What tools/supplies do you carry?

[Tourmeister]

Howdy,

Lately, there seems to have been a rash of flats going around. I know because I have been involved in patching many of them and ran out of patches when I needed one But this got me to thinking, what kinds of tools and breakdown supplies do folks carry? Some people carry nothing. Others seem to have enough tools to completely tear down the bike on the side of the road. What do you carry and why?

Adios,

 

[Scott]

After reading about your dilemma I went out and bought a tire plug/patch kit that uses co2 cartridges. I also have been carrying a small first aid kit. Other than theese and the factory tool kit - that is all.

The above is subject to change, though. I also picked up a tank bag and a GIVI V46N.

 

[John Bennett]

Everyday under my seat...
- channel locks
- Phillips/Flathead screwdriver
- combination wrenches fitting from 8-19mm
- tire plugs and 2 cans of CO2.
- electrical tape
- rags

Everyday in my faring...
- tire gauge
- insurance card
- fuel log
- mini-mag flashlight
- pocket knife

Everyday in my tank bag
- sunglasses
- gloves
- Bullfrog Sunblock
- ear plugs

On long trips...
- spare alternator belt
- spare throttle cable
- cell phone
- quart of Mobil 1 20W50
- Honda spray polish for my visor and windshield

When I intend to camp....
- tent
- sleeping bag
- spare socks & underwear
- shaving kit: razor, toothbrush-paste, & Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap
- can of Sterno
- insulated mug
- pill bottle full of various drugs (Asprin, Vioxx, Ibuprophen, vitamins)
- instant coffee
- MSR stainless pot (for coffee and soup)
- custom machete
- twine
- inflatable matress and pump
- shorts and sandals (for going to the shower)

Things I DON'T ever carry...
- needlenose pliers
- sockets
- propane stoves
- pillows
- a gun
- tent stakes
- mini air compressor
- ice chest

 

[kurt]

A word about CO2 cartidges....It takes at least 5 of the small ones and three of the larger ones to fill a tire (mine anyway). The three that came with my kit only got me to 16 psi.

I never go anywhere without a patch kit, and carry a small first aid kit when I travel or go on a ride. Other than that, it's a bungee net and two 60" webbing straps under the seat.

 

[FLUFdriver]

On Bike:
Bike tool set

In Tankbag or Saddlebags:
Mini duct tape roll (from Aerostitch catalog)
Flashlight
Aerostitch face sheild cleaning spray bottle
Aerostich earplug pouch with spare earplugs
Fix-a-flat
(thinking about swapping for an MCN recommended tire repair kit)
Cell phone
Bungee cords
Bungee net
Serveral shop towels
Pepper mace
.38 revolver

 

[Mustang]

Great help guys, especially for the noob! This is one of the things I am starting to assemble for myself.

However, one thing I have found from experience... the cellphone is useful for those, God forbid, personally damaging emergincies. My cellphone now stays in my jacket where my left hand can get it (I'm right handed).

If you can't keep the phone on your person.. surely the bike is the right choice. However, consider that you may be unable to get to your bike and still need help.

Mustang

 

[GIXXERKELLY]

Radial tire plug kit
6 co2 cartriges
bungee net
combo screw driver
glow sticks (works as a flash light)
small channel locks
2 cresant wrenches
knife
factory tool kit
Glock 19 9mm (I have my CHL)
cell phone
the love of Jesus in my heart

 

[ddavis]

What's with all the guns? Do you know something I don't?

 

[GIXXERKELLY]

What's with all the guns? Do you know something I don't?

I've been messed with on several road trips. It always seems to be in a very secluded place when it happens too. I refuse to be a victim.

My CHL has helped me out of a couple of traffic violations too

 

[John Bennett]

I would like to carry a gun when I camp because I tend to practice "stealth camping".

I just don't like the extra weight. I have a Ruger P-95. It's not the lightest of guns, but it is utterly reliable.

I do sleep with a custom machete by my side. In conflicts in Rwanda and Central America machetes have proven to be very effective weapons.

When I travel in the car with my wife and kids, I always do carry the Ruger. It's my obligation as a husband and father to provide them a safe environment and protect them from predators.

If I'm alone, the hassles of carrying on the bike (inaccessability, wear on the gun, etc.) generally out-weigh the benefits I would receive.

Ideally a man should go about armed at all times. I do always carry a Sypderco Delica. Knives are more lethal than most people realize.

 

[Red5]

Underneath the seat:
Tire repair kit (bought at Cycle Gear)
Bungee net
Shop towels
Fanny pack containing a small spray bottle of Windex, paper towels, mini-wipes, and band-aids.

