R1150 GS Adv toolkit ~

David Nimrod

David Nimrod

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Right, I realise that this may have been covered before, and I've seen (although not read through the 50 or so pages) the thread on ADV Rider, but my question is:-

What tools would you carry (assuming you were starting from scratch, ie. no BMW tool roll) whilst touring..?

I'm no mechanical genius :augie but somebody else might be, so I'd want to have a fairly useful set of stuff with me...

I'm looking for a very specific list of tools, ie. not "a socket set" and I'd only want to carry the sizes necessary - not loads of stuff that would never be used.

And it wouldn't have to fit in the BMW tool roll, 'cos I haven't got one :blast

Many thanks... :thumb2





:hide
 
I'd say go out and service your bike. Take the tools that you used. Are you also alluding to what spare parts to take?
 
My bike had a major service just before christmas.. end of May, Im off to the Dolomites.. Tyrol and on to the Slovakian Carpathians. I will be giving the bike an oil change before I go - so will be fine for 6,000 miles. and apart from the onboard toolkit will be taking a footpump and puncture kit... plus a spare bulb set. I have European rescue. Hall sensor is a year old.. Alternator belt was changed last year. Battery is brand new. I see no point at all in taking a tool kit. I trust my bike not to let me down.
 
I take what I need to service the bike plus a set of snips. Anything requiring other tools, as I don't fix it at home with access to this site for instructions, how the heck am I going to fix if broken down someplace with no spare parts to even replace it if I knew what I was doing.

With that said, if I was planning to go to Russian or Mongolia I would take some spare parts as well.. but if I was only nipping around bits of Europe I'd really only take what I use when giving the bike a full service... minus the 5lb lump hammer ...

SO what would that be

2 sockets. size 10 and 13
3-4 torx bits... size 25, 30,40 and 45 (I think that is the one for the rear brake)
small ratchet handle and adapter to fit the various bits
3-4 allen keys for the other bolts... can't remember the sizes though...
screw driver with various head attachments
duct tape
snips
spark plug adaptor thingy included in the tool kit

I think thats about it though the torx bit sizes may change as I'm trying to remember what I tend to use.

oh yeah... the spare bulbs, coil stick, alt belt.

If you really want a full detailed list of what you'd need to give the bike a full service let me know and I'll put a list together for you.
 
I've just packed mine - all in one of those small tool boxes - maybe 10" by 5 by 5?

I bought some of those socket racks and cut them down to a few inches each. Taking 5,6,7,8,10, 12, 14 straight and ball head hex sockets, the torx range, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17mm, 30mm sockets. 2 10mm spanners, an 8 and a couple of others. Pliers, screwdrivers including a camera set. Small socket driver and extention. Spare fuel pump, halls sender, rear UJ, clips, cable ties, superglue, spokes, relays, fuses, quick release fuel connector and some other stuff - probably take a spare crown bearing and seal too. A circuit tester, loads of various nuts/bolts/washers and that's about it. More of a (heavy) comfort blanket really, but I'd rather sacrifice other non-essential items and take something like this. I don't carry service items cos I reckon it's fine for a long long time as long as the oil gets changed and the air filter cleaned.
 
I'm in the process of building my own travelling kit. Bought the halfords professional 1/4 socket set (half price, £20), which comes with most of what you need, and then bought a kreiga tool roll (£17) which fits most of the tools.

From that kit I pack the ratchet handle, extension, wobble adapter and bit adapter. Sockets 8/10/12/13 are on a cut down socket holder, screwdriver handle to take the various screwdriver bits, then I have some old rubber bit holders which hold the various screwdriver, hex and torx bits which can be used with the screwdriver handle or ratchet handle

I've added Needlenose pliers and need to get an oil filter wrench. Need to either get a 3/8 drive ratchet and 17mm socket or a 17mm lugwrench.

From an old bike tool kit I have a c-spanner for the shocks and the extension for it. Also have a couple of spark plug wrenches that I need to see if one of them fits. Wouldn't mind one of the little plastic spark plug gadgets that come with the bmw toolkits.

In addition I have packed zipties, electrical tape and gaffer's tape wrapped around the spanner extension, a tyre needle and 10 rat-tails in a ziploc bag. Some 5min epoxy and superglue go in too, along with a couple of pairs of nitrile gloves and the scrag ends of a tube of waterless hand cleaner, a tube of copaslip and a fresh, unopened, tube of vulcanising rubber solution, a couple of rags and plan to get a small tarp or similar to put under the bike for catching the bits you drop and lose in the dirt. I have a portable compressor which I think is a better option than the air cyclinders and also allows for tyre changing if necessary.

I've been round the bike trying to see if there are any fixings that the current kit doesn't handle and found a couple that need checking or bits/sockets buying.

The main thing though is that whenever I do any work on the bike this is the only kit I use. I don't reach into the big toolbox, I ONLY use this one. If there's something needed that's not in the kit, then it gets added and stays there. Over the next couple of years I hope this kit will become fully set to handle pretty much anything I'm likely to do on the bike.

I'm planning a long overland trip in a couple of years and plan to do as much of my own maintenance as possible learning the ways of the boxer engine as I do so that when I break down I've a fighting chance to fix it. I've recently bought some large tyre irons and tomorrow will be off down to dorset with some fresh knobbly tyres for the tyre change and maintenance day hosted by Greggers from this forum, to learn a new skill to add to the bag of tricks.

After I bought the bike, I took it to Steptoe for a full service and he kindly let me stand around and watch/chat while he worked which gave me a start in understanding the bmw engine etc and the basic maintenance things to look out for. I've only ever had japanese 4cyl's before.

Edit: oh and I need to add some JBweld too.

Spares are another matter altogether.
 
Thanks for all the really useful replies (just goes to show what a brilliant Forum this is), oh, and the funny ones too :thumb
 
I have the halfords 1/4 inch socket set in a case and a snap-on spanner that fits from 13mm up to 24mm nuts, hold the auto adjuster with your thumb, let it snap onto the nut and ratchet it undone. :cool: Plus a crosshead and flat screwdrivers.



 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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