Minimalist tool kit for extended trail riding

[KTMphil]

Minimalist tool kit for extended trail riding

I dump all the factory tools and build my own tool kit. All this never goes back in the tool box at home and is kept for trips on the bike.

Everyone's got their own ideas about what to take, with this i can get out of most usual problems.

Top row, left to right:

leather tool bag
tube repair kits
hand pump
clutch and break levers
motion pro tool kit (see details below)
electrical fuses and connectors

Middle row, left to right:

leatherman (or multitool equiv)
self amalgamating tape (NOT STICKY -STICKS TO ITS SELF WHEN STRETCHED UNDER TENSION)
electrical tape
bolts, nuts and washers in small metal box
vecro ties
wet wipe tissues
monel seizing wire

Bottom row, left to right:

big tire iron
adjustable wrench
ring spanner/ tire iron/ 3/8" socket combo (motion pro see detail below)
8mm, 10mm. 12mm, 13mm & 14mm (for rear view mirror lock nuts)
3 way t-socket 8mm, 10mm & 12mm sockets (dont really need this as the motion pro toolkit has all this)
needle nose vice grips -----a multitude of uses - emergency lever or pedal
lots of wire/zip ties
2 part epoxy
super glue



tool 1 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



2nd photo:
Top row, left to right:

throttle cable
wheel bearings

Bottom row, left to right:

clutch cable
spark plug
chain links and spare masterlink


tool 3 (1) by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



All fits in a waterproof Kriega 10 liter tail bag



tool 2 kriega by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The motion pro toolkit is an incredibly compact quality tool kit, the size of a pack of cigarettes




It becomes a socket set, hex drive screw driver and isn't a toy, its really useable (you can see its size next to the brake lever).


The motion pro tire lever/ ring spanner (for wheel nuts)/ 3/8" socket drive, is really light, i never go without this


tool 5 mp iron by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



mp iron socket by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

Two important things that is not listed here is a spark plug socket ---essential for water crossings that go wrong & spare innertubes.

 

[johnnysneds]

My toolkit is starting to take shape. Getting out and riding and seeing first hand the things that go wrong has been invaluable. Ive still got a few tools to add. The tyre irons I have will be replaced with the ones that have a 22 and 27mm ring spanner on the end for wheel changes, great idea. I might also add a third one with a 17mm on the end that will do my Carb's float bowl drain plug.
Still got a long way to go with spares before its complete. Levers, cables, bolts, fuses, bulbs, bearing etc.

Just wondering if it would be prudent to take along a top end gasket kit on tours, anyone had a head gasket go? Im not sure if its possible to get my head off with the engine in place.

Im starting to understand why folk buy GS1200's or maybe I just need to stop eating chips to compensate for all the gear im carrying!!!

 

[KTMphil]

IMON electrical store on the north side of the moat (middle computer plaza) in Chiang Mai do a great little electrical tester for 200 baht, just added one of these, also some small battery jump leads.

 

[johnnysneds]

Just added some tools to my kit from Nana Screws.

Multi-meter-slightly larger than a packs of fags and really thin.

Couldn't find locally the tyre irons with a 22/27mm for my axle nuts. Nor can you get a double ring spanner with these sizes so made my own. The 22mm (front axle) torque is low so left as much length on the 27mm side as possible to torque that rear nut up.
If they want to pass off copy stuff as real I think they need to put some extra effort into the spelling department!

A small pair of mole grips. Endless uses.

A few small tubes of Steel Putty for casing repairs etc.

I used only my bike tool kit to dismantle the bike yesterday. The only tool missing was a 14mm for the top shock bolt so got one of those. Also the 17mm for the float bowl drain plug and can also be used to dismantle the lower suspension torque links if required.

 

[KTMphil]

German made light weight hacksaw with its length modified to accept 12" bow saw wood cutting blades, great for cutting bamboo or big logs.

 

[BobS]

I usually carry this - a Leatherman Crunch - with a built in vise grip

http://www.leatherman.com/product/Crunch

 

[KTMphil]

I usually carry this - a Leatherman Crunch - with a built in vise grip

http://www.leatherman.com/product/Crunch

Having the vice grips which doubles as pliers on the leatherman makes a lot of sense.

