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What tools/spares do you carry on your bike at all times?

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EazyDuz
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PostPosted: 22:42 - 16 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
ADSrox0r wrote:
an emergency foil blanket

You spoil that bike.

I forgot to say I'm in the RAC too.

Apart from fixing several punctures myself over the years (man points) and securing a loose battery lead (probably my fault in the first place) I'm wondering what kind of breakdown people think they're going to be able fix at the roadside?


I think its more about the inconvenience of something, even something minor from stopping you riding because you have no tools. Examples:


- Any number of bolts and screws working their way loose on a long ride. You can either keep checking the bit of trim/component which you can see is going to fly off the bike at any moment, or stop and pull out your allen keys/screwdriver and tighten it then and there. This has happened to me once with the rear seat bolt, heard it rattling, thought the engine was shagged until I noticed the bolt had worked its way almost off. Tightened it up and carried on. Same with mirrors. I know you should check fasteners before every ride or every week but who does that?

- Fuse blown. Fuse box might be in an area which needs said allen key or screwdriver to access (as most do because they're under the seat) So useful to carry a few spare fuses which take up no space.

- Rain getting inside switches/connectors. Probably not something you'd really attempt to fix but if you have an idea which coupler/switch is the culprit, you could open it up and clean/spray it with one of those baby cans of WD40.

All these examples are minor but would resort in you having to call breakdown cover or nurse the bike to a hardware shop/garage if you didnt have any tools on you. Obvously no one is going to try to fix anything deeper like the bike not turning over, overheating or not getting fuel etc.
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Bhud
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PostPosted: 23:04 - 16 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:

Apart from fixing several punctures myself over the years (man points) and securing a loose battery lead (probably my fault in the first place) I'm wondering what kind of breakdown people think they're going to be able fix at the roadside?


I can try to help answer this question for you.
I prefer older bikes for several reasons. However, no matter how careful you are with them or how much you keep up with maintenance, older bikes break down until you've replaced x amount of stuff. The catch is, you don't always get any sign or advance warning of any component being about to give up the ghost. Breaking down by the side of the road doesn't happen often - in fact it's happened to me once in the last 3 years - but it does happen. In those circumstances, I don't trust other people to fool around trying to fix the bike, especially qualified mechanics, who do things like use imperial tool sizes on metric nuts, lose and leave out tank mounting spacers, over-torque axle nuts, lose or improperly attach the worm clamps attaching my airbox, raise the bike by its oil sump or any random easily-bent steel protuberances they might spot under the frame, etc. They can charge my battery or repair my tyre, but other than that they can keep their hamfisted handling away from my bike. They basically look at an older bike and think, it's a 'rat' or a throwaway transport, while not realising I took that specific joyride to test out the new CBR rear shock, experiment with new sprocket ratios for a little hilly action, test out that blue spot front caliper, the custom instruments, etc. They're idiots and they ruin bikes more than they help them. I don't trust strangers to even mount my bike on a flatbed without bending the frame.

Things happen while riding. For exampe, rubber fuel hose cracks and splits. This has happened to me, and I was able to yank off the hose from the spigot and cut a piece from the end, and reattach it. This was a roadside fix.
A throttle cable has let go on me too. It wasn't visibly frayed or anything - it seemed to happen all at once - winding open the throttle and suddenly the throttle has no resistance. It shears close by the end-stop. I was able to fix this by the roadside with an electrical block connector, by working fast in the hour or so before the sun came down (one of those copper things with a screw that you find inside a household connector strip). Screwing one of those on to the remains of the end of the cable basically restored my throttle cable.
Loose connections are another one: under heavy rain, electrics on older bikes are finicky. Headlight failures, etc. You can realistically fix these by the roadside, whether with just electrical tape, or with spare fuses or bulbs. Also, things like the insulation on sidestand switches wearing away and cutting out the bike. Things you don't necessarily notice before you set out. After all, why would you just replace your wiring loom for no reason? You need an excuse, i.e. an electrical failure, first.

