At 8.5 years old and some 75,000km, the fuel pump on my G650GS Sertao failed. The engine died from fuel starvation and left me stranded some 500m from home. As I was a short distance away, I decided to push the bike home.
While at home, I whipped out my trusty GS-911 diagnostic tool an read the ECU for fault codes. And as suspected, the Sertao suffered from the infamous fuel pump failure. It is one of these times where I thought a carburated bike may actually not be that bad an idea after all!
A quick check with my local BMW dealer also confirmed my fears – BMW charges an arm and a leg for a fuel pump replacement. I was quoted S$611 +GST for the entire assembly. And that hasn’t included the cost of labour. Gosh!
BMW does not sell the fuel pump motor. It comes in a complete assembly (item #4).
Being the cheapo as I was, I wasn’t willing to pay the BMW tax on the fuel pump. Also, I recall seeing pump motors for the 650GS being sold on eBay, AliExpress and many other websites – for cheap too!
And so with a little bit of research, I found a Shopee seller who carried the pump motor for the Sertao – all for less than $30 bucks! That’s like less than 5% of the cost of an original BMW pump!
And after installing the new pump motor and putting it all back together, I started the bike and it roared to life again in a familiar purr! Success!
Total spent – $30 (including 2 pcs of stainless steel hose clamps.)
What the dealership would have cost – $700 including labour.
I’m a happy camper!
Well done indeed. From the look of it your 650 is the Rotax version.
I had endless issues with my new one while still under warranty.
The final killer was when they had to replace the entire wiring loom.
I traded it in for the *real* BMW 650 – which I think was actually a downrated 750.
I now have a brand new R1250GS Adventure TE Triple Black.
I had my previous 18month old 1250 stolen. I got such a good insurance payment, I only had to pay about £3,000 for the new bike. All new BMWs now come with a Datatool Stealth 5 tracker.
Yeah – mine’s the single cylinder version based on the Rotax engine. Some sources seem to suggest that the later versions (likely including mine) are assembled by Loncin in China. Nonetheless, the engine has been rock solid reliable so far.
Have fun with your new R1250GSA! Admittedly, I do miss the boxer engine. Haven’t decided if I should go back to the 1200/1250GS(A)’s again… decisions, decisions, decisions…
I am seriously considering a 2012 Sertao. Can I get your general advise on any particular stuffs to look out for or any major issues which I might encounter? Thanks!
Not really… this little Rotax single has an amazing history of reliability!
My 2010 BMW G650GS died on me while I was riding on a highway in the south island of New Zealand. I suspected it may be the fuel pump and some of the above comments almost confirm this. What is the easiest way to confirm that the pump is faulty and it is not a power fault?
No easy way, I’m afraid. You’ve got to test the pump. Mine was initially failing intermittently and threw me off for a while too. It was only until after I replaced it that the issue completely went away.
Thanks for this post. I have a 2013 and it had to sit a few years due to moving and storage etc. I think the ethanol fuel in the fuel pump killed it. I have drained fuel and do not hear the pump priming. Going to try the fuel pump swap. Doesn’t look like a hard job. Thanks again.
It’s inexpensive enough to give it a try! Also – the original BMW pump assembly is so ridiculously expensive that it makes attempting this DIY repair so worthwhile too!