Motorcycle Repair: 85 honda shadow

Question
my fuel pump runs if i hook up straight to the battery so i know something is wrong with the relay but my question is does the fuel pump run at all times while the bike is running or is it intermittent?

Answer
Paul, the ignition module controls the fuel pump relay. It will run the pump for a few seconds when you turn the ignition switch ON and then will wait until the engine is running to resume fuel pump operation.
As long as the engine is running, then the pump flow will continue. The float valves will shut off the fuel to carbs when bowls are full and demand is less than supply, but I am not sure if the backpressure actually shuts the pump down or not. Honda figures this stuff out pretty closely, so the pump is probably running most of the time when the engine is operating.

Bill Silver