Just bought a new magnetic tankbag, so I should be able to tote more stuff along rides (along with having a map visible in front of me).

 

[Tourmeister]

John,

What do you do when you fly? Crap, they won't even let you carry on a little mini leatherman now! They made my Dad leave behind a pair of fingernail clippers!! I guess he could have nibbled his way into the cockpit with it

I wonder how something like the machette would make out when crossing international lines as on a trip like Irondawg's recent run south. A gun would be out of the question as it would be confiscated at the first crossing very likely.

Adios,

 

[FLUFdriver]

Ideally a man should go about armed at all times. I do always carry a Sypderco Delica. Knives are more lethal than most people realize.

At a recent firearms training class one of the former Delta force instructors stated (and demonstrated) that he (and anyone highly trained with a knife) could take out someone with a pistol from 7 yards away and you wouldn't even see the knife until its too late.

I ride alone quite often and in some desolate places, that's why I carry. I have the CHL of course, my .38 is in a fanny pack designed for carry that stays in my tank bag. When I leave the bike it is on my person.

 

[Tourmeister]

Howdy,

When packing, where do you put all these tools? Do you keep some in a tankbag for fast easy access or do you bury them at the bottom of a bag where you have to unpack everything to get to them?

Adios,

 

[GIXXERKELLY]

so far I've been able to cram everything under my seat.

 

[Adan]

What I carry around......

Left System case is always packed with:

- 2 Pc. Rain Suit (Good when weather gets cold too)
- Extra Helmet Visor and cleaning items
- "Touring" First Aid kit
- Duct Tape & zip ties
- Lamp
- Maps (If something were to happen to the GPS)
- Engine Oil
- Fuel Filter (for going through OK)
- 4 Tie-downs
- Extra tire repair kit (to give away)

Right System case usually carries a cooler with a few water bottles and cereal bars to balance things out.

"Hombre preparado vale por dos"

 

[Bill J. from Austin]

A few years ago, a friend was making her first solo trip (from Los Angeles to Big Bend) and asked me what she should pack in the way of tools and supplies. I did an inventory of what I actually do carry, and this is what I told her:

"The tool list:

I encourage the purchase of good-quality tools (Craftsman, Snap-On, etcetera) because, in my experience, cheaper tools fail just when you need them most. That can be frustrating and/or scary, depending on where
you've broken down. Go find 'em in pawn-shops and flea-markets if you have to, but invest in good tools. You won't be sorry.

Handgun - you know, just in case.
Flashlight - there are times (especially on road trips) where there just ain't no streetlights. If you're broke down out in the boonies, next to Smith and Wesson that good ol' Eveready's going to be your new best friend!
Multi-tip screwdriver - I've seen these with as many as 15 different tips in one neat package; everything from straight and Phillips to Torx and Robertson. Very handy in so many instances! I'm going to replace my old four-bladed one w/ a multi-tip, eventually.
Allen wrenches - I carry a 14-piece set from Craftsman; "L"-shaped w/ long and short shanks, for reaching into all sorts of nooks and crannies on the bike. This in particular is a time to stress the importance of quality tools. I can't tell you how many times I've had cheapo Allen wrenches round off and render themselves useless at the slightest sign of resistance. I've been known to say "Hecky-poo" and "Shucky-darn" when that happens. NOT a pretty sight!
Combination wrenches - I carry a 9/16" & 1/2" combo, a 7/16" & 3/8" combo and a 7/16" box/open combo I use for back-up when setting my push-rods. In time you may find others that you'll need for your bike.
8" Crescent wrench - for back-up, and for anything not covered by sizes above.
6" Channel-lock pliers - for round stuff, hard-to-reach stuff, metric stuff, just any ol' stuff... Also handy as a nutcracker!
Pocket knife or Leatherman-type all-in-one tool - when it's time to do the McGyver thing by the side of the road, a knife is going to come in very handy! Fabricate gaskets out of cardboard boxes, cut fence-wire to wrap around a dragging muffler, skin and gut that delectable road-kill you just bagged... It's like a stainless-steel Martha Stewart!
Spark-plug wrench - I found one the right size for my plugs in an old Toyota tool-kit. It's made of stamped steel, w/ a folding handle, and fits very neatly in the tool-roll I carry.
12-volt testlight - for troubleshooting simple electrical problems. I found a little bitty one in an auto-parts house that works great.
Points file (available at auto-parts houses) or metal fingernail file - for cleaning ignition points and spark-plug electrodes. You may not have points and condensor, but all God's chilluns got spark-plugs!
Gap gauge - for setting gap on aforementioned points and plugs. Check the specifications for your bike, and make sure the gauge you get has the settings you need.
Air pressure gauge - when was the last time you saw a service station attendant with an air-gauge?
Good padlock and cable or chain - in case, God forfend, you need to push your scooter behind a bush and hike into town for parts or gasoline. There are still vast areas of this great nation not served by cell-phone providers,
and Murphy's Law holds that those areas are where you're most likely to get stranded! :angryfir:

You probably won't need any of these, but I also carry:
12" Crescent wrench - to loosen the backing-plate lock-nut on my mechanical rear brake when adjusting rear drive-chain tension. Also doubles as a hammer in emergencies.
7/16" Allen wrench - fits the brake-drum bolts on my star-hub wheels.
Valve-spring keeper - for disassembling and removing clutch-plates.

