Tool Kits

[Wbdisco]

Do y?all have a favorite tool kit that you bring when riding? Are they homemade kits or bought? Just curious what y?all bring besides a spark plug wrench and zip ties.

 

[swazi_matt]

for proper GG you have to put it together because only the oem GG spark plug tool works (without having to remove the tank) and off the shelf bike tools (like the motionpro and chris birch's) don't work everywhere or don't have a 7mm or whatever else is needed.

The trick is to only use your bum-bag tools when working on your bike and those will be the tools you need. (or have a box and everytime you work on your bike you add the tools so you end up with just bike specific tools, then you start looking at ways reducing this to "no tool being single purpose" eg screwdriver with interchangeable tips)

(PS you obviously don't need to go to the point of including a torque wrench in your bum bag!)

 

[Wbdisco]

Got a picture of the oem plug wrench? Is it not just an box wrench?

 

[swazi_matt]

sorry, no picture, but it is like your normal cheap plug wrench that you get with a chainsaw and it has an allen key as the bar (not sure if i would trust this for anything that needs to be really tight though!) the reason it works is that (on the 2010/11 at least) bikes there was not much clearance between the plug and one of the coolant hoses and the wrench material is quite thin and fits in. it was also quite short which meant you could get it over the top of the plug where there is not much clearance to the tank

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/non-branded-spark-plug-spanner-19-x-13mm/p/229700
like this but about a third of the height and a hex as a bar

 

[SS109]

sorry, no picture, but it is like your normal cheap plug wrench that you get with a chainsaw and it has an allen key as the bar (not sure if i would trust this for anything that needs to be really tight though!) the reason it works is that (on the 2010/11 at least) bikes there was not much clearance between the plug and one of the coolant hoses and the wrench material is quite thin and fits in. it was also quite short which meant you could get it over the top of the plug where there is not much clearance to the tank

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/non-branded-spark-plug-spanner-19-x-13mm/p/229700
like this but about a third of the height and a hex as a bar

I use a 13/16" box wrench that I cut the open end off and then ground the box end enough to fit. Works better than those cheap ones like you linked to.

As to your question, Wbdisco, this is what my every day ride tool bag load out is...

1/4" ratchet
1.5" and 6" extensions
8, 10, 12, 13, 14mm deep well sockets
mini Vice-Grips
#1 flat screwdriver
my aforementioned special spark plug wrench
slide open break off tip razor knife
bag of regular zip ties
four large metal reinforced zip ties

Now, if I'm riding further out where rescue is impossible or very difficult I might carry even more.

That said, after all my years of riding I have needed tools for myself only twice. Once when I left my choke on and fouled the plug 3 miles out. The other was my shifter fell off. Both could have been prevented had I shut off my choke and hadn't skipped my post-ride check/maintenance after my last ride. Now, for other people and my tools, that's a long list!

 

[(F5)]

I have a spare shifter (and both levers) cable tied to my lower frame rails.

I too have had a shifter fall off. Old owner had lost the circlip and used to Japanese bikes I never knew it had one.

For 20 min I walked back and forth trying to find it as another hundred riders went by.

Muttering- When did I last shift?!??. It was forestry tight so all I remember is I went Braap ningning brapp. . Brapp. Waaaaaah, Brapp. Ning ning. . . Or was it Brappbrap waaa, brapp? etc.

End result had to ride out rest of section in 3rd gear. Its surprising how slow you have to go when it opens up, but how overgeared it is in the tight. Fortunately I got a run up on the only scary hill.

 

[Wbdisco]

The regular box wrench modified is kind of what I was thinking. It looks like you would have enough room to use it on the spark plug. I like the idea of the heavy duty metal zip ties.

 

[gasgasman]

I carry a 2ft length of fuel hose.
Easy to transfer fuel to another bike. Just connect both petcocks, fuel will transfer to the other tank.

 

[(F5)]

Thanks for the idea. A already carry a 3 foot length, but was intending to lay one bike over a bit and syphon from the top of one to the other.

Feel a bit silly as your idea is less likely to result in a mouthful of premix (although careful timing works).

 

[swazi_matt]

The petcock method is better, but with 3ft hose you could put it all into your tank, put your thumb over the end release into the lower tank. hopefully you will have enough fuel in the pipe to create the siphon