Travel Tool Kit

marcopol

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Trying to decide what is the minimum amount of tools I can get away with permanently kept on the bike when travelling overseas

Fire away lads,
 
Depends on what you can do - if you can't change a hall sensor or clutch slave cylinder no point in taking the tools necessary.
If all you're capable of doing is checking the tyre pressure then you only need to take a pocket pressure guage.
 
Depends on what you can do - if you can't change a hall sensor or clutch slave cylinder no point in taking the tools necessary.
If all you're capable of doing is checking the tyre pressure then you only need to take a pocket pressure guage.

+1 :thumb

Also depends on where you plan to be travelling and the likelihood of finding competent mechanics in the event of a breakdown. Neither Roynie or myself are particularly adept at bike maintenance but we can (and have) changed tyres and brake pads ...

On long trips, in addition to spare brake pads, bulbs and a 19" inner tube (will, at a pinch, fit either wheel of both bikes in an emergency), we carry a wheel spindle socket, a centre punch, tyre levers and a spark plug remover tool. Allan and torx keys in the relevant sizes, metal repair paste, duct tape, cable ties, and Araldite glue have also proved invaluable at one time or other!
 
On a longtrip it might be more worth carrying spares rather than the actual tools. Then at least if you do break down and you have the common spares then you can get someone locally to repair it for you. Or even a foreign AA type person might be able to do it at the side of the road.

Polybelt, spark plugs, Hall sensor, brake pads, etc come to mind.
 
Toolkit

Depends on what you can do - if you can't change a hall sensor or clutch slave cylinder no point in taking the tools necessary.
If all you're capable of doing is checking the tyre pressure then you only need to take a pocket pressure guage.[/QUOTE


Reasonably competent. Presetly I carry a set of Torx, phillips and other various drivers, an "Aldi" multimeter, insulating tape, tywraps, wire, mini compressor, tyre plugs, workshop manual, an assortment of pliers, allen Keys, a full socket set (I know, WTF ?, I just cant decide which sockets I actualy may need).
Thats just the stuff I can remember. By the way the bike is based in Barcelona in a mates house. I get a cheap Ryanair flight doen 3 or 4 times a year and generaly head off to the middle of nowhere.
I am a great believer in the more I bring the less likely I will need it. I really want to cut down on what I carry, in particular the socket set. What sockets should I really need to keep ?
I would like the capability to remove the wheels , the tank and who knows what else should the need arise. :hide
 
Some wire, small gas powered soldering iron and heatshrink, cable tie zippies. if your going on rough ground, a clutch lever. (I broke one at the top of a mountain pass, two up and lots of luggage on a bank holiday, interesting getting back to the digs.)
 
Whenever you work on your bike, put whatever tools you use in a little bag. ONly ever put in the tools you use or are absolutely certain you need (such as allen keys that fit the bolts on your bike) Over time you'll build up a tool kit that covers everything you have done on the bike, and probably covers most of the things you'd need to do except for specialist tools you probably wouldn't use at the side of the road.

With simple basic tools you can improvise most things, have a search for Steptoe's post on how to change your final drive bearing at the side of the road for an idea of what's possible with the basics.
 
If you do decide to take the rear bearing also take a 7mm allen key, this is not a standard key in the usual allen key set.mole grips and adjustable wrench (both not pleasant tools) but will get you out of the shit. very small plain and cross head screwdrivers, a few tie wraps, small pliers with side cutter, tiny roll of self amalgamating tape, tiny piece of plastic metal (loctite do a very good plastic metal) Fuel filter and 'O' ring half a hack saw blade. Just leave the grips, wrench and tie wraps in the bottom of the pannier.The rest will fit in the tool tray. If you plan on an extended trip take the oil filter socket and just tie wrap if under the centre stand. Did me for 11 months travel and 31,000 miles.
 
. If you plan on an extended trip take the oil filter socket and just tie wrap if under the centre stand. Did me for 11 months travel and 31,000 miles.

Fit the filter socket onto the filter in the engine. The bash plate will hold it in place :D
 
Fit the filter socket onto the filter in the engine. The bash plate will hold it in place :D

This works! I "found" my "lost" wrench when I removed he bash plate to change the oil!.
 
Tool Kit

I had the rear bearing replaced about 4000 miles ago so not worried as far as that is concerned. What size sockets are the minimum I should carry ?
 


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