These are some of the many things you can fix by the side of the road. My simple mechanical bike offers access to most things by simply whipping off the seat and then the tank.
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struan80
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PostPosted: 23:52 - 16 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Two options would be, I'd call my daughter and she would bring out trailer. But more likely phone up my local garage guy to come and pick me up. The space for tools I usually fill up with cocaine for my portable drug dealing business.
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ScottT
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PostPosted: 00:11 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Halfords were doing this set for £17 recently (now £30) so I picked one up, takes care of all screws and allen bolts and any nuts up to 12mm (more if you use the adjustable spanner) and its small enough so its easy to carry, you could even leave the screwdriver bit at home and use the ratchet with a small socket for the bits
https://i1.adis.ws/i/washford/231907?w=637&h=403

Here https://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/tools/tool-kits/halfords-48-piece-stubby-tool-set
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Kawasaki Jimbo
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PostPosted: 00:14 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bhud wrote:
These are some of the many things you can fix by the side of the road.

You are Macgyver and I claim my 5 ponds.
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EazyDuz
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PostPosted: 00:29 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

ScottT wrote:
Halfords were doing this set for £17 recently (now £30) so I picked one up, takes care of all screws and allen bolts and any nuts up to 12mm (more if you use the adjustable spanner) and its small enough so its easy to carry, you could even leave the screwdriver bit at home and use the ratchet with a small socket for the bits
https://i1.adis.ws/i/washford/231907?w=637&h=403

Here https://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/tools/tool-kits/halfords-48-piece-stubby-tool-set


Decent bit of kit that, ideal for the purpose
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grr666
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PostPosted: 08:28 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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PostPosted: 08:35 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Teflon-Mike
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PostPosted: 12:02 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

]
Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
I'm wondering what kind of breakdown people think they're going to be able fix at the roadside?

It, very much, depends on 'People' in question, I think.

I learned my spannering at my Granddad's elbow as a nipper.
He, in tern, had learned his, at his Dad's elbow, and from the tool-box seat of a BSA 'Outfit' in the 1930's, where his Dad had been an electrician, in an era when that meant building a generator engine from a De-Dion Coffee tin set of 'plans' and casting lead plates to make a battery, to light up a farm house before we had a National-Grid. After that time helping his dad cast batteries or going down the local foundry to watch them cast Coffee-Tin Crank-Cases, he did his car-mechanics apprenticeship, at the start of WWII, when to be a mechanic, you had to be able to actually make an entire engine with flat files and a lathe... he then Joined the RAF... smashed up a couple of Spitfires, and kicked out his service contract in the motor-pool of a base in Jerusalem... dodging Molotov-cocktails.. before he was sent home, and became an AA man... the sort that actually saluted at the side of the road.... with another BSA 'Outfit' apparently..... Shortly after he migrated to East-Africa, to work for Roots Motors, running the main importers work-shop, fixing anything and everything from ancient English limousines, to the natives push-bikes, and apparently a lot of Citroen Traction Avantes.

I used to have a fantastic set of of 1940;s 1950's Royal-Engineers manuals, on the topic of 'Improvised Repairs'... things like stuffing a punctured tyre with swamp grass as a get-you-home fix, (under battle fire!!!!) Which Granddad looked at and said "Oh Yes! I remember them! We called it Africaneering!" And probably set him off on an anecdote about a Lanchester limousine with Mahogany pistons.....