 

[KTMphil]

After the last south Laos trip into the wilderness, & a few "issues", 3 more things i'm now carrying that saved our (my) bacon.


1. Monel Seizing wire

"Non-corrosive Monel Seizing Wire is ideal for marine applications because it bends & twists easily making it great for securing rigging screws, shackles for anchor rodes, piping systems, pump shafts, trolling wire, and strainer baskets etc."

http://www.go2marine.com/product/196216 ... spool.html


Was used to secure the "engine" end of a jury-rigged clutch cable, to the clutch disengage lever on the crankcase, did a perfect job because of its malleability without snapping.








2. Bicycle wire inner cables with adjustable stop-ends

If you get a snapped control cable, pull the inner wire cable out out, thread the long bicycle cable inside your existing outer cable adjust to length using the adjustable stopper with a lock nut to clamp the inner wire in place & you're ready to go again





Close up of the adjustable cable stopper to adjust to the desired length, an easy fix









3. Mono filament fishing wire



This is one of Midnight Mappers ideas, after seeing 10 meter wooden fishing skiffs held together only with fishing line in Micronesia.

Basically, if you wrap 10kg test fishing wire 100X around 2 things to be held together, think of the strength it has? Easily used in tight fiddly places and enormous strength when wrapped multiple times, which cable ties don't have.


This would be an excellent way of jury rigging a broken frame for instance. Also with epoxy and the fishing line, you could fabricate something (broken lever etc...)

 

[bigntall]

A heads up for those out there using one of these Motion Pro multi tools:

Earlier in this thread I was advised that this was a decent product, I searched on the internet and quite a few people vouched for them being well made. Being a satisfied owner of a few bits of Motion Pro kit I was intrigued so bought one after examining Phils example. Since Trail tools are generally only used when the shit hits the fan and broken bikes need to be mended, often times to get you back, they need to be reliable and trustworthy. Because of this I used it in the garage for a couple weeks to make sure it accessed everything well enough and worked without issues. I was pleased because it worked well enough that I could use this tool to replace my standard sliding T-handle w/sockets, allen wrenches, and 4 bit screwdriver. it saved a decent bit of bulk from my toolkit and seemed reliable so I was pleased as punch. I added to the kit the optional Allen key bit, 6&8mm sockets, and a 3 inch 1/4" drive extention, all fitted within the kits case. Very cool. Took it to lao on a tour with Transmoto sport and it worked well.

Back to Thailand on a day ride w/a friend and needed to remove a 10mm bolt from a case guard during the ride. We whipped out the motion Pro tool and went to work...................uh oh. Product failure!!!

The socket driver portion of the kit I believe is two pieces pressed together with some type of epoxy. Sadly the epoxy ain't working resulting in the two pieces rotating and having no torque put into the fastener. Just a forewarning to Phil and others that may be relying on this piece in their kit like me. I received an email from Motion Pro that stated they have had this happen before but only rarely. Typical excellent Motion Pro service they mailed me a replacement socket driver. Trouble is I now don't trust the product and have since reverted back to my trusted sliding Tbar, sockets, screwdriver and allen keys.

Phil were you able to source that wire here in Thailand? looks like some nice stuff since it doesn't rust in the tool kit.

 

[KTMphil]

Justin- The monel seizing wire you probably could get in Pattaya in a marine store, it's widely used for seizing anchor shackles.




As to the motion pro tool, I'm shocked that you had a failure as their products are normally first class. I've used mine now for over a year in some high load situations and never had a problem.


I just did a search on the net and there doesn't seem to be any links to other failures.

 

[bigntall]

Thanks for the tip on that wire as my lump of bailing wire that I used to carry when riding in the desert with no problems rusted into a lump in my pack over here due to the humidity.

The Motion Pro failure was a surprise. I own a few of their tools and they have always been well designed and made with no issues. i talked with Motion Pro tech guys and apparently I'm not the only person to have this incident according to them, but it is indeed rare. This in my eyes tells me i cannot trust this piece as designed. As mentioned I worked with the tool for a couple weeks on the KTM and Yamaha making sure it accessed everything and worked without issues and it was fine. Then on the trail, working on the Yamaha yet again, or I should say Johnny was, (did I mention he loves my YZF) and the socket driver failed. Ideally that socket driver piece would be made out of one piece but due to manufacturing costs its made with multiple pieces press fit together and that press fit failed. Here's the joint that failed.

