K11 Owners Group

drikko · Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 10:08 pm Post subject: Fuel pump scream!

To add insult to injury on the weather comments in the other thread, I woke up this morning and it was already 29C at 6AM so jumped on the beast for a spin up the mountain for breakfast., At least 10C cooler up at Mt Glorious! Went out to Wivenhoe Dam to see some friends who were going for a sail, headed back and noticed the first fuel light come on. At about the same time I noticed a high pitched whine mostly when accelerating. It wasn't rev or speed dependent in tone, so I pulled over when it was happening and sure enough it was the fuel pump. The fuel was low and so I am suspecting it was making the loud noise when it was struggling to get fuel, it was really low. It almost sounded like a pair of gears not meshing properly. I never remember hearing this on the K100, so has anyone heard this before? It's quite loud when it's happening.

Filled the tank up and yep it's quiet again. Might be a handy audible fuel low indicator Smile

I know I know, I forgot the camera sorry. There must have been 50 bikes at least at the cafe this morning. Looks like the googlemobile must have gone past there on a weekend!!

http://tinyurl.com/yccjtoh

Even Dr Who was there, you can see his phone box on the left....
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K1100RS '97
Laverda RGS 1000 '84
Jim Young Trailer Sailer 5.7M WB

DISCLAIMER:- Anything I say may have been when I was drunk so please don't take it personally.

'Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same.'
Oscar Wilde

BobZ(IL) · Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:16 pm Post subject:

Before I bought my K the PO let me test drive it for a day. Off I went to a BMW swap meet about 150 miles away.

Upon arrival the gas gauge was near empty, the warning light glowing red and, low and behold, there was an audible low fuel warning as well.

"Yeah right, dumb ass," my pals said.

Well, I was an airhead rider with gravity and diaphragm fuel delivery. What do I know about exposed pumps.

Perfectly normal.
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drikko · Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:22 pm Post subject:

Hhhmmm, not convinced as it never happened on the old K100. And it was really loud!
_________________
K1100RS '97
Laverda RGS 1000 '84
Jim Young Trailer Sailer 5.7M WB

DISCLAIMER:- Anything I say may have been when I was drunk so please don't take it personally.

'Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same.'
Oscar Wilde

Flying Duck · Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:54 pm Post subject:

K bike fuel pumps are, for the most part, binary. They either work or they don't.

You need perspective though. Even if it does fail and strand you, you're much better off than if you were to have a getoff.
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Jim · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 12:28 am Post subject:

malcolmt · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 2:04 am Post subject:

Hey Drikko,
Gotta say I've never heard the pumps scream on my K11 or the K75.
The K11 makes a quiet hum and is a little louder when low.
I need to be dam careful with the K75 when the fuel is low.
The pump seems to sit perfectly in its mounting BUT... when the fuel is dow to the last liter or two the engine can quit as I pull away. if I back off the throttle it fires up as the fuel sloshes back. Can be risky in heavy traffic. The K11 has never pulled this stunt.

You trip up the mountain sounds awsome...all we have in oburg is flat terrain...its almost as flt as a witches tit. Hopefully I'll be going to a brekky venue next weekend, I'll post some pics should I make it.

Malcolm(t)
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A Bike on the road is worth two
in the shed
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drikko · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 2:54 am Post subject:

Seem to remember some hills towards Durban when I drove from J'berg, mind you it was a long time ago. Maybe you should move to cape town. If you can't find any windy roads there you could just spend the weekend getting blind at the Stellenbosch wineries Laughing

I might pull the fuel pump out and see if there's anything untoward next time it's emptyish.
_________________
K1100RS '97
Laverda RGS 1000 '84
Jim Young Trailer Sailer 5.7M WB

DISCLAIMER:- Anything I say may have been when I was drunk so please don't take it personally.

'Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same.'
Oscar Wilde

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:43 am Post subject:

I look at this way.
The pump was designed to run sumerged in liquid.
Isn't liquid a form of a natural sound silencer?
When you are running low an fuel you now have a portable echo chamber for the sounds to really howl in.

Not all pumps sound the same.

When you are realllly low the pump is totaly exposed, not to mention no longer cooled, so it can really howl.

After seeing what the submerged intank fuel pump is like for my 2000 Silverado, I tell you I don't let it get below 1/4 level anymore.
It's like $400, not to mention what a pain in the you know where it is to change. Had to change it twice, dec '08 and agian nov '09.
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Phil Marvin · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 12:08 am Post subject:

Hi, Drikko,
Like the others, I don't know what it will take to convince you. It doesn't matter to me. It IS the pump screaming at you and it is probably because it is low on fuel. My K75RT did it with a half full tank - NOT normal. I pulled the pump and the nut holding one of the wires on would not come loose and the post was turning. Also, the mesh screen at the bottom of the pump was split. I got a new pump, screen, damper and mount - $296 at a discount parts supplier (Chicago BMW). The K100 and earlier K75 bikes use a different pump (52mm diameter) made by Bosch. the late K75 and K1100 bikes use a smaller (43mm diameter) pump made by Siemens. The complete pump/mount/damper/screen is interchangable, but not the individual parts.
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Phil Marvin in El Paso, TX
'94 K75A/3
'95 K75RTP

Frank · Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:12 pm Post subject:

G'day Derek

Mine does the same. When the fuel gets low, the pump screams.

Have pulled it out and reinstalled it and made no difference.

When are you and Andrew going to get together, I might just come for a ride seeing as how the bike is now painted and I will finish putting it back together this weekend.

Have a Merry Christmas
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Frank
Gold Coast Australia

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drikko · Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:19 pm Post subject:

Sounds good. I would like to go for a run out to the motorcycle museum at Haigslea then we could do a circuit back to the gold coast through the usual routes if we had enough time. Are you limited to weekends? I'll PM you.
_________________
K1100RS '97
Laverda RGS 1000 '84
Jim Young Trailer Sailer 5.7M WB

DISCLAIMER:- Anything I say may have been when I was drunk so please don't take it personally.

'Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same.'
Oscar Wilde

Mystic Red · Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:57 pm Post subject: