What tools do you carry?

[Rubberchicken]

If i'm going on holiday the last thing i'm doing is working on bikes while i'm on holiday, that's what AA euro cover is for not filling boxes boxes up with damn tools which which more than likely won't get used

It's insurance. If you bring rain gear, chances are you won't use it. If you leave it, chances are you need it.

Besides, waiting for AA to turn up and do its thing can put a mighty dent in your holiday which sucks hard if all you needed was a spanner...

The one time I've needed AA I was properly screwed though. Destroyed rear tyre, remote area (Hah! Haast, NZ), no gsm coverage, and 2 days before Easter. Took a few days to sort that one out.

I carry the spare U-joint as a million to one chance long shot. Chances are excellent that I'll be uselessly carting it around for quite some time, but if I ever do need it I know where I left it and it is a part that would otherwise be a tow-me-home trip stopper. Ask Vader about final drives sometime...

[j]

Having to look after two BMW's and Vader on tour, also being a mechanic my little fanny pack back box is full of tools and puncture repair kit, spare tubes, tow rope and the BMW get out of jail card.

[Nickel Arse]

In the fairing I have a clutch lever zip tied to the inside panel and a tyre repair kit with Bowden cable repair kit and a pressure gauge inside,
Tank bag has tie downs, 5mm insulating tape, cable, twist locks, fuses, bulbs and a first aid kit.
under the seat Sparrow airman compressor, tyre levers - rimprotectors, zip ties, mini socket set with screwdriver bits and allen keys, OEM tools (pliers replaced with a leatherman) and a packet of wet wipes.
I try to only use the tools on the bike when servicing or farkling but if it goes really tits up I use the ADAC breakdown cover.
so far none of the above have been used in anger....touching wood

[jasonbc]

Besides, waiting for AA to turn up and do its thing can put a mighty dent in your holiday which sucks hard if all you needed was a spanner...

No it won't ruin my holidays, if the bike breaksdown when i'm on holiday i'll get accomodation in the closest village ot town to where the bike brokedown and will relax and enjoy the local life while i can't go anywhere.

Spanners required if it's only a spanner you need would be in the Honda toolkit under the seat to do the job. Atleast i assume it would i've had my Varadero 7-8 years and never opened th etoolkit to see what in there or opened the handbook under the seat

[dubhe]

Spanners required if it's only a spanner you need would be in the Honda toolkit under the seat to do the job. Atleast i assume it would i've had my Varadero 7-8 years and never opened th etoolkit to see what in there or opened the handbook under the seat

I took the tool kit out a while ago and have yet to put it back, when you have ABS, scottoiler, U-Lock and a set of bungees under the seat of a TA700 there is not a lot of room left!

[Rubberchicken]

No it won't ruin my holidays, if the bike breaksdown when i'm on holiday i'll get accomodation in the closest village ot town to where the bike brokedown and will relax and enjoy the local life while i can't go anywhere.

Try getting stuck in Haast, New Zealand (pop. 300) for 3 days. You'd have seen everything there is to see by noon the next day, and there's only so many miles you can walk on bike boots. I'm not saying that incident ruined it, but if it takes a 3 day chunk out of a 10 day trip around the South Island and that means you won't be going to Milford Sound after all, yeah that does sting a bit.

Granted, there's no way a toolkit would've fixed that particular flat, but still. I like being prepared at least a little bit.

[boomer84]

Seems to me that carrying some kind of toolkit is just common sense. Id be so frustrated if something broke and all it would have taken to repair is a pair of pliers.

Rubberchicken has it spot on. What if the place you stop is not where you want to be and you miss out on something you wanted to do because of a minor problem?

[jasonbc]

Try getting stuck in Haast, New Zealand (pop. 300) for 3 days.

I have outlaws in Wellington, don't know how far this from Haast thought

[Rubberchicken]

Wellington is big city...

Everything is far from Haast. West coast south island. You can go nearly a hundred miles either way from it before you encounter anything that's bigger than Haast. The AA guy is good though, managing to spoon an obviously well-used 170/60-ZR17 onto that tiny DR650 rim so we could get outta there. Handled a bit funny, but I wasn't picky at that point.


I'm just thinking how lucky I was that the tyre went splat right when I stopped for the night in Haast, and not somewhere bang in the middle of "Last fuel for next 120 km". Incidentally, "Haast" means "hurry" in Dutch. The irony of getting stuck there wasn't lost.


Anyway. All the stuff I normally carry on the GS fits in the stock tool tray under the seat. Keeps the weight nice and central. I should stick an adjustable spanner in there as well, cos there's some big nuts on the beemer...

[j]

I should stick an adjustable spanner in there as well, cos there's some big nuts on the beemer...

You always find big nuts on a Beemer