Tool/Emergency Kit Diet?

[limey]

The 1/2" coupling nut (for 1/2" all-thread) has a OD of of 3/4" = 19mm

Your right I am wrong, Dyslexia is a bitch sometimes.

 

[fbiebesh]

Your right I am wrong, Dyslexia is a bitch sometimes.

You are actually right. While 19mm does equal 3/4", the 1/2" coupler is for 1/2" all-thread, the size of the hex nut on the outside of the coupler is 3/4". I just bought one yesterday, works great.

Fred

 

[EricV]

We all have opinions. I suppose it depends on your needs and wants. I want to be able to pull wheels so I can get new tires cheaper than having a shop pull them off the bike. I seldom need this option, but like having it. The Motion Pro box wrench/tire spoon will do the job, if you have another wrench to use as a cheater. I decided that wasn't good enough for me and just tossed a full size 24 mm combo wrench in the bottom of the saddle bag. I need to add an 8 ounce hammer to beat the aluminum rim into place again if I bend it in the future. At least enough to hold a bead. When I bent my rim in Death Valley, a GS owner loaned me his hammer. Mentioning that a lot of GS guys carry an 8 ounce one for just this reason. Too big and you can do too much damage, so he said.

Stop and go plugs? Well, that's a bit of a choice based on what you really know and understand about them. No glue. <cough> Yep, because they don't bond to the tire. Ever. Sticky strings, with or w/o glue, vulcanize to the tire and become a permanent part of the tire. Run them to the end of the tire life.

Now, if all you want is to get to the next dealer so you can buy a new tire, (because they sure aren't going to patch it for you), Stop and Go mushroom plugs are fine.... usually.... unless a steel belt in the tire at the puncture cuts the plug and it pops out and causes an immediate deflation. Its a temporary repair. If you're good with that, rock on.

What are you comfortable doing on the road? What might you need where you are going? Having a list of the alternative oil filters will make finding an oil filter pretty easy on the road. Oil too, for that matter. Having the tools to pull the filter and dump the oil so you can do it in the Walmart parking lot, then give them the oil to dump is pretty simple.

OTOH, synthetic oil will go a lot longer than the US specified interval. Ever notice that the US spec is 4k miles, but the spec everywhere else is 6200 miles (10k kms)? Hmmm.

Some small vice grips can be used as emergency levers too. And what about that nut/bolt you realize you don't have a socket or wrench for? Adjustable spanner works great for that, (a.k.a. crescent wrench). Decent pliers can come in really, really handy too.

And raise your hand if you forgot that there is a 4mm allen wrench clipped to the underside of the seat to allow you to remove the right side panel and get to your oem tool kit.

Here is a pic of what I carry. Not shown are the three wicked bright LED flashers, the first aid kit, the gallon zip lock of roc-straps and mini ratchet straps with a few bungie cords and a bungie net or the 50' of cord and bundle of 14" zip ties, duct tape, etc.

 

[stevepsd]

Stop and go plugs? Well, that's a bit of a choice based on what you really know and understand about them. No glue. <cough> Yep, because they don't bond to the tire. Ever. Sticky strings, with or w/o glue, vulcanize to the tire and become a permanent part of the tire. Run them to the end of the tire life.


Here is a pic of what I carry. Not shown are the three wicked bright LED flashers, the first aid kit, the gallon zip lock of roc-straps and mini ratchet straps with a few bungie cords and a bungie net or the 50' of cord and bundle of 14" zip ties, duct tape, etc.

What 'special' tool is that at the bottom of the pic..... ::025::

+1 on sticky strings. I have yet to have a puncture, tear, sidewall hole that I could not fix with sticky strings (bike or jeep). I carry a small tube of glue to coat the sticky strings with.

My experience with Stop & Go plugs ::007::

 

[jajpko]

What 'special' tool is that at the bottom of the pic..... ::025::

That would be a "Motivational Tool"

Also, it is a good idea to change the sticky strings each year and check the tube of glue. I usually just replace the kit with new out of habit.

 

[EricV]

What 'special' tool is that at the bottom of the pic..... ::025::

That's a very special tool! Mark I Tire Overpressure Evaluator. Proper use can tell you if your tires are over or under inflated. ::024::

I carry lots of stuff. Pretty much the left 31L pannier is dedicated to things like this that I don't need often, but really need when I do. The tire repair stuff is all in a quart ziploc bag in that same pannier. 10 minutes from pull over to ride away for a simple nail repair. I also keep the other two pairs of gloves, a bike cover and sometimes an extra visor in that pannier. The other side is dedicated to clothes, CPAP and toilet kit (and flask of tequila).

Carry the stuff you actually can and will use, but it really sucks when you're lacking a tool to fix something that needs attention.

 

[Epping]

+1 on sticky strings. I have yet to have a puncture, tear, sidewall hole that I could not fix with sticky strings (bike or jeep). I carry a small tube of glue to coat the sticky strings with.

My experience with Stop & Go plugs ::007::

::026:n both. Plastic plugs don't like steel belted radials. Had one fail yesterday & it was a b@#ch to get out and replace with string.

 

[sail2xxs]

I can see your point about the plugs vs string, but so far, I must have been lucky. The plug in the tire on my Tacoma has been in and working fine for a bit over 70K miles now, the plug on my Kubota's rear tire has been fine for the past 4 years, and the last plug I used on a motorcycle (ST 1300 rear tire) worked fine for over 10K miles. I think it depends on what was in the tire, and where. Rem had some great links to tire repair options on the Alaska thread.

Although I'm not using it on the Tenere at the moment, I have used RideOn http://www.ride-on.com/motorcycles.html on the GS, KLR, and both ST 11 and 1300s, and had great experience with it.

Chris

 

[tomatocity]

An alternative to a 19mm hex tool and a 19mm wrench. Not necessarily better though an alternative.

19mm hex tool : a 3/8" drive 13/16" spark plug socket. The 3/8" drive opening has to be accessed from inside the socket. The outside of the 3/8" portion is a 19mm hex. Insert the 3/8" extension inside the socket and insert the 19mm hex in the axle. Attach the ratchet and rotate the axle.

If it is a socket you don't care about you can trim off the 13/16" portion to save weight.

*** : not all of these sockets have the 3/8" drive opening that is accessible from the inside.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As mentioned in at least one of the tool kits. Believe FredB gave a good description.

1/2" threaded stock coupler. The outside measurement is 3/4" or 19mm. Inexpensive and readily available.
A Motion Pro T-6 Combo Lever 19mm. Can be used as a 19mm wrench and a tire lever. Expensive though light.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------