In the way of spare parts and materials, I also carry:
Spark-plugs, points and condensor - you know, just in case.
Spare 16-gauge wire - I've fitted two 3' lengths with alligator clips at both ends, so I can use them as jumper cables. Otherwise, I can pull the clips off and use the wire to repair electrical damage.
Electrician's tape - not quite as nasty as duct tape, but almost as useful!
Extra tail-lamp bulbs - I carry these in Kodak film canisters padded w/ cotton or tissue paper, to prevent vibration from damaging the filaments. You may want to carry extra turn-signal bulbs, too, if your bike is so
equipped.
Crimp-on electrical connectors - eyes, forks, spades and butt connectors. You can use the Channel-lock or Leatherman pliers to crimp them.
An odd assortment of nuts, bolts, cotter-pins, clevis-pins, hose-clamps and such, including a "cable-saver" that tightens down on the end of your clutch-cable when it breaks at the handlebar lever, and allows you to make it to the house, or the next motorcycle-parts supplier, for a replacement cable.
Master-links and chain-breaker - if your bike is a chain-drive you need these. If yours is a belt-drive you won't need these, but you will need a belt repair kit.
Fix-A-Flat - invaluable out on the road. It'll at least get you to some safe place to make needed repairs to your flat tire. The only time (knock wood) that Fix-A-Flat didn't get me home was once, when the can malfunctioned
and the product wouldn't come out!

In case you're wondering, all of the above (except the handgun and 12" Crescent) fit in an 8" x 9" x 4" leather bag strapped to the *****-rack on my shovelhead, with room at the top for an emergency bottle of sunscreen!"

When I posted this to another board I visit, several people replied (almost angrily, it seems) that all they carry is a rescue-service card and a cell-phone. I think they were threatened by the notion that they ought to be able to fix things on their motorcycles. Also, as I note in my list, there are still areas that don't have reliable cell-phone service. What do they do if they break down there?

And, before anyone makes the usual snide remarks about Harleys and breakdowns (Paranoid? Me? Why do you say that? Who's been talking about me? ) let me add that I've used these tools and supplies far more often on other people's bikes than on my own. It's just nice to know that I can fix things if I need to!

So, what would YOU add to the list?

 

[Chirpy]

So, what would YOU add to the list?

Yeah, go on long rides with Bill!

Daryl

 

[Bill J. from Austin]

I actually had to break into my tool-kit last Sunday, after leading some friends on a hare-and-hound down a bunch of county roads between here and Taylor. Swapped out condensors, and limped back to the house, where I discovered that my battery has defecated all over itself. Now, I'm a fair mechanic, but that's one thing I can't fix by the side of the road.

I can, however, get a new one at Sears or Interstate, and install it by the side of the road!

And about long rides: today I was reminded of a Michelle Shocked song, where she steals her motorcycle back from the repo man, and rides 500 miles without leaving Los Angeles.

"I kicked in his door at 5 AM
"I've come for my bike" I told the repo man
My 920's gonna take me far today
You can travel for miles and never leave L.A.

I've come a long way
I've come a long way
I've gone 500 miles today
I've come a long way
I've come along way
And never even left L.A."

Not quite 500, but I did manage to put 100 miles on the Beemer today (including picking up a new battery for the shovel) without leaving Austin. Then the rain started

 

[Shortline]

What is the consensus of tire plugs/patches? I'm certainly no mechanic, (I can add gas, and oil) do they work ok? Can you really fill a tire, with 5 CO2 cartridges? Does the wheel have to come off to plug it? Which is the easiest, least expensive kit, to carry that actually works?
TR
Brady TX

 

[Valker]

Well...

I carry a cheap 'gooey string' plug kit from WalMart. These have always held for the life of the tire the way I insert them. I do not carry CO2 cartridges though-I carry a 12V compressor.

 

[kurt]

I carry the OEM tool kit (Harleys don't come with tool kits I found out) a flat repair kit for tubeless tires, an air gauge, a first-aid kit and sunscreen and water.