Tool Kit for the Road

[Sweets]

Can anyone recommend a good tool kit or a list of tools one should bring along on the road.
What about the emergency belt kit Harley sells.
Much appreciated.

[Mark222]

When I ride my old Evo I carry the hard to find stuff.  Spare Dyna2000 single fire ingtition, spare single fire crane 3.0 ohm coil.  That covers the hard to find parts you can change on the side of the road.  I then carry the basic 5 open / box combo wrenches, a full set of allen wrenches, spare plugs, socket and ratchet and a phillips and std screwdriver.  And an assortment of wire zip ties too. Then some small stuff, like linkage "C" clips and stuff like that with little space used.  Short of losing a stator I will be able to fix the electrical stuff.  I have done some roadside repairs over the years and the best little known fact all might use is that the tools you don't carry you can borrow at any autozone or pep boys.  They have been very good to me in times of need.  You don't need to carry a tool box when they are open.  Asking your HD dealer to loan a tool is always good for a laugh.  Been there, been told I was "just on my own".  Times have changed.  And to think they sell these things thinking we will come back to them to buy another after they are so helpful (NOT!).  But I digress.......................................................

Mark

[truck]

The emergency belt.
I wouldn't want to try and put one of them on, on the side of the road.
Lay next to your bike in the garage and try to imagine yourself trying to fit that thing, stretching the belt and installing all those little bolts and nuts.
Maybe if you lay the bike on it's side, you might stand a chance.
That's the way I see it.

[Panzer]

There will be a 101 answers to your question, some just short of carrying a 2 ton jack.
I carry the logical tools, like spare fuzes, pliers, vise grips, asst. tie wraps, phillips & straight screwdrivers, plugs & wrench, electrical tape.
If I can't fix it with these tools, I'll call for help.
I carry a cell for just that.

[176]

Windzone.  Nice tool kit for the money, and lifetime guarantee.
176

[76shuvlinoff]

 A different type of bike but...

When I get farther than 100 miles out on the shovel it's a several common combination wrenches, 10 in one screwdriver, 10" crescent wrench big enough for the axle nuts, vise grips,hex key pack, 10" channel lock pliers, master link, safety wire, electrical wire, electrical tape, duct tape, Gerber multi tool. Since I put the Dyna 2000i ignition in 6 years ago I quit carrying points components at all.,,, and I've gone a little modern, got a cell phone and a credit card too!

[HroadhogD1]

  How about 10- 100 dollar bills?

[Ape_do]

All good suggestions here. For me, I realized that (due to Murphy's law) I'll never have the right tool with me when I need it. So now, I'll just carry a leatherman and just make sure that I have cash/credit card & cell phone. Oh yeah, and the attitude that it's all part of the journey

[payday]

HD supplies a basic tool kit with the Touring models. I also carry 2 spare spark plugs, a tire plug kit with small compressor I can run from my Battery Tender connection. I would not be too concerned about a spare belt, unless you beat your ride half to death on a regular basis.

TS

[Desperado]

I'll second what Payday says.  I built my tool kit by first replacing all the stamped wrenches that came with my Ultra with Craftsman wrenches - good (not great) quality and great replacement guarantee.  From there, I do all my at home maintenance with my bike tool kit.  If I need a tool that isn't in the bike kit to do a job, I use one from the garage and then buy that tool to add to my bike's kit.  So I have added things like a small vice grip pliers and a small channel lock pliers, a set of sockets and Allen wrenches (ball tip is best).  Get a 10 mm socket and open end wrench and a 12 point 1/4 socket for your brakes.  I don't carry a oil filter wrench.  I leave that job for home or a shop in the road.  I have the mushroom plug patch kit and an inflater that connects to my battery charger lead.  I also carry a liter bottle of gasoline - the MSR bottles that backpackers use to carry stove fuel.

I rode all over the US with that - and used it on other people's bikes more than my own.  When I rode to Fairbanks last summer, I bought the emergency drive belt.  Carry an extra piece of wire to help fish it through the primary.  I didn't need it, but up there, you are far enough from everything in places that I thought the money was good insurance.  In the States, however, I'd rather depend upon my Roadside Assistance package.  For $30, that's the best piece-of-mind I can carry in my tool kit.