BUT... that is sort of the point. In the 1920's/30's, so much more was 'Home-Made'; manufacturing 'standardisation' was not particularly great, and even where parts weren't effectively one-offs made specifically, and to fit, that vehicle, manufacturing tolerances meant that 'good' mechanics would be expected to finish parts 'to suit' at time of fitment, and Granddad recounted, how even forty years ago in the Uni-part Era, when he'd returned to blighty (Thanks to a little whalla called Idi Armin!), running a Roots motors 'Service School', teaching apprentice-mechanics to fix Comma vans and Hilman Imps, the 'Culture-Shock' of 'lads' being told '"No you cant just get a part from stores and slap it in! - This is a Flat File'

I will mention the obsession with the flat-file, as it is worth explaining. Simple hand-tool, I was given one and a Hilman Imp alternator bracket, and told "I want the slot, There" and had all my moanings about the grinding wheel or reciprocating saw 'ignored' until I had done it, and learned how to just HOLD a flat-file 'properly'... this was probably about the same time wizened old tortoise of a woodwork teacher stunned class of eleven year-olds with similar exercise, and using the 'Eff'Word, insisting that hand tools showed the apprentice how a job should be done... power tools let the master do more work, or fools eff-up-faster!.. which was echo'd later when at uni and we had to make variouse things, like a tool-box, or an steam-engine! But still... Old Swinies 'Fools-eff-up-faster' remains... and does highlight the culture shift.

Back to the point, what you might fix at the side of the road, is very dependent on the 'people' who have to do the fixing.

To a modern recovery man, who, not being unduly rude to them (I had an ex REME tank-recovery mechanic who actually offered pretty much the same stand-point) But typical road-ride recovery chap these days isn't much more than a removals man that can maybe wire a 3-pin-plug.

Grandad was dismissive of the 'Mechanics' he had to teach to fix cars thirty/forty years ago, calling them 'fitters with aspirations' if the bit they had to fit, straight out the box didn't, and doing diagnosis by substitution simply fitting another new bit until the thing worked again!

Now! A 'Mechanic' bereft of a computer console, in franchise dealer work-shop, to plug the vehicle into, and tell him what is wrong,.. is likely to be at a complete loss as to what the problem might be, let alone what could be, let alone should be, done to fix it....

An Amateur, at the side of the road, with nothing more than the underseat tool-roll... is likely even more lost, and what they 'might' be able to fix, even if they know how, pretty limited.

Old 'Pops', schooled in Africaneering, probably wouldn't have blinked twice at the idea of completely rebuilding a crashed Citreon Traction Avante, or Hilman Husky, at the side of the road, in the middle of a jungle, chopping bits of trees to make pistons, and skinning a snake to make a fan-belt!

Me? Well... much beyond swapping a fuse, and I'm calling that AA removals man! Especially on anything that has central locking or a fuel injector!

Back to Murphey....

To fix anything, you need three things; and at the top of the list is:-
1/ THE KNOW-HOW
2/ The tools
3/ The parts

You can spend a life-time contemplating all the tools you might need.... Hmmm... do I really need to chuck the piston-ring compressor in the boot along with the spanners when I go do a trial?

And the parts that might be more useful to have... with possible improvisations like gasket paper, corn-flake packets and gloopy-chit in a tube....

But... at some point you have to know what you can and probably more importantly CANT do with any of them... you NEED the know-how.

And with so much on cars and bikes, now 'hidden' in the programming of integrated silicon electronics.... there is a HUGE area of stuff you just CANT do chuck all about at the side of the road... you could pop spare ecu black boxes in your pocket, or lambda sensors or whatever, but really? How far do you go?

And back to, WHY worry about road-side repairs? IF you have done the proper maintenance, there shouldn't be any need for any. If you haven't done the maintenance, there might.... but why haven't you done the proper maintenance, and wouldn't that, tackling prevention, perhaps be a better use of 'fret' than worrying about all the possible ailments and trying to carry a 'cure'?

Back to the original question... under the seat on the Seven-Fifty, there is a 6mm allen key and a roll of insulation tape.

The factory tool-roll was lost long before I got the thing, possibly to make way for a rather cantankerous alarm...

Of what, that might break on-the-road, do I stand any chance practically being able to fix?

And that question will have a different answer for almost every-one...

