Spare parts for long trips

[Oscar]

Hopefully I will start doing some long trips pretty soon. Long. meaning more than 4,000km or 5 days but probably not more than 15 days of continues riding; mostly pavement but some mild-to-easy dirt as well. I am trying to sort out what spare parts I should carry with me. On my KLR I use to carry spare levers, clutch cable, fuses, spark plug, tire tubes, oil, oil and more oil (man, it feels good to finally stop at a gas station and not fill up the oil and check the gas!). I have never done a trip that's more than 4,000km, so any advise is welcome. Or if anybody could point me to an existing thread that already lists out recommended spare parts and tools for this type of trip, would be very helpful. Thanks everyone.

 

[justbob]

cell phone and credit card, seriously.

 

[coastie]

cell phone and credit card, seriously.

Same here, along with a full bottle of water and some type of food in case I'm broken down on the side of the road waiting on a tow for a while.

 

[Big Blu]

Duct Tape..... don't leave home without it!
A puncture repair kit for when the tire goes flat, and way to inflate the tire, either co2 or mini compresor.

The duct tape will hold thing together should you have an unexpected get off.

Regards, Paul

 

[dcstrom]

It's all relative to where those long trips will be, how tough the riding, and the condition of the bike at the start. Most places in the US you won't need many parts at all if you are riding easy-ish roads in decent conditions, and the bike is in good shape (as a new S10 should be) when you leave. Duct tape will hold a lot of things together if you crash, and the proper level of AA membership will get your bike to a dealer should the worst happen.

I'm compiling my list for South America, am still deciding on some things but needless to say it will be more than I'd carry in the US. (I'll be asking for the forum's input on this closer to the time..!)

Trevor

 

[HoebSTer]

I have never traveled with spare parts for my sport-touring days riding across the country, even a trip to Alaska and back for a month. Any trip for 5-7,000 miles i wouldn't even change oil until I got home. I learned to carry the essentials and minimal at that. First thing I learned as mentioned above was Duct Tape, and a side stand plate (in case of muddy campground). I would carry a flashlight, and the factory tool kit is all. I will list a brief list for my month trip to Alaska in August!!!
Packed Items: Camera, toothbrush, deodorant, Advil to start the day, 1 pair pants, 3 socks, 3 tshirts, 3 pr undies, sandles, 1 pr shorts, 1 pr long john style pant, cold gloves, 3 season glove, waterproof glove, extra visor, ten pairs ear-plugs, 1 fleece, small 2 person tent, sleeping bag, miniature cookset, mini lantern (fit inside cookset), bottle of fuel, Wallet and Cell phone, small can Honda Polish and wipe cloth, tire repair kit and tiny compressor, heated vest and control and misc snacks which wouldn't melt in sun-baked heat (jerky, nuts and hard candy)
Wearable items: Riding Boots, helmet, one of the gloves, one of the pants, shirt, socks, undies, Aerostich (no need for packing additional waterproof items), 80 oz Camelback on my back.

For s shorter trip, one can reduce the clothes part to 1 set wearing and one set of tshirts, socks and undies packed. I now use LD Comfort riding shorts, so this reduces my need to pack more than say 1 pair of undies. The LD shorts are hand washed each night in Hotel, or every other day, depending on if you can handle the odor!!! HAHA!!! My T-shirts are all now Micro fiber instead of cotton, lighter weight and packs smaller, same goes for my pants and shorts. I have given up using Jeans if possible, packs way too bulky!!!

These are just items I have used, others vary and have more or less with them.

 

[pluric]

As mentioned it depends on where and what you will be riding on.
I've added tire irons and a tube to my list. We couldn't get a tire patched
in the States and I had a rim bend to where it wouldn't hold air. So a tube
was the only option. This was in Baja very remote conditions.

Gallon of gas can sure adds piece of mind when the gas guage is flashing and
counting down too.

Enough tools to remove either tire. I've had places that won't work on a brand they
don't carry. If I removed the wheel they would do the tire replacement. Also take both
your tires off so you feel comfortable doing it again if needed and to know what tools
you must have. Scrap the factory tools and replace with higher quality items. The factory
storage area will hold a larger tool bag.

LED head lamp is very handy for night work and finding the restroom in a strange campground.

Maybe bum a nipple off someone who has bought a full set.

 

[OX-34]

............................................................... co2 or mini compresor.

.............

Tyre repair kit as Paul listed, but the standard 12V plug up on the dash won't be adequate for the compressor - its only rated at 3A and will blow its fuse.
Spare headlight bulb.
Spare fuses.
Spare final drive.

OOops. Cancel that last one - wrong bike >

 

[dcstrom]

Tyre repair kit as Paul listed, but the standard 12V plug up on the dash won't be adequate for the compressor - its only rated at 3A and will blow its fuse.
Spare headlight bulb.
Spare fuses.
Spare final drive.

