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IDK if these are exact. I got one for kicks, They are thicker than a decal but nice, kind of a flexible vinyl with sticky back. https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=42&products_id=4494

There is an old demonstration I saw 40 or so years ago of an arcing wire submerged in fuel, just arcing . To get an explosion you need 3 components, fuel, an ignition source and oxygen. Under normal conditions the tank has only 1 of these, fuel. I'm not entirely sure that a closed tank with low fuel would actually have enough oxygen to support ignition if arcing did happen.An open tank would be another thing though. Why would you need to do any wiring repairs to replace the pump? aren't they all plug connectors in there? Ciao

Hmmmm , sounds like a new topic time . My First Crash & Burn .

Can someone explain how an in-tank fuel pump with 6 different electrical wires/connections (see picture of pump) can be immersed in a tank filled with gasoline not cause the tank to explode or cause any kind of fire? I took my tank off and pulled the fuel pump unit. Plan was to replace the fuel filter but it back flowed onto a clean cloth with very little to no sediment and the filter is a metal one so assume it has been replaced at least once prior. Also did not have the proper hose clamps and crimper to reattach the filter to the hose. While I was in there planned to replace fuel pump as routine maintenance. Admittedly I am reluctant since I would have to cut wires and remake connections. With concerns for how to properly electrically connect wiring inside of a tank that holds highly flammable liquid, I decided it best just to reassemble the pump unit into the tank and put off until I have more knowledge on the subject/maintenance. Thus the lead in question. The metal foil tape covering the heat resistant cloth on the underside of the tank was showing its age and a bit knackered so I recovered it to give it some more life. Thanks in advance for the knowledge and suggestions.

Hahahaha! Ain't that the truth! Of course, Guzzi has a grand tradition of tank fires. For the few here who might be unaware, the first MG LeMans editions had a metal tank with a spring loaded cap locked with a spring detente. They lacked the rocker cover add-on spark plug protectors that later models have. So when an unfortunate rider dropped his running LeMans, the impact would pop open the gas cap at the same time the asphalt broke free the spark plug wire. Fuel, check. Ignition source, check. Oxygen, check. Voila, the patented Moto Guzzi LeMans tank fire, grab the marshmallows! An unfortunate end to a number of noble steeds.

That is the best guess. But, it stretches my credulity to believe that fuel which is fairly difficult to ignite unless atomized would ignite explosively in response to a low voltage spark. In any event, if a motorcycle was to spontaneously explode from an internal pump, it would have to be some form of Guzzi. I know of no such case.

That's the same center but somewhere there is one that includes the falcon in the black background. As you said,

Give Bike Colours UK a ring. They might very well have it. Their website is under maintenance, so email or telephone may be the best way to contact them. https://www.bikecolours.com/

FWIW : old garages used to weld up rusty fuel tanks . They would remove the tanks and run an exhaust pipe into the empty fuel tank , poke a hole ( about 3/8'' ) into the uppermost part of the tank , start up the donor car . After a few minutes , braze , led or weld away . After finishing , they would fill in the man made hole and call it good . I'm not sure if these were men or fools ?

https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30&products_id=5389 The MG Cycle fuel pump is supplied with a pigtail, but if the old wiring/connector is in good shape and the fuel pump connector is compatible then I may not have to make any "connections" other than plug and play. That avoids incurring any wiring challenges. Another concern was having to mess with the wiring penetration at the base of the fuel pump foundation where all 4 wires penetrate the rubber tank grommet and exit the tank to the external plug in connectors. The fuel pump is not all that expensive so that'll be in hand, as well as the hose clamps and crimping tool, and added to my winter tear down work list when I take the tank off again. Yes, I guess once the tank is closed, then there may be gas fumes in the void above the liquid fuel but not per se "oxygen". I certainly hope so Phil, the "pig tail" in the MG Cycle link kinda made me think I need to do something more than just plug in.

I'm no expert but what Phil stated is how I understand it too, the fire triangle, with the 3 elements coming together. I'm sceptical about "the not enough Oxygen/air in the tank to take place" hypothesis, AFAIK tanks are vented therefore anything above the fuel level could be an explosive mixture. Depends on the surface area, temperature and probably other variables, that would determine fuel evaporation rate. If that stays below a threshold then it's fine. There either there isn't enough air (when the tank is full) or there isn't enough vapour when the tank is nearer empty The risk cold also be mitigated in the tank design by always having the pump suction above the electrical connections but I don't know and from that picture it doesn't look like it. If the connections get exposed then there would be a risk. That can be ellimated through wiring and connectors designed specifically for hazardous environments. If I ever found myself having to repair wiring where it entered the tank I'd be making sure I used suitable connectors and wiring. I've heard of plenty tanks expoding when being worked on without being sufficiently purged usually welding in the past, but never a tank exploding or bursting into flames due to bad electrics in the tank.

I think it's their own brand, I guess they would post worldwide

First answer ; there is not enough air in the tank to allow a "burn" to take place .

