RE: Tools and critical spares for trip - 2

I carry a fairly complete set of tools on either bike 24/7. Also emergency medical kits [ extensive as I have the medical training ]; charging cords, bungies, Rok straps, compressor, bike jumper batt pack, various plug kits for tire punctures etc.

My bikes have panniers and top boxes. I make use of them by keeping all the above on both bikes and still have room in both panniers and top box for things like clothes and an extra water thermos when on a trip.

Zitat von Ray B im Beitrag #4

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Of everyone I've met, Lee for some reason, has the most documented on-road repairs - photos of his kit

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Is this progress to carry so much we hope is never neeeded?

Over the last 50 years bikes have got more powerful, lighter (non-GS) more reliable with longer life tyres, chains, electrics but have we accepted this?

1979 Sally and I travelled from uk to south of france, Yamaha XS1100E with spare innertubes, tyre levers and the original toolkit, do not recall extra insurance or breakdown cover.
Only when we returned did we explain it was only 950 miles to St Tropez where it is nearly 750 miles from here is John O'Groats at the top of Scotland and we took the bike, not the car!
There would have been panic and words of doom had we let our plans be known in advance.

1984 Jaguar returned to Le-Mans (actually USA Group 44) and all ferries were fully booked for cars and no overnight cabins. In 3 days Paul and I had booked the Yamaha XS1100S channel crossing with work holiday (usa pto ) and both of us had a sleeping bag, no tent, cooking etc, only spare clothes and plastic waterproofs. Thankfully we got dry weather and survived lack of sleep, hot days, foodstalls and the renowned french toilets. Insurance was not even an 'after-thought'

2014 onwards and Critical age related panic for my solo trips to arctic circle where all the above stores/spares/insurance/satnav mentioned by everyone here was considered. For my family (just in case !) I fitted a very cheap forward facing camera so that IF it happened, they would know what happened. One text every night "parked up and safe" meant the bike was off limits until next day. "No news is good news" plus the one pannier filled with neccesary stuff I never used.

How we managed 40 years ago, no kevlar, no gortex, teflon tyres, non-waterproof disc brakes or gloves, and vetter was yet to sell bike specific cases, Oxford was a universlty town and current NippyNorman building used by a frozen foods outlet where around 1985 if I spent time there working on their phone systems I left with a catering gateaux in thanks.

Only 1970's BMW seemed to give a toolkit with a pump and bike specific toolkits from Motohansa or carrying combined starter battery packs with air pumps, would have been beyond imagination.

All the 'little bikes' I saw in India with 150/180cc engines loaded with a family on board, no lights at night, would ever consider anything we carry as critical on a limited budget.

Zitat von Dave H im Beitrag #18

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Is this progress to carry so much we hope is never needed?

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Can’t speak for Europe, but in the USA, good luck getting anyone in under an hour…even when near a city.

I don't remember what I carried for tools on trips with our Japanese bikes in the late 70s and early 80s.
My first BMW was a 1984 and the tool kit was good and I did not need to carry much extra.
In the late 80s I started to carry motorcycle jumper cables.
Back then the bike came with a tire repair plug kit that included Co2 cartridges to refill a tire.
4 or 5 Allen wrenches
4 sizes of open or boxend wrenches
A wrench to remove the rear wheel
Spark plug wrench
pliers
A couple screw drivers
Rear shock tool
Fuses
Feeler gauges

Our 2011 K1300Ss were our first BMWs with a wimpy tool kit.
I was used to having tools for at least 27 years, 1984 to 2011 and it felt weird to travel cross country without some basic tools and at that point I started my own kit.

Some of the tools are better now like a electric tire pump instead of Co2 cartridges and a few years ago my jumper cables were replaced with a Anti-Gravity jump pack..

Also keep in mind how spread out the USA is. Local riding isn’t an issue. When I’ve gone cross country, you can be over 100 miles from a motorcycle shop…nonetheless one that can service your make of motorcycle. Certainly, on trips, you don’t want to have to depend on others to get you to the next town. Thankfully, a well-maintained bike rarely has serious mechanical breakdowns on a trip. The usual gremlins have easy field repairs so you can limp home intact.

If your bike doesn’t burn oil no need to bring and you can find good quality just about anywhere.
To echo others zip ties, some duct tape, Stop and Go tire kit, and a pump that works. Since my turn signals are not LED (US) I carry a couple spare bulbs. I also have the BMW Cruz tools as well. Only thing I’ve ever had go wrong is tire punctures, and after I got in the habit of checking them on fill ups never had a problem since.

If you depend on others to service the bike for you then try to ensure it’s done a least 2 months before trip because in my experience breakdowns on modern bikes are often down to the guy with the wrench.
Puncture repair and a small botch kit will then cover most disasters encountered while touring on road.

On a recent group trip to Spain I was amazed at the older guys on modern bikes but still being prepared as if on old Brit irons where a spell of roadside oily fingers was part of a trip out.
One guy on a modern Norton twin was so well prepared he’d even packed a spare TPI sensor and yet the tyres on his bike were over 10 years old and 3/ 4 worn 😳

If you depend on others to service the bike for you then try to ensure it’s done a least 2 months before trip
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Got to agree with you ADY but having waited at bmw Plymouth getting a coffee on my bike service I have seen holidaymakers "from the north" getting a full service/new tyres etc and then going 5 miles to the Plymouth-Santander evening ferry heading south Spain/Morocco.

I do have faith in that dealership but I would still prefer even a few days security before departure but each to their own, I guess.