Tools you take on a all Tarmac tour.
- Thread starter jameskaya
- Start date
illustratedman
New Member
Puncture kit and a small electric pump, and euro breakdown cover. Sometime take a bit of tape and a few cable ties as well.
Whenever I do any work on the bike I use the tools I carry. It makes for a largish tool roll but I will hopefully never be stuck for lack of a wrench. Be sure the tools you carry will actually do the job, i.e. a tiny short handle ratchet will not allow you to break torque on an axial bolt.
Lots of puncture kits out there. There is a MONSTER post somewhere around here on all the various ones that work nicely for motorcycles. (Dallara info post. It's like a Puncture kit Wiki)
I have the Aerostich kit.
http://www.aerostich.com/tools/tire-repair/tire-repair-kits/aerostich-compact-tire-repair-kit-with-mini-compressor.html
I have the Aerostich kit.
http://www.aerostich.com/tools/tire-repair/tire-repair-kits/aerostich-compact-tire-repair-kit-with-mini-compressor.html
For tire plugging I like the "T" handle rasp & plug hook with ropes and glue. I also carry a tiny electric compressor opting for the infinite air rather than finite CO2. Tire repair tools and parts can be gotten anywhere.
Good gawd I do carry a lot of crap ::025::
Good gawd I do carry a lot of crap ::025::
Mine has compressor matched to plug on battery tender so I don't have to pull cover. Just be careful to check polarity.
EricV
Riding, farkling, riding...
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Not sure about your neck of the woods, but more auto parts stores have the flat repair kits for tubeless tires. Look for one that has T handles, a rasp/reamer and an insertion tool, sticky strings and glue too. If it's missing one of those items, they are usually available separately too. The hole must be clean for the sticky string to bond with the tire well. That's what the reamer is for.
I agree with the air pump Vs CO2 cartridges. But remember that our 12V cig lighter plug is only a 2 amp fuse and will not handle the pump. You need some other source of power for the air pump, and either an adapter or snip the end off the pump's cord and install one that works for your bike. At least a 10 amp circuit.
Other tools I like to carry:
A mini vise grip - (emergency brake or shift lever)
Axle tool - (so I can remove the wheels if necessary to get a fresh tire)
Full size wrench for the rear axle nut - (27mm)
T handle 4mm allen wrench - (just makes panel removal easier)
3mm allen wrench - (for the ABS sensors)
8 mm Allen wrench - (for the rear axle pinch bolt)
A few extra fuses, just in case.
A few road flares or strobes in case I get stuck at night or around a blind corner.
I carry a bunch of other stuff, but probably not really what you're asking about. Where I ride, shade and water are important, so I carry 50' of cord and an emergency shelter as well as a space blanket.
We have very reliable bikes. The flat repair items and the ability to remove the wheels can be a real cost and time saver. I've fixed flats in under 10 minutes and been back on the road. Beats waiting for the tow truck!
I agree with the air pump Vs CO2 cartridges. But remember that our 12V cig lighter plug is only a 2 amp fuse and will not handle the pump. You need some other source of power for the air pump, and either an adapter or snip the end off the pump's cord and install one that works for your bike. At least a 10 amp circuit.
Other tools I like to carry:
A mini vise grip - (emergency brake or shift lever)
Axle tool - (so I can remove the wheels if necessary to get a fresh tire)
Full size wrench for the rear axle nut - (27mm)
T handle 4mm allen wrench - (just makes panel removal easier)
3mm allen wrench - (for the ABS sensors)
8 mm Allen wrench - (for the rear axle pinch bolt)
A few extra fuses, just in case.
A few road flares or strobes in case I get stuck at night or around a blind corner.
I carry a bunch of other stuff, but probably not really what you're asking about. Where I ride, shade and water are important, so I carry 50' of cord and an emergency shelter as well as a space blanket.
We have very reliable bikes. The flat repair items and the ability to remove the wheels can be a real cost and time saver. I've fixed flats in under 10 minutes and been back on the road. Beats waiting for the tow truck!
XTDelZ
New Member
http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/17728
I use one of these pumps, very small, includes all attachments you need and inexpensive. I also use the sticky/glued strings to plug puncture holes.
Biggest tip I can give is to make sure you have recovery for breakdowns AND road traffic accidents, it can prove very expensive if you have to find you own way home.
Enjoy your trip.
