If you've noticed some acceleration problems with your motorcycle, don't ignore the problem. When you're on the back of a motorcycle, you can't afford to have problems with acceleration. You need to be able to get out of harm's way at a moment's notice. You can't do that if your acceleration is off. If you're new to motorcycle ownership, you might not know how to identify acceleration problems. That's where the information provided here comes into the picture. Here are four problems you could be facing if your motorcycle has lost acceleration. 

Your Carburetor has Some Problems

If your motorcycle refuses to accelerate when you put your hands on the throttle, chances are good that you're dealing with a carburetor problem. After all, the carburetor's job is to get fuel through the engine. If the carburetor jets are clogged, the carburetor spring is broken or installed backward, you're not going to get fuel through to the engine. As soon as you experience a lack of acceleration from your motorcycle, have the carburetor inspected. It may be in need of repairs. 

Your Timing Advance Is Damaged

If you've had your carburetor inspected, and it's been given a clean bill of health, you may need to take a closer look at the timing advance. This is especially important if your motorcycle has a fuel injection system. Problems with the timing advance can prevent your spark plugs from firing on time. When that happens, you'll experience a noticeable delay in the acceleration time. Before you're left to deal with bigger problems, have your timing advance inspected. If the mechanic identifies problems, have the repairs taken care of immediately. 

Your Throttle Cable Is Loose

If you're still dealing with poor acceleration, it's time to have the throttle cable inspected. A loose or damaged throttle cable can cause your motorcycle to lose out on acceleration. If your throttle cable isn't tight enough, it can't open and close the butterfly valve properly. Unfortunately, that means your motorcycle will lose acceleration. If the throttle cable breaks while you're on the road, you could lose all power to your motorcycle. Before that happens, have your throttle cable repaired or replaced. 

Your Fuel Mixture Is Off

Finally, if your motorcycle isn't giving you the acceleration you need, the fuel mixture might be off. If that's the case, you'll need to have your motorcycle repaired as soon as possible. Fuel mixture problems can result from a variety of issues, including vacuum leaks. If your motorcycle engine has a vacuum leak, the air-to-fuel mixture won't be right. To alleviate the problem, you'll need to have the vacuum leak repaired right away. 

Contact a local motorcycle repair service to learn more.