As said, Pops probably wouldn't have blinked twice at the idea that there was anything he COULDN'T fix, at the side of the road... even in a Jungle, with Arabs lobbing Molotov-cocktails at him, and snakes pretending to be traffic-calming speed-bumps, waiting to be turned into fan-belts!

Little bother, on the other hand, or daughter, or even one of the boys... weened on Nintendo and play-station and smart-phones, probably convinced the world has ended if the thing looses reception or the battery has gone flat? Its probably best they don't even TRY and fix anything at the side of the road!

Err.. actually I have mental image on that idea, of No4 Son, sat at the side of the road, trying to find a You-Tube tutorial on his smurf-phone, with a mangled CG125 beside him on the pavement, and the battery of his phone going flat, stumped by the dilemah that he needs to charge the battery to fix bike, and cant charge the battery cos his accessory USB wont work until he gets bike started! Lol! Actually, follow-one thunks, is him banging on my door, after pushing crashed CG thirty miles, complaining of flat smuf-phone battery, when he was only popping two miles to Tesco's in the first place! But still!

REMEMBER MURPHEY - ALWAYS - gets his cut! and the more you try do to outwit him, the more devious he gonna be to get his cut!
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Teflon-Mike
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PostPosted: 12:17 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Post Script Thunk: (Of particular pertinence to our Trevor there, I think!)

Elizabeth The Second! During WWII served her time in the armed forced, apparently as a driver. Where, in order to chauffeur generals and stuff around she not only had to learn to drive, but, also fix any 'likely' breakdown of affliction to her vehicle at the road-side. (She can strip and rebuild a JEEP in an afternoon, apparently!)

Might be an interesting question to put to her, actually!

But... does 'sort' of beg a query on the suggestion of our 'useless' Royal-Family.... if you were stuck at the side of the road with a broken down Royal-Oil-Field, 'actually' the queen MIGHT not prove so 'useless'! Lol.

Thunks then wanders off to monty-python-esque sketch in which John Cleese is wiping an Austin Maxi with a tree-branch, and the queen asking him, calmly what the problem is, before lifting the bonnet and taking her tights off, and asking the Dawn French to pass her a 7/16ths spanner....

Tablets.... no.... I actually think I quite like this delusion... think I'll stick with it; far better than another Ant'n'Dec reality thing!
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Hong Kong Phooey
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PostPosted: 13:47 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Puncture string kit, electric tyre inflator, Honda tool kit, fuses, mini pliers to pull nails from tyres.

Cable ties, old crappy spare clutch cable plus an LED torch.
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stevo as b4
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PostPosted: 17:16 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is OP carrying tools for a hobby/something to do and as part of a madly exciting experience of the hobby of motorcycling? (I'f riding bikes aimlessly around is even a hobby in 2019?)

Or is he speaking of an A-B commuter mindset who just wants to get to work and back home with the least amount of bike hassle? If the latter I understand that a few things like a puncture kit or spare bulb/fuse/key etc might be useful. Especially after say a long hot day at work and your knackered and want to get home on your transport device. If such tools saves you having to push a big heavy bike (say like an R1200GS) to a petrol station or shop on a hot sticky day, then fine.

I'd not be planning on taking tools on a modern looked after bike unless I was going on a big touring trip or into a remote or dangerous location that's sparsely populated.

I've got the under seat crap tool wallet on one of my bikes, and apart from taking enough oil for 2-3 5litre batches of pre-mix depending on how far I'm riding, the only one spare I take is a new gapped spark plug, in case I foul one. I wouldn't want to do any more work than this at the side of the road.
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Fisty
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PostPosted: 20:02 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mobile, wallet, AA membership.

They get me home, I fix it there.
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Nobby the Bastard
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PostPosted: 20:55 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fisty wrote:
Mobile, wallet, AA membership.

They get me home, I fix it there.