I use one of these pumps, very small, includes all attachments you need and inexpensive. I also use the sticky/glued strings to plug puncture holes.
Biggest tip I can give is to make sure you have recovery for breakdowns AND road traffic accidents, it can prove very expensive if you have to find you own way home.
Enjoy your trip.
illustratedman
New Member
Prefer the string tyre repair kits above the mushroom type, i've had more success with em than my stop & go kit for example. Good point about the electric pump and the accessory socket get something you can attach direct to the battery or install a higher rated socket.
Toolkit for the BMW included Final Drive / Fuel pump Controller, Snap-On Tool Chest and £75,000 of BMW tools, for the Yamaha I go with:
1. Breakdown cover
2. Credit card
Never needed to use them in the last 15+ years of Jap bike ownership.
Puncture kit makes sense, I carry one, but more important is breakdown, my mate had a tyre fall apart in the Alps in 2011, the casing started coming through (iffy tyre) so the puncture kit was no help - and you cannot guarantee a puncture repair will work, still worth having a kit as it will save some hassle if it does work.
Now ask yourself what can you do roadside :question:
and
What would you do roadside :question:
On an RTW trip it may be you in the desert on your own, in Euroland your never far from help (a phone call - biggest issue is likely to be breaking down where your phone don't work - carry an extra pay as you go sim for another provider if your that worried, but even on remote Alpine passes someone will come along at some point before you starve.
In reality your not gonna start stripping your bike down at the roadside - and it is a Yamaha so should not need it.
With no chain to adjust I cannot think of anything to do, at home I carry no tools, on a tour just a few cable ties, pliers, cutters and a few Allen keys / Spanners / Screwdrivers in case something shakes loose.
::021::
1. Breakdown cover
2. Credit card
Never needed to use them in the last 15+ years of Jap bike ownership.
Puncture kit makes sense, I carry one, but more important is breakdown, my mate had a tyre fall apart in the Alps in 2011, the casing started coming through (iffy tyre) so the puncture kit was no help - and you cannot guarantee a puncture repair will work, still worth having a kit as it will save some hassle if it does work.
Now ask yourself what can you do roadside :question:
and
What would you do roadside :question:
On an RTW trip it may be you in the desert on your own, in Euroland your never far from help (a phone call - biggest issue is likely to be breaking down where your phone don't work - carry an extra pay as you go sim for another provider if your that worried, but even on remote Alpine passes someone will come along at some point before you starve.
In reality your not gonna start stripping your bike down at the roadside - and it is a Yamaha so should not need it.
With no chain to adjust I cannot think of anything to do, at home I carry no tools, on a tour just a few cable ties, pliers, cutters and a few Allen keys / Spanners / Screwdrivers in case something shakes loose.
::021::
cosmic
Member
^^ +1 if you intend to stick to the asphalt roads. Maybe a tire kit to have a peace of mind.
I carry tire spray and a decent aftermarket tools to replace the yamaha crap. That's all.
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I carry tire spray and a decent aftermarket tools to replace the yamaha crap. That's all.
©
squarebore
Well-Known Member
Duct tape, cable ties, leather man, puncture kit and a stubby cooler.
If purely on pavement, just the standard tool kit, fuses for accessories only.
EricV
Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
You never get flats? 8)HoebSTer said:
Not yet in my 24 years and 120k miles of riding. I usually change tires before the wear bars. Riding with the Tenere on forest roads I now carry pump, plugs and irons.EricV said:
cosmic
Member
I never even had a flat off road. Oh shite... I shouldn't say that. 
©
©
I rode from 1979 to 2005 without a flat on the street, then got 3 in six weeks. The last one on the PA Turnpike on a weekend. $380 fee to be flatbedded of the Tpk and to a dealer for repair. That is when I decided I had to be self sufficient.
Eric V's list is pretty good. To that I have added a very small multi-meter for figuring out electrical issues, a small square of cloth sand paper, 3 oz bottle of WD 40 (great cleaner, water displacement, minor lube in a pinch, squeak remover).
Practice using your carry tools before you find out on the road that you don't have one you need to do a job.
Rob
Eric V's list is pretty good. To that I have added a very small multi-meter for figuring out electrical issues, a small square of cloth sand paper, 3 oz bottle of WD 40 (great cleaner, water displacement, minor lube in a pinch, squeak remover).
Practice using your carry tools before you find out on the road that you don't have one you need to do a job.
Rob