OOops. Cancel that last one - wrong bike >

Cancel the first one too - unlikely 2 bulbs are going to go bad at the same time, and you get get by with one headlight till you can get another bulb.

OOPS! Forgot who I was talking to - in your case Ox you have (at least) 5 other lights, including a couple of Kleigs. You probably wouldn't even notice if one headlight bulb went out

 

[Boostedxt]

My list is this....
-phone number list to all the local motorcycle dealers
-tire repair kit. Plugs, glue, reamer, threader
- small knife
- headlamp
- pump or co2 containers
- tools to work on minor things like wire splicing, removing wheels, and fixing handlebars.

as for replacement parts I don't carry anything. I will call Yamaha and get the bike towed to a dealer and pay to have it fixed.

Joe

 

[avc8130]

I can't believe no one mentioned it yet. My bike got a dozen of them from the dealer and they live under the seat...

CABLE TIES (zip ties)

You'd be AMAZED what you can do with them when you need to.

ac

 

[markjenn]

This thread has spun off in discussing one's on-the-road toolkit rather than the question about spares. There is a huge thread on advrider about toolkits, so might want to go over there if you want ideas. My personal take is that most on-the-road failures are tire and electrical in nature (thinking back, the last six or eight roadside failures I've had or witnessed in our riding group have all been either to do with tires or electrical systems), so I carry everything I need to fix flats (with some backups) and a pretty good electrical troubleshooting kit (voltmeter, continuity checker, fuses, lots of splices and taps). Beyond this, just basic tools along with the usual duct tape, cable ties, bailing wire, etc. Vice grips are always handy.

Back to spares, I guess a lot depends on whether you expect to fix crash damage. If so, then spare levers and perhaps footpegs are a good idea and if you are pushing the envelope insofar as terrain, then perhaps you might want to carry tubes to stuff into the tires if you get a puncture you can't plug or a seriously dented rim that won't hold air.

The S10 has hydraulics, so no need for clutch or brake cables. I suppose you could carry a spare throttle cable, but this is a VERY rare failure.

On a bike like the S10, I wouldn't bother with spare oil, plugs, hoses, etc. The chances that any of this stuff would help you get out of a tight spot are vanishingly slim.

I took a 5K+ tour last year and I carried essentially no spares. The bike is fundamentally reliable.

- Mark

 

[EricV]

Hopefully I will start doing some long trips pretty soon. Long. meaning more than 4,000km or 5 days but probably not more than 15 days of continues riding; mostly pavement but some mild-to-easy dirt as well. I am trying to sort out what spare parts I should carry with me. On my KLR I use to carry spare levers, clutch cable, fuses, spark plug, tire tubes, oil, oil and more oil (man, it feels good to finally stop at a gas station and not fill up the oil and check the gas!). I have never done a trip that's more than 4,000km, so any advise is welcome. Or if anybody could point me to an existing thread that already lists out recommended spare parts and tools for this type of trip, would be very helpful. Thanks everyone.

I just went on a 3600 mile trip over 6 days. Did mostly pavement, but a bunch of dirt back roads far from home that I didn't know and where there weren't a lot of service opportunities, had I needed them. There is a bunch of stuff that I always carry on the bike, but I didn't need any of it. It doesn't shake itself to pieces or break when it falls over, (and I did some of that fall over stuff). I don't yet have crash bars, just some Touratech panniers. The factory handguards do a good job of protecting the levers and even the plastic engine guards do a fair job if there aren't big rocks around to fall onto.

Do mount a 12V accessory plug of some kind with a 10 amp fuse. You will need this for the compressor, should you need to do some flat repair. That can happen to anyone, any time, on any ride. Buy a simple auto parts 'sticky string' puncture repair kit that contains a T handle reamer and insertion tool, sticky strings and some glue. Read the directions at home where its warm, dry and well lit. If possible, practice on a worn tire next time you are about to change tires. Pick up an inexpensive compressor. Depending on where you are, Slime pumps or just a generic compressor from the big box store of your choice. A lot of the cheap compressors come in bulky plastic housings. You can take the plastic off, trim off the fan and tie a boot lace to the compressor with a loop in the other end to hang off the bike. Just tape up the wires for a little strain relief so you don't break the solder joints. This will last a long time for a lot of uses and is very cheap. $10 US cheap.

As said, make sure you have the tools to remove the wheels from the bike. This can really save you a lot of $$. No chain, so no need to have chain lube, master links or a spare chain.