When the FZR died on the A420, I called out the RAC and then used their tools to find and fix the broken wire from the ignition....
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bladerunner
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PostPosted: 23:29 - 17 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

10mm/12mm, 13mm/14mm and plug spanner, phillips pt2 and straight screwdriver and 3,5,6,8mm allen keys, pair of pliers and a spare plug .....hey single bore 2 stroke! thats about it. no point having a puncture repair kit as tubed tires that are a bastard to get off and yes last week i had a flat after 5 miles of riding! a puncture repair kit would have been useless tho as the tire span on the rim and ripped the bloody valve out!! got to love little yamaha 125 LC's when you get them running a bit more torque Shocked
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Sister Sledge
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PostPosted: 12:31 - 18 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hijacking a little but who is the best motorcycle breakdown provider?
I'm looking for advice based on experience and not the cheapest price.
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ART-ADS
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PostPosted: 13:33 - 18 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

can carrying around tools like screwdrivers cause an issue with the plod?
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Teflon-Mike
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PostPosted: 15:26 - 18 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

ART-ADS wrote:
can carrying around tools like screwdrivers cause an issue with the plod?

They can take issue that a nail-file or a yale key could be construed an 'offensive weapon' if they wanted.... question really is would they want to?

You is pimple faced oik.... and argumental one.... they probably would.... then think better of it... and question is which would win first Wink

Apply common sense; the rule of thumb is that if it's potentially 'offensive' you aught have good reason to be carrying it.

Mother, at the hight of the IRA letter bombings in Brum, walked into Birmingham courts to answer a speeding charge, wit a hand-bag full of spanners and sprays and stuff, setting off the metal detectors and resulting in her being surrounded by half a dozen armed gurds, explaining to them how to check the points on a 1750 maxi engine hot-rodded into an 850 Mini (Sort of exp-lains the speeding ticket!) and how you HAD to have three 7/16ths spanners to take the cap off.. cos one for nut and one for bolt and one tro wedge the clip with!

School mate, ISTR got a letter to show the bobbies, from the County Chief constable, cos of how many times the big-wig coppa had been called by his boss, after the lad was 'arested' walking to work... as a chef.. with his knife set wrapped in his 'whites'! He actually got drunk one night, forget he was on shift, and his boss called Chief Coppa, before he called his mum, to find out where he'd got to! It was THAT frequent!

Oh the 1980's!!!!!

But still.... common sense still applies, and in the face of tick-box-bureaucracy, some SMALL precaution, B-U-T.... attitude is all.....

Eg, screwdriver under the seat, not so much a problem as screwdriver in the pocket, and that less of one than one in your hand.. and put the fugging thing on the FLOOR when coppa asks what you doing, sort of thing, dont wave it in his face moaning that you are trying to get the side panel off, raising more questions than you've been asked!
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EazyDuz
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PostPosted: 16:27 - 18 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sister Sledge wrote:
Hijacking a little but who is the best motorcycle breakdown provider?
I'm looking for advice based on experience and not the cheapest price.


I use Start Rescue for my car and bike. Only needed it twice.

Car - Had a flat tyre. Called them up, 20 min later the guy came and swapped the wheel over for me with the space saver (saved me doing it in the freezing cold)

Bike - Had a minor off, they came promptly and took my bike home for me no issues.

Best thing is they have an app, so you can report a breakdown and they know exactly where you are without giving directions.

bladerunner wrote:
10mm/12mm, 13mm/14mm and plug spanner, phillips pt2 and straight screwdriver and 3,5,6,8mm allen keys, pair of pliers and a spare plug .....hey single bore 2 stroke! thats about it. no point having a puncture repair kit as tubed tires that are a bastard to get off and yes last week i had a flat after 5 miles of riding! a puncture repair kit would have been useless tho as the tire span on the rim and ripped the bloody valve out!! got to love little yamaha 125 LC's when you get them running a bit more torque Shocked


Puncture repair kits are mainly used when you see a nail or something in your tyre, which could cause a blow out at any kind of speed. Or said nail had punctured and come back out. They will plug smallish holes and (even though you're not meant to) you could run the repaired tyre for thousands of miles with no issue.