Motion Pro was nice enough to send me a replacement here in Thailand but bottom line due to the design I just don't trust it as designed anymore. I dropped the driver off at Joes yesterday and asked if they could grind down the joint on two sides and weld the pieces together. If the weld penetration is decent and neat enough I'm hoping it should work, we'll see.

So back into my kit go my old reliable bits the Motion Pro was meant to supplant.

 

[KTMphil]

I'm going to get mine welded in that spot too for safety



Is the piece marked in red one casting? Need better light to see if there's a join.

 

[bigntall]

I can't tell for sure with my crappy eyes if the spot in red is one or two pieces. Since I cannot be sure if the driver is two or three seperate segments I'm having all three surfaces welded together to be sure. I'll bring it by once its welded so you can have a look.

 

[KTMphil]

Got mine all welded up today Justin - 100 Bht

 

[bigntall]

Phil, Good job and 100 baht well spent. just to be safe i would also tack the other side of what looks like a disk as we're not sure if that is a seperate piece held in with epoxy and could fail.

Does the bead of weld interfere at all when mounting the drive socket into the tool.

I'm worried the bead may keep the socket driver from ligning up with the tool correctly.

 

[KTMphil]

The weld does not create a loose fit at all.


If you look at the middle piece that looks like a washer, it is hex cut, the same as the smaller shaft, so has a good mechanical mating with the smaller shaft, no weld should be needed.

Phil, Good job and 100 baht well spent. just to be safe i would also tack the other side of what looks like a disk as we're not sure if that is a seperate piece held in with epoxy and could fail.

Does the bead of weld interfere at all when mounting the drive socket into the tool.

I'm worried the bead may keep the socket driver from ligning up with the tool correctly.

 

[bigntall]

Just got the piece back from Herman at Joes after he got the welding finished.

The tricky part was welding between what looks like a washer and the 3/8" socket driver on the left side without the welded bead interfering with instalation into the tool. Thankfully it came out well and still fits into the tool snugly.

Phil you may want to get the other side welded as Herman said to me that it was still spinning when he only welded the one side that you have done. It does indeed look like it should not slip due to the two hex shapes mating with each other but it was.

Does anybody have a can of "tire repair talent" that is packable? Thats what I really need.

 

[Mickey Magoo]

I build a tool kit custom for each bike. Then, I build it up or trim it down for the planned ride and bike to be used. How long? Where to? Company or solo? How remote?

This kit has evolved a lot since this shot. My tire irons are stowed in bash plate, and tow rope stashed inside side panel. I also carry at least two spare tubes.
Not shown is an extensive nut and bolt kit. Essential.

I never bring extra cables. If your bike is properly maintained modern cable rarely break. I do bring a master link, but with modern X ring chains, chain breakage is almost unheard of. I also carry a spare front sprocket for gearing changes in the field.

 

[KTMphil]

Looks very well thought out - nice job

I build a tool kit custom for each bike. Then, I build it up or trim it down for the planned ride and bike to be used. How long? Where to? Company or solo? How remote?

This kit has evolved a lot since this shot. My tire irons are stowed in bash plate, and tow rope stashed inside side panel. I also carry at least two spare tubes.
Not shown is an extensive nut and bolt kit. Essential.

I never bring extra cables. If your bike is properly maintained modern cable rarely break. I do bring a master link, but with modern X ring chains, chain breakage is almost unheard of. I also carry a spare front sprocket for gearing changes in the field.

 

[AlexUSA]

Currently using this bag I bought from the military-supply shops near the North gate for my toolkit but it's nearing the end of it's life. It's a pistol case about the size of a full size service pistol and they sell for something like 600-800 baht. Very durable.

Any suggestions on a decent bag or tool wrap about this size for under 1000 baht? Looking for something I could buy in Chiang Mai or order within Thailand.

