87 K75S Gas Tank Removal

[87K75S]

I think I have a bad starter relay. The bike has been sitting on a CTek charger all winter and when I went to start it, it barely turned over and wouldn't start. I let off the starter button and it kept barely trying to start. So I went about trying to take the tank off.

I got the ECU(?) connector off and removed the battery. I watched a video by Chris Harris and looked for the C-Clips on the back but from what I can tell, they are not there (which he says is good). I tried to lift up fairly hard and it won't tip up. I just read the guide here on tank removal and it seems to suggest that after removing the clips, the tank would tip up. It said it may take some force to get it to do so. I thought maybe there was something else holding it down behind the body panels but it doesn't sound like that's the case, it should just lift up.

Am I on the right track? Do I just need to get a little more aggressive? Any thoughts to whether I'll have enough room with it tipped up to get to the starter relay?

[Chaos]

The clips are pretty small and may be hiding from you.   If they are off the only thing holding the back of the tank is the rubber grommets around the clip holders, should come up pretty easily

[Martin]

 Grommets should not be that tight I always smear a bit of rubber grease on the part the tank pin goes through. On the K75s depending on fuel load hitting a speed bump or a decent bump can cause the back end of the tank to jump up. This could release your side covers allowing them to make a bid for freedom. Fitting the "C" clips with a small cable tie ( not my idea) makes them easier to remove and replace. An alternative is to make a hook out of coathanger wire with a small hook at one end and a finger loop at the other.
Regards Martin.

[87K75S]

I can see the left side pin moving when I lift. Pretty sure there's no clip. The right side grommet is mashed down pretty badly. Wondering if that's what's stopping it from lifting up. It's really hard to see what's going on on the side. It's pretty tight in there.

[blackie1]

like Chaos said, those C clips can be tricky little critters.
sometimes the tab designed to be easily grabbed with the aid of some needle nose pliers, will swivel around and face the front of the bike.
this makes them almost invisible,
and they may just look like a  thin washer.

if u can identify this "thin washer" get in there with a narrow screw driver or something and try to rotate them around so that the "grab tab" is visible and you can finally get some pliers onto it.

I had this exact some problem the first time i tried to remove my tank and it was only after i levered the tank up and off with short padded bar, and destroyed the hidden C clips
in the process that I worked out what had happened.

its frustrating isn't it when the seemingly most simplest of tasks stumps you. especially if, like me, you have a limited patience quota.

[blackie1]

in fact if the clip has swiveled around a full 90 degrees you wont even see them.
get in there with a very fine screw driver  gently pushing toward the front of the bike you may be able to catch and edge of the hidden clip and rotate it  around

[87K75S]

I'll try and get a closer look!

[Laitch]

In addition to the astute comments already offered up, spray some lubricant on those grommets and let it soak in for a couple of hours. Empty the tank if it's full of fuel. Then try lifting it. Once you get to the starter relay, rap on it a couple of times with a screwdriver handle to see if that will release its contacts.

But first:

Your battery is probably dead. It might even be defective and won't hold a charge at all. If your moto is parked where the temperature drops below freezing, trickle charging won't do it much good. You'll need to take the battery somewhere to be charged up if you don't have an appropriate slow charger. A trickle charger won't charge a dead battery. Once it's charged, have it load tested by an auto parts store if possible; otherwise, reinstall it and try starting the engine again.

[Laitch]

It's better to have those clips attached to the tank's posts because they help keep the side panels in place if the moto hits a bump at speed. They prevent the tank from lifting just enough for the side panels to dislodge then fall to the pavement.

That is the fuel injection electronic control unit plug you removed. There is also an ignition electronic control unit on your moto which isn't involved in this procedure.

[87K75S]

Ahh. Fuel Injection! Thanks.

Chris Harris said that he refuses to reinstall the clips because if you get in a front end collision and the tank shifts forward, the posts can shear off and cause gasoline to run onto the motor which could catch fire and engulf the rider. He said, "When you remove the little f---ing clips, throw the little f---ers away."

[Laitch]

Chris Harris said . . .

Chris has been of immeasurable help to Brick owners with his profane videos and accurate instruction; however, my view is that if I'm involved with an impact hard enough to fracture the tank at the pin locations, I'll likely be tumbling along the pavement somewhere distant from my moto's conflagration. I'm willing to risk keeping the tank pins clipped and placing my body in jeopardy of being toasted so that I won't need to go hunting for side covers on eBay.

[87K75S]

Makes sense!

[Martin]

Most of the Bricks don't rely on the fuel tanks to keep the side covers in place. However they do contribute on the K75s and possibly the K75 and the K75c. A mate used to regularly loose covers until I manage to convince him of the "C" clips importance. You could probably ride for years without loosing any but if the grommets are a loose fit, the fuel loads aligns with the bump size they're gone. I did experiment with making longer ones which did work but the wire hook works just as well.
Regards Martin.

[Chaos]

I'll likely be tumbling along the pavement somewhere distant from my moto's conflagration.

true dat!

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Ahh. Fuel Injection! Thanks.

Chris Harris said that he refuses to reinstall the clips because if you get in a front end collision and the tank shifts forward, the posts can shear off and cause gasoline to run onto the motor which could catch fire and engulf the rider. He said, "When you remove the little f---ing clips, throw the little f---ers away."

A little over a year ago I was in an accident with a car that totalled both of out vehicles.  I had a full tank of fuel at the time.  The clips were installed on the tank studs.  One of the clips let go, and the other held, tearing the stud off of the bottom of the tank.  The weld holding the stud broke loose at the stud.  There was no distortion of the tank around the weld bead on the tank.  I landed about 25 feet from the bike, and the tank was about 20 feet from me.  Personally, I think I would rather have the tank stay with the bike as long as possible.

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[87K75S]

I got the tank up; I just wasn't pulling hard enough. There were no C-clips. Pulled the starter relay out and hooked it up to another battery and it seemed to be working fine. I replaced the battery with a new one. It's charging now. We'll see what happens when I get back to it Sunday.

[blackie1]

good work

[Gabriel70]

I think I have a bad starter relay. The bike has been sitting on a CTek charger all winter and when I went to start it, it barely turned over and wouldn't start. I let off the starter button and it kept barely trying to start. So I went about trying to take the tank off.

I got the ECU(?) connector off and removed the battery. I watched a video by Chris Harris and looked for the C-Clips on the back but from what I can tell, they are not there (which he says is good). I tried to lift up fairly hard and it won't tip up. I just read the guide here on tank removal and it seems to suggest that after removing the clips, the tank would tip up. It said it may take some force to get it to do so. I thought maybe there was something else holding it down behind the body panels but it doesn't sound like that's the case, it should just lift up.

Am I on the right track? Do I just need to get a little more aggressive? Any thoughts to whether I'll have enough room with it tipped up to get to the starter relay?

There is a YouTube video by Chris Harris titled bmw k bike cranks but won’t start.
Similar problem...his solution was to inject a small amount of oil into each cylinder.
That would be my first option.

Good luck....

[BKC]

That isn’t the problem with mine. He has a video that describes my problem to a tee however my relay seems to be good.

[Laitch]

That isn’t the problem with mine. He has a video that describes my problem to a tee however my relay seems to be good.

Start a new thread to introduce yourself and your problems.

[87K75S]

Oops. That is me. I must have two different logins.