Hope this helps.  Its worked for me - and for a much of other bikers that I've pulled over for to help.

[MMOCGuy]

There are a couple of great suggestions for small kits made up at home so I won't repeat the list but I would like to add this: My road kit is made up from tools that I bought at Harbor Freight because they are inexpensive and reasonably strong. The are nowhere near Craftsman quality but they are strong enough for the road. If my kit should get stolen somewhere (It's happened to me before), I'm not out much. I'll also add this, I carry stubby ratchets of 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4" drive with a small assortment of sockets in the various drive sizes. To get the needed leverage on the ratchets, I made a "Cheater bar" from a piece of 1/2" electrical conduit just long enough to fit in my tool kit. By squeezing one end of the condiut in a vice, it spread the end enough so that it would fit over the handle of the ratchets.

Also, don't forget the most important roadside repair tool of all - good quality DUCT TAPE. I know of guys who have limped their bikes with broken frames home by making a splint out of two box wrenches and taping it all up with copious quantities of DUCT TAPE. Ridden easy, it held until they could get to a shop.

Hope this helps.

Norm.

[loboheritage]

I built my own with a cheap tool roll from Sears and spare
tools in my garage.  I do, however, agree with 176 that buying
the Windzone kit is the right way to go.  Add anything special
that you think you need.  Must have a 25 and 27 torx, in my
opinion.  Also, I carry a cheap, light, bulb syphon in the bottom
of my saddle bag that has a clear plastic hose several feet long to
transfer gas if needed.  Great for saving yourself or some other poor
soul on the side of the road.

[x52gnr]

  Fuses, spare wire, butt conectors, electrical tape and assorted hand tools and sockets..also kep a tube of crazy glue gel ...has come in handy a few times...

[HenryJ]

Anyone carry the cans of Fix a Flat.  I worry about them blowing up in the Texas Heat.  Would not be pretty to have that happen inside my saddle bag.

[IBARider]

Two things have avoided a tow at least three times each.  A tire repair kit w/inflator or fix a flat.  A six foot long 14 or 16 gauge wire with alligator clips on the ends......

[IBARider]

Anyone carry the cans of Fix a Flat.  I worry about them blowing up in the Texas Heat.  Would not be pretty to have that happen inside my saddle bag.

I've never had one blow in the southwest desert.  Carried one for several summers...

[Hybredhog]

      The tool roll itself keeps everything organized, and I had a saddle shop make me one up out of canvas, damn thing probably weighs 5 lbs. 9 times outa 10, I end up pulling it for somebody elses bike.
    I'm a big fan of Cast wheels, because if you do hit something, you have a better chance of a quick fix, or limping it to a shop, than with a tube type tire.

[Desperado]

Anyone carry the cans of Fix a Flat.  I worry about them blowing up in the Texas Heat.  Would not be pretty to have that happen inside my saddle bag.

I carried one in Texas heat for about 5 years and never had a problem.  Don't carry it any more because I have the small compressor and Stop-and-Go plug kit mentioned in my earlier reply.

[Blazing Saddles]

I carry the usual tools and a 10mm for the battery - very important!! Also carry an extra headlight bulb, tail light bulb and as a few others have said a single fire coil and extra spark plugs plus an assortment of nuts and bolts. Hey, I ride a '92 FXSTC. Yea, the tool kit can get heavy quick but there's nothing like the satisfaction on being able to fix a problem on your ride or another rider's bike. Lose a belt - get out the cell phone.

Fortunately allot of minor problems can be headed off by checking nuts, bolts etc while giving the bike a thorough clean and going over before a long trip.

Blazin'

[payday]

In my previuos post, I forgot to mention the most important tool to carry is your Cell Phone with a Tow Company's number stored. Maybe at some point in time, no tools can help you in a pinch.

TS

[Big Dan]

I also carry the basic roll that comes with a touring bike, with a few goodies added. Ball-end allen wrenches, pliers, electrical tape, etc. Luckily, I've only had to pull it out a time or 2, but it's pretty amazing (to me at least) just how well thought out that tool roll from the MoCo is. They mey not be the easiest tools to use, but they'll do a lot of stuff on the side of the road.

[texaskatfish]

Wait just one minizzle here!