You really don't need spares for this bike. Things don't break when you fall over. If you crash hard enough to really do some damage, you're probably not going to self recover anyway. Have tools for the things you can do. It doesn't foul plugs. It doesn't burn oil. Some spare fuses aren't a bad idea, but it really doesn't blow fuses. Blown fuses are more about the electrical stuff we add, and how good a job we do of it. ;D

The factory tool kit has crappy pliers. The spark plug tool doubles for an axle wrench, but it's not very strong and you don't have a lot of torque with it's short length. Consider a full size wrench for the rear axle nut, and a 19mm allen for the axles. The smaller oem stuff is fine. After that it's the stuff like Duct tape, electrical tape, zip ties and what ever gives you a warm fuzzy or you simply use on a day to day basis like some cleaner for your visor and the wind screen/headlights, etc. I like to carry a pump bottle of bug spray, some sun block and a hat too. There is a lot of stuff that most of us carry, "just in case" that never gets used. Like a first aid kit. I use mine to help other riders a heck of a lot more than I use it for myself. I don't think I've ever gotten into it for myself, knock on wood.

You might want to replace the tank mount bolts on the side with some hex head ones and carry a 8mm box wrench for the new bolts so you can get the tank up w/o pulling the left side plastic panel all the way off. But odd are really, really high that you won't need to pull the tank while on a trip.

Hope that helps

 

[Maxified]

Maybe bum a nipple off someone who has bought a full set.

I know what you meant and its not a bad idea but reading that line almost made me spray my beer. ::025::

 

[Oscar]

Thanks for all the input. Most of the essentials I have covered...zip ties, duct tape, flaslight, FA kit, electric tape, tire repair kit, tools, etc. I was a bit more concerned about the spare parts that are unique to the S10 in case something has systematically broken down on several S10's...you know, like the doo hickey on KLR's, fuel pumps on KTM's, sensors on BMW's, etc. So far it seems the S10 has proven to be very reliable and yes, mine is in great shape ::012::

I plan to ride in North America for now, so I agree, the roads and services are excellent and that helps a lot. The ideas about the list of Yamaha dealers and enrolling in AA are great. BTW, does anybody know if a foreigner can join AA?

I don't know much about electrical circuits and that kind of stuff, and yes, I blew the 3A fuse when I tried hooking up the air compressor to the 12v outlet! Question: Can't the 3A fuse just be replaced with a 5A so the compressor can run? Would I ruin something else? Probably a dumb question, but hey, asking won't do any damage!

Yes, cell phone and credit card are in the list.

 

[EricV]

does anybody know if a foreigner can join AA?

I don't know much about electrical circuits and that kind of stuff, and yes, I blew the 3A fuse when I tried hooking up the air compressor to the 12v outlet! Question: Can't the 3A fuse just be replaced with a 5A so the compressor can run? Would I ruin something else? Probably a dumb question, but hey, asking won't do any damage!

AA= Alcoholics Anonymous

AAA is American Automobile Association.

You can join CAA, (Canadian Automobile Association), and get benefits in the US, if you be Canukian.

And yes, if you replace the 3 amp fuse with a higher one, you run the very real risk of melting the wiring. It's not very large gauge. And 5 amp probably wouldn't do it anyway, you'd need 10 amp.

www.powerlet.com should do it. No need to buy a 'kit', just order the power port you want and run some wire to your aux. fuse block or battery. Though they do make nice kits too.

 

[phplemel]

+1
Spares,what spares remember it's a Yamaha
Finished a 12week ride in the fall (15000km) !!! only thing I really used (medicinal use only O was a bottle of good single malt (15yr old minimum) )
Great for relaxing after a great day of desert riding- ::021::

 

[phplemel]

Oh yeah, forgot about the tires, but the're hard to carry, just make sure you can source good tires during any trip longer than 5000km
They'll last longer but bad things can happen on worn rubber )

 

[markjenn]

I don't know much about electrical circuits and that kind of stuff, and yes, I blew the 3A fuse when I tried hooking up the air compressor to the 12v outlet! Question: Can't the 3A fuse just be replaced with a 5A so the compressor can run? Would I ruin something else? Probably a dumb question, but hey, asking won't do any damage!

I've had compressors blow 10A fuses, so there's a good chance 5A wouldn't fare any better than 3A. The startup current of an electrical motor can be pretty high, much higher than the steady-state current. Generally, to run a compressor, you either have to go directly to the battery with alligator clips (not a bad plan as getting to the battery on the S10 is pretty easy) or rig up a separately-fused aux power socket. There's lots of threads on this forum about setting up additional fused circuits on the S10. I'm using Eastern Beaver's 3CS system on my bike with a 15A fuse on a SAE plug dongle to run a compressor.

Whether the wiring of the stock Yamaha aux outlet can support a bigger fuse has been debated on this and other forums. It probably can somewhat, but nobody I'm aware of has really looked at it closely. So to be completely safe, you'd want to stick to 3A, although I doubt 5A would cause much problem. Personally, I wouldn't go higher than that.

 

[Oscar]

Ooops! Yes, I meant AAA. I'll have to find out if I can enroll.

An independant seperate 12v outlet capable of handling the compressor sound like the way to go.

The single malt sounds good. I'll include that AND the CASA NOBLE reposado tequila!

A lot of great input...thanks everyone!