked over and over during everyday use.

Once your spark plugs are worn, they fail to generate enough charge to ignite the air-fuel mix. The resulting inconsistencies in your bike’s ignition firing cause a rough idle as your RPMs fluctuate up and down. 

Here’s how to inspect your spark plugs on a motorcycle with a rough idle:

• If the firing tip of the spark plug is tan or grey, your spark is clearing the plug’s gap, and your ignition is in working order.
• Dry black spark plug tips mean the spark is weak, and your idle may be affected. (Caused by rich fuel mix).
• Wet oil residue on your spark plug tips means a weak spark and idle may be affected. (Caused by worn piston rings letting oil pass).
• Scorched white plug tips mean the spark is weak, and your motorcycle may idle rough. (Caused by overheating engine or faulty ignition coils).

8. Worn Ignition Coils or Spark Plug Wires

Your spark plugs are powered by a dynamic system of spark plug wires, ignition coils, and coil packs.

This ignition coil system transfers a strong enough voltage to the plug to generate a spark that can clear the gap in the spark plug.

Suppose your ignition coils or the coil packs and spark plug wires are worn from heavy use, improper storage, or riding in harsh conditions. In that case, your ignition system may not be able to generate enough volts to spark the plug gap.

Your ignition coil and spark system parts wear at different rates, making the spark they generate inconsistent, causing rough idling and your motorcycle’s RPMs to vary.

If left unchecked, a lousy ignition coil will eventually fire so weakly that your spark won’t jump the gap, and your engine will misfire.

Inspecting your spark plugs and ignition coils is part of routine motorcycle maintenance; keeping your plugs fresh will ensure your coils will last longer, as they aren’t overworking.

Also read about why motorcycle won’t start even though the battery is good.

9. Vacuum Leak in Your Air Intake System

Whether it’s broken intake boots or bad carb gaskets, air leaks cause a loss of pressure and compression in your bike’s engine.

Not only can these various failures let air into places it doesn’t belong, it allows air to escape areas where its presence is necessary for fundamental functions like ignition and idling.

If you’ve got a vacuum leak in your air intake system, your air/fuel mixture is likely running rich with fuel and low on air, meaning you’re getting too much fuel rather than the correct quantity of both.

Air leaks in a motorcycle’s intake system can cause a loss of engine compression and cause your air-fuel mix to run rich, resulting in rough idling and random shifts in the bike’s RPM speeds.

1. Inspect your air intake boots and see if they’re worn, cracked, flexible, or flaky.
2. Next, inspect the hose clamps around those intake boots to ensure they’re not letting any air in. It may be as simple as replacing the air intake boots.
3. Examine the various gaskets throughout your air intake system. It must be airtight and in good condition to keep the air out.
4. If any of your intake seals seem broken, the air is allowed to escape, altering the compression and air supply and harming your bike’s RPM consistency.
5. Some bikes have a vacuum port that runs from the top of the engine to the carb. Sometimes these hoses leak.
6. Some bikes have an extra hose for accessories or add-ons. If so, unused hoses must be capped off, or air can escape, and your idling will suffer.

Please also read our article about why motorcycles die when slowing down. 

10. Fuel Filter Is Stopped Up

the fuel filter on many motorcycles is located inside the fuel tank, cleaning the fuel of any dirt, moisture, or contamination as it’s sucked through the filter and into the injection system.

If the filter gets clogged, the fuel’s flow is restricted, and the fuel supply starts to run lean.

Air is then allowed to accumulate in the combustion chamber in place of the missing fuel, which causes a slew of problems, including poor idling and sporadic RPMs on your motorcycle engine.