Tool Kit

mrmoog

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Advice needed please, what are the major tools you need to take when going on a trip, I'm putting a tool bag together but seem to be packing too much.
 
Walt Kowalski, Gran Torino: 'Take these three items, some WD-40, a mole grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone'

or a credit card, and a lot of patience......:rolleyes:
 
Your not going round the work so a puncture kit, breakdown cover and a phone. There isn't much on these bikes that can be fixed roadside so why carry loads of tools? Since you aren't going far you don't need service tools either.
 
Your not going round the work so a puncture kit, breakdown cover and a phone. There isn't much on these bikes that can be fixed roadside....

True to a point, but.....

Mine, which is near enough a replica of the the kit recommended in the link, has seen plenty of action for a host of problems, many not invoking my bike. A few off the top of my head are:

Removing the side fairing and radiator cowling on a water cooled bike, to find out why the fan's fuse kept blowing, leading to over heating in hot Italy. A sizeable stone had somehow flicked up inside the cowling, trapping the fan's blade.

Repairing the offside indicator, footrest, mirror, fairing and twist grip assembly of an SV650 that had simply fallen over when parked on a pavement in central France.

Repairing the nearside (left) mirror on my GSA, when I dumped it on its side at low speed. As I was in Austria, it was handy to have the mirror as it helped to see if I could pull out to overtake. This repair also required the use of a fork (stolen from a restaurant) gaffer tape and cable ties (also in simple tool kit). There is a picture of the job somewhere on UKGSer, it lasted for several thousand miles before I got around to getting a new mirror.

Replacing the offside footrest with the pillion's footrest on a new Pan European, which had slipped on a roadside drainage camber whilst being parked in Luxembourg. It really was a lash up but it enabled the bod to carry on with the jaunt and get home.

The throttle return cable on a Versys.

Tightening assorted rotating wing mirrors.

Replacing the fuel pump controller on a GSA, on the roadside.

Replacing my own fuel pump controller, right outside my house just as I was trying to set off to France on a day trip. That I had a spare controller and the few tools needed straight to hand meant I could do it without moving the car, going back into the garage, moving the car back etc. etc. Had it failed in France or halfway down the Blackwall Tunnel two miles away (just as likely) I could have done the same and been on my way just as quickly.

Assorted other tasks, including altering the shower in a hotel room, to stop the water spraying everywhere except onto my bod.

Definitely have a telephone, credit card and a good recovery service as a back-up. Just as much as it's a very good idea to have Travel insurance as a back-up, too. But if a few (as in FEW) simple tools can be used to get you (or just as likely, someone else) going without too much delay, it's better. :beerjug:
 
More than the 3 CO2 canisters in a puncture repair kit.
Under laboratory conditions (Me+Cookie bored one afternoon in the garage) in a 1150/1200 size back tyre they raised the pressure from 0 to about 23psi. So 6 would be good to save looking for an airline.
 
More than the 3 CO2 canisters in a puncture repair kit.
Under laboratory conditions (Me+Cookie bored one afternoon in the garage) in a 1150/1200 size back tyre they raised the pressure from 0 to about 23psi. So 6 would be good to save looking for an airline.

And if you are carrying 6, you may as well carry a small compressor....

http://www.metalmule.com/general-accessories/cycle-pump

this one will seat the bead (with enough lube)
 
More than the 3 CO2 canisters in a puncture repair kit.
Under laboratory conditions (Me+Cookie bored one afternoon in the garage) in a 1150/1200 size back tyre they raised the pressure from 0 to about 23psi. So 6 would be good to save looking for an airline.
I find the larger 45g CO2 canisters more suitable than the 16g/20g canisters.
However the consensus on this forum seems to lead me to think its better to carry a mini compressor
 
Repairing the nearside (left) mirror on my GSA, when I dumped it on its side at low speed. As I was in Austria, it was handy to have the mirror as it helped to see if I could pull out to overtake. This repair also required the use of a fork (stolen from a restaurant) gaffer tape and cable ties (also in simple tool kit). There is a picture of the job somewhere on UKGSer, it lasted for several thousand miles before I got around to getting a new mirror.

Found it.

Not possible without a basic tool kit to hand and not sufficient a disaster to exercise the credit card and roadside recovery

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197522&highlight=fork
 
Make sure that whatever you have allows you to remove either wheel - and practice it at home first. A ruined tyre and wheel can then be transported to a tyre repair shop
 


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