 

[bigntall]

Alex you should be able to get something custom stiched up for well under that price. You can get it made to your specs matching the tools that you carry. Use an available, durable cloth like denim and it should be pretty cheap.

 

[KTMphil]

Alex you should be able to get something custom stiched up for well under that price. You can get it made to your specs matching the tools that you carry. Use an available, durable cloth like denim and it should be pretty cheap.

Alex - you can borrow mt Wolfman tool roll and i know somewhere that can make you something similar if you want?

 

[KTMphil]

Inner tube, valve core removal tool, i've been on many trips where others havn't had these. Also on big bikes, rear wheel, threading the new inner tube's valve stem through the rim hole is often a nightmare. With the tire on top, there's not enough room inside the tire to line the valve stem up with the rim hole. One trick BigFella did was to use a small allen key/ hex that would fit inside the valve diameter as a guide.

 

[bill]

Just got the piece back from Herman at Joes after he got the welding finished.

The tricky part was welding between what looks like a washer and the 3/8" socket driver on the left side without the welded bead interfering with instalation into the tool. Thankfully it came out well and still fits into the tool snugly.

Phil you may want to get the other side welded as Herman said to me that it was still spinning when he only welded the one side that you have done. It does indeed look like it should not slip due to the two hex shapes mating with each other but it was.

Does anybody have a can of "tire repair talent" that is packable? Thats what I really need.

Thinking of getting one of these to minimize weight.
Phil, Justin, are you guys still using the MP toolkit on trail rides ?
Any problems since welding the adaptor ?
Would you buy one again ?

 

[KTMphil]

Bill - I've used mine numerous times with no problems, I'll check with Justin.

Thinking of getting one of these to minimize weight.
Phil, Justin, are you guys still using the MP toolkit on trail rides ?
Any problems since welding the adaptor ?
Would you buy one again ?

 

[TB-Racing]

Any suggestions on a decent bag or tool wrap about this size..

Personally I am a big fan of KRIEGA (England) and use quite a few tool rolls / packs and other KRIEGA gear...
click the links: Tool Roll - Kriega and R8 - Kriega

 

[KTMphil]

Especially if riding fuel injected bikes where the fuel pump is integral in the fuel tank or there's no easy fuel hose to remove to scavenge some fuel for another bike that is out of fuel, 1 meter of 50 Bht fuel hose, could save a huge amount of hassle.

 

[bill]

Bill - I've used mine numerous times with no problems, I'll check with Justin.

I can see the MotionPro Toolkit being a useful addition post the weld job. Was it MIG welded ?

For larger higher torque bolts your MotionPro 3/8 square drive adapter that fits the tire spoon looks interesting

(couldn't get pic to display in post ??)

Is the adapter a good fit in the MP tire iron or does it wobble about ?

 

[KTMphil]

Not sure what was used to weld it, the components are an excellent fit, no play at all.

 

[bill]

Not sure what was used to weld it, the components are an excellent fit, no play at all.

I ordered the motion pro stuff today, tire spoons, 3/8 squ drive adapter, and toolkit
Overall, Amazon prices were better than the motorcycle dedicated online vendors.

Also ordered a few small items to accessorise the toolkit and keep the weight/bulk down.



The bit holder comes in 1/4 or 3/8 square drive and the female end 1/4 or 5/16 hex.

 

[bill]

I've added the Motion Pro Metric Toolkit, Alu Tire Levers, and 3/8 Squ Drive Adapter to my toolkit.



Really impressed with how light the tire levers are.

With the 3/8 squ drive adapter the tire levers can be utilised for various high torque bolts

Also got a Lezyne Aluminium Tire Pump, advertised as high volume/medium pressure. Appears to be well made.
It took 80 strokes to inflate a front 21" tire from flat to 15psi.



The pump comes with a hose that stores inside the inner pump shaft. One end fits Schrader and the other end Presta valves.

The other hose in the pic is an optional replacement for the standard hose and has an inline pressure gauge. Nice concept but it only starts reading at 20psi so no good for dirt bikes running low pressures.

 

[KTMphil]

Looks like a great quality pump

 

[LivinLOS]

Darrell also had a great small folding one on that trip to pai.