ART-ADS wrote:
can carrying around tools like screwdrivers cause an issue with the plod?


Only if they can prove malicious intent. Otherwise places like B&Q or any hardware store would go out of business Laughing
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Kawasaki Jimbo
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PostPosted: 19:58 - 18 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been with the RAC for years, first by a direct sign-up and later through a Barclays Bank Additions account where I get slightly cheaper RAC cover plus travel insurance. I've called the RAC out several times over the years for car and bike, and always been satisfied with the service.

I was with Green Flag for a couple of years (through vehicle insurance, I think). In theory they should be better because they use local garages, so they could be with you quicker. I called them out once and the service was fine, but then the Additions account came out and I was back with the RAC.

My sister has a downer on the AA after her car stalled on a flooded crossing in the Yorkshire Dales and they refused to come out, citing "act of God,"! The car was retrievable for a couple of hours but as the water rose it was trashed. Thankfully (?) it was a cheap old Peugeot but it would have carried on for years.
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Hong Kong Phooey
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PostPosted: 20:20 - 18 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Autoaids, all day every day.
Forty odd quid covers my car and bike. No random wallet raping at renewal either.
Think they only cover bikes over 300cc though.

Used them once, local indie turned up in 20 min, towed to local garage then swapped car onto a bigger wagon for the 100 mile onward journey.

It's luck of the draw how long they take.
Was a total relief as it was a red hot day and had two kids in car with me.
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Motorhate
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PostPosted: 10:02 - 28 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tool roll with the following:

Imperial sized allen keys
T25 and T27 keys
Socket wrench with 10mm / 0.5 inch / and 3/8 sockets
Cable ties
Imperial spanners of various sizes
Flathead and Phillips screwedriver
Pliers / Side cutters
Bulbs
Fuses

"Stop And Go" puncture repair kit (easily the best one out there)
Small 12v air pump
Bag of random nuts, bolts, screws and washers
Cotton rag
WD40
Electrical tape

Most important - breakdown cover
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t121anf
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Joined: 23 Feb 2007
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PostPosted: 11:05 - 28 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hong Kong Phooey wrote:
Autoaids, all day every day.


This.
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ThunderGuts
World Chat Champion



Joined: 13 Nov 2018
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PostPosted: 12:28 - 28 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

I carry my bike's standard toolkit (on my ER5, it's actually quite comprehensive), cable ties, cloth and a few spare bulbs (headlight and tail/brake). I do have full recovery membership too so should the worse happen I can still get collected and dumped at home / at a garage.

My Street Twin has an allen key . . . that's it! But it's nearly new, so I'd like to think the worst thing that'd happen is a puncture and if something else did go wrong, with fuel pumps, fuel injection, ABS etc. I'm not sure I'd feel qualified to go tampering compared with the comparatively agricultural ER5.
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pompousporcup...
World Chat Champion



Joined: 15 Apr 2015
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PostPosted: 15:42 - 28 Mar 2019    Post subject: Reply with quote

personally i've always carried at least the following:

StopGo repair kit with canisters.
Small bicycle pump just in case
set of allen keys
socket wrench with the main sizes of sockets.
screwdriver with essential bits
cable ties
electrical tape
spare fuel line
mini cutters
mini grips
spare balaclava thingy
paracetamol
sticky bandage
LED torch with spare AAA batteries
and finally a small selection of fuses.


This use to go in my top box but ive managed to fit all of the above in under the pillion seat of my R1, which is quite impressive imo

I've not broken down that many times, first one being a vac line that had split which i was able to repair.
My mates have broken down as they insist on riding Italian crap, the most recent of which was a broken wire... took a few hours to properly diagnose but the kit allowed us to fix it and carry on with the ride out

I have RAC membership just in case.
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