Hi

Wondering what tools i should include whilst making up a tool kit for under my seat. I dont want to go overboard but want to cover the basics, interested to know what you guys carry.

So far im thinking -

Mini socket set
Screwdriver handle with bit set
Allen keys or allen bits included with above
Fuses
Wire
Headlight bulb
Duck tape
Cable ties


I was thinkin it would be sweet if we could get a list together of the different fastner/screw/bolt sizes used on the XT, then people could just take the relevant sockets and bits out of their sets and save a lot of space?

Cheers

This is all for a Tenere, so you might want to check some of the sizes, but I would have thought the bulk of it would be the same.

Main sizes are:

Rear Axle: 22mm socket or spanner
Chain adjusters: 10mm and 12mm open-ended spanners
Front Axle: 14mm hex key
Front Axle Pinch Bolts: 6mm Hex/Allen Key
Most of the bodywork: 4mm allen key
Airbox/filter: Fairly big Phillips screwdriver.
Spark plug: 16mm (I think)

6, 8, 10, and 12mm sockets, and a 5mm allen key will do pretty much everything else on the bike.

My kit is as follows (as far as I can remember, may edit later). It doesn't fit under the seat, but it does all fit in a Kriega US-5. The Motion Pro gear is horribly expensive, but it does really cut down the amount of stuff you need.

Wheels and Tyres:

Motion Pro tyre-lever/spanners (22 and 27mm)
3/8" drive adapter for the 27mm lever.
(14mm 3/8" drive key for the front axle - I've ditched this now because I don't have standard forks any more - the 27mm spannerlever does mine now)
Hand pump
Pressure gauge
Spare front tube
Valve core extractor
Tyre patches, glue, etc.

General tools:

Motion Pro trail tool
Gerber Suspension multitool
3/8" extension bar
A few odd bits and pieces the MP trail tool doesn't have, like a 4mm allen key for the bodywork, and 10/12mm open-ended spanners for the chain adjusters.
LED Headtorch

General spares:

Fuses
Number plate screws
Screen screws
Zip-ties
Probably a few other bits I've forgotten

Edit: And a towrope!

I don't carry bulbs unless I'm going to a country that requires them. The tail/brake lights are LED on the Tenere, and if the dip beam headlight goes you can always swap the bulbs with the main beam. Anything else is optional. Probably doesn't apply to an XTR though.

__________________
I spent a lot of money on travel and racing motorcycles - the rest I just squandered.

XT660Z - Commuter, Adventurer...Racer?

www.dashmoto.net

Other bikes >> MT-03 / CG125BR-J / ER-6F
Departed >> ZXR400L3 / EC300 / DR-Z400E / DR800S / GPZ500S / GS400

wow that is comprehensive! you must do some serious off the beaten track stuff

my trip will be all on road so im just making a basic kit for this trip, and want it all to fit under my seat so as not to eat luggage space. i will definitely be picking bits from your setup though!

yeah my bike only has a single headlight bulb so wanna bring one.

I have a very small toolkit, couldn't tell you what's in it, but I can tell you how I decided what went in it.

I have a white board in the garage, dead cheap pound shop thing....
On it, I kept a list of the tools I used on the bike whether it was changing a tyre, or adjusting the mirrors, every time I used a tool I wrote it down. Eventually there was a very small list of stuff I need. For the Tenere it's (approx) 3 allen keys, couple of sockets, adjustable spanner screwdrivers, pliers, tyre levers etc. Then I set about seeing what I could adjust/re-fabricate/cut down to get two tools in one;

Such as the small 'hammer', it's actually the same bar I use on the sockets !

__________________
>-------<

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

good planning! yeah i always use my ratchet as a hammer at home never mind on tour LOL

The thing is, most of my list is the puncture kit, the other general spares and tools are hardly any size/weight. If you want to be able to change a tube by the roadside you need that stuff to get either wheel out of the bike and get the tube out of the tyre.

A few bits like a plug wrench, tow rope, and so on are only really there for trail use.

Otherwise, if you are happy to wait for the breakdown service for punctures, you may as well just carry the tools to adjust the chain (22, 10, and 12mm spanners) and some spare bulbs. There's not much else that can go wrong on an XT which can be easily fixed by the roadside anyway.

__________________
I spent a lot of money on travel and racing motorcycles - the rest I just squandered.

XT660Z - Commuter, Adventurer...Racer?

www.dashmoto.net

Other bikes >> MT-03 / CG125BR-J / ER-6F
Departed >> ZXR400L3 / EC300 / DR-Z400E / DR800S / GPZ500S / GS400

Most of it has been mentioned. I also always have a plastic tube of +-1.5mm for fuel emergencies and for filling the MSR multifuel bottle when we go camping.

Not quite, Now I have the kit together (well since 2008!), all jobs are done using what I have on the bike, apart from some things I wouldn't do while out and about, under normal circumstances (such as head bearings, or an Oil change, C&S set etc).

It kinda depends how self sufficient you want to be, in the same way I look at first aid kits and ask "do I know how t use that" (and "can I use it on myself in an emergency") it's worth asking yourself the same with a toolkit. If you can't use the tyre irons to actually take your tyre off, then there isn't much point in carrying them. It doesn't mean there isn't someone who can use them, but you should still consider this.

Of course, cable ties and Gaffa tape hold the world together, so always have them... always! I have some SS marine grade cable ties that are useful for more stressful applications.

A fuel tube is easy to carry, and useful. Even without anything to carry fuel in (you can usually find something), but getting fuel out of a passing car/bike, or being able to lend a hand with your own fuel ????

Leatherman (or something similar) is mostly useful, but I actually find my small 'tool-logic' survival knife much more use (and a third of the cost) as it has a small light and can get a fire going !

__________________
>-------<

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Have a look at our web site, under maintenance and prep. A small set of vice/mole grips and a leatherman can get you out of loads of problems.

www.twobikesrunning.co.uk