 

[KTMphil]

Super minimalist for 2 day trip into the jungle


- Adjustable wrench (getting the wheels off, adjusting the chain, tightening things that come loose. Getting the oil drain sump plug out after dunking the bike)

- Needle nose vice grips (jury rigging a broken handle bar lever / foot lever, holding a piece of the bike together under pressure)

- Leatherman / multi tool (the savoir of fixing everything in the middle of nowhere)

- Motion Pro socket kit with hex and screwdriver tools (this great set can get to every bolt head on the bike)

- Self amalgamating tape (or electrical tape) (fix split hoses, electrical jury rigging etc....)

- Spare fuses (stupid to get stuck for the sake of a fuse)

- Electrical wire ties (never go anywhere without them. Can be used to splint a broken frame with a piece of wood or a tool, hold anything back together easily)

- Monel seizing wire (jury rig cable ends, it is incredibly malleable in intricate uses. Good strength for holding things together and not sensitive to heat which electrical cable ties are, loose exhaust for instance)

- 21" front inner tube (can be used in the rear too)

- Super Glue (patching everything)

- Tow rope




4 extra's to consider are:

- 2 part epoxy (can fix engine cases, fuel tanks and radiators)

- Spark plug

- Tire irons

- Pump




Remember, this is playing the probabilities game of problems and what is prudent on that basis

 

[bigntall]

Thinking of getting one of these to minimize weight.
Phil, Justin, are you guys still using the MP toolkit on trail rides ?
Any problems since welding the adaptor ?
Would you buy one again ?

Yes Bill once I had the driver welded I have been using it on the trail and in the workshop on the bikes as a permanent fixture with no issues. Shame you need to have it welded for reliability.

I outfitted mine with sockets: 6,8,10,12, and a strange size 13 (for the KTM), 3-6 mm hex bits and screwdriver bits all from Motion Pro except the 6 &13 mm sockets. I also added a 3" wobble driver for extra reach (radiator to frame bolts). I do however keep my standard L shaped hex wrenches to access a few spots that I found the larger girth of the Motion Pro tool awkward to access.

One thing I'm currently trying are Stubby wrenches to save a bit more space. I wrap the wrenches with an inner tube rubber band to the Motion Pro kit and it all goes into a Ziploc bag in my Camelbak.

I've found I can fix and adjust 80% of my needs just with this small bundle so keep it easily accessible in the Camelbak and it saves me having to dig out the full tool kit most times. Not enough time on the stubby wrenches to pass a conclusive judgement but so far so good.

Now would I buy the Motion Pro tool kit again. Yes I would. However this is what I used before the Motion Pro tool and in all honesty it worked a bit better, more convenient to use etc. It just did not pack as minimal as the MP tool does, though not overly large. If I replaced the screwdriver and hexes in the pic with bit drivers for screws and hexes needed it would be damn close and work even better than the MP tool I think.

 

[bill]

Now would I buy the Motion Pro tool kit again. Yes I would. However this is what I used before the Motion Pro tool and in all honesty it worked a bit better, more convenient to use etc. It just did not pack as minimal as the MP tool does, though not overly large. If I replaced the screwdriver and hexes in the pic with bit drivers for screws and hexes needed it would be damn close and work even better than the MP tool I think.

Justin
Yeah, I think its 6 of one or half dozen of the other whether you put together your own minimalist toolkit or get the MP kit.

 

[bsacbob]

Just added these to my off road kit.

 

[Tiffer]

Great information here.Tank is a decent shop but another good place for outdoor kit in Bangkok is the Thailand Outdoor Shop GPS is 13.773233,100.596868Pretty good range of gear including Hennesey hammocks and other brands for those that are interested.

 

[KTMphil]

Now very wary of the Motion Pro ring spanner/ wrench, tire lever tool. Without excessive force and no cheater/ extender bar the 32mm version snapped trying to loosen the back wheel nut on a KTM 990 in China. Seeing this is something you wouldnt be bringing a spare of & how important it is, ill be bringing a quality ring spanner in future




















Bring a spare - the ability to get the wheels off can be pretty important

 

[brake034]

Looks like a casting rather than a forging?? Also why in the critical area reduce material?