Just a couple local San Francisco guys from my younger days playin a little music

I painted a headlamp fairing to match the bike and the result was good, I ordered it in a rattle can it was green base coat and matt clear coat

At a first guess I would pull the ignition switch off to see if the wire is not broken and touching behind the switch. Just undo the two Phillips screws that lets the block drop off. Refresh the Vaseline while you have it off.

Feel free to PM whenever... all good. I generally park the V11's in the fall when the rains come, and then ride less and ride stuff with bigger windscreens and that i don't mind getting as dirty. Many good all-weather V11 riders on this forum, and my hats off to 'em, and it makes me happy to read about them, but i've chosen at this point to make the v11's my "keep them shiny" bikes, and abuse other bikes. But point is, i try hard to do most of my bike mx in the rainy season, with the wood stove going in the shop, and am game in the winter to offer whatever help i might be. You mention the ducs.... i'm a big multi fan, having owned multiple Gran Canyons, the "grandaddy" of the Multi's, and then a couple air cooled multi's, then an early 1200, and now a multi enduro 1200. Other than the PITA for doing the valves on the big, 8v water cooled engines, i love them, and the valve job is really only a thing every few years, and any more i just pay to have it done. I've eyeballed the 950 MS lustfully many times, because the 1200 is a heavy beast, but i always come back to confirming that i love the multi enduro 1200 with its huge tank "the mostest". The only issue with the size of the 1200 or 1260 is if going off-road. Off pavement is fine, such as the FS roads around our beautiful state, but single track or technical stuff is just ridiculous on the top-heavy Enduro. There are those who do it just fine, but just because it can be done doesn't for me translate into "hey, this is fun", because it just isn't. Even if the top heavy-ness doesn't cause a crash or lay-down, you're still thinking about what a bitch it will be to get that bike back upright if it goes over an embankment.... you'll need several good, strong friends, or a heavy-lift helicopter to get it back on its feet, on the trail. Getting it upright is one thing, and I can manage that, but upright from down a slope where its landed upside down.... that's what in your head as you navigate rocky single tracks on a steep slope, which leads to a death-grip on the bars and the consequent less graceful riding technique. But man, the ridiculous amount of torque and HP, comfort, that 8gal tank, and the fact that i get between 42 and 49 mpg, depending on how i'm ridding it, makes for huge range, and just removes the worry from trip planning for gas stops. I have a KTM 990 for when i want to take a long distance machine on a good long ride but also go off road... its the best for that for me. It's currently stuck in Alaska at a friends place, where covid and life have caused me to leave her un-loved now for this whole season. A truly comfortable long distance machine, with that windshield that looks like a barn-door but works perfectly for me, and then its better center of gravity, and just all-around better manners for off-road. it ain't no dirt bike, but for me is the best model in that little micro-slice of the riding segment.... where you want to be able to ride for days on tarmac but also be comfortable on some easy to medium single track. I'd actually argue the the Cagiva Gran Canyon is the best for that (imho), but after riding them for years i finally admitted to myself that i'm just too tall to make it fit me. The Duc enduro is the opposite... it's tall, and with that 8gal tank, it feels huge, but she's like a harley on the highway (in the good sense... comfortable, and with a ton more HP and handling thats not even remotely comparable). A close friend of mine down there in Bend bought my nicer Gran Canyon a little while back, and is why i have two v11's... i have his beloved v11, as part of that trade. He wanted more off-road option, and i loved his v11. I let myself get on a huge tangent there... forgive me. all of that was to say that i think you'd LOVE the 950 MS, though i have not owned one. I'd certainly want the tubeless spoke wheels, though i don't think i'd care as much about the cable clutch vs the later model offered hydraulic (normal) clutch. And for what its worth, while you certainly can't beat a japanese bike for reliability, Ducs are just plain easy to maintain and are reliable these days.... gone are the days (for the most part) of the beloved but less trustworthy Bolognese machines. Since 2010 (anecdotal, not scientific) my ducs have been drop dead realiable, with only the oddball issue now and then, just like my friends on their hondas and suzukis. And importantly, despite what i said about my KTM and about japanese reliabilty, I try and keep it italian!

Job done First look below... Tomorrow, in the daylight, I will take better shots

I've always been leery of electrics inside the gas tank. The "air" space above the liquid is generally near 100% gas fumes, but there is a chance that some real air (oxygen) can get in and make the mixture explosive, particularly in a nearly empty tank. The most infamous fuel tank explosion occurred in TWA Flight 800 over NY City in 1976. Note that jet fuel (kerosene) is not as inherently explosive as is gasoline. Here's a link to the Wiki coverage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_800

Yep . But dumbass antics aren't exclusive to The Bluegrass State . My ex wife's grandfather had a fuel tank off a Model T (I think) because he thought it had water in the tank . He was straddling the tank as it was on the ground , he lit a match and got it near the neck of the tank to look inside . KABOOOM , he looked like a 300 lb. cartoon character going 15' in the air ! When he regained consciousness , he decided the tank was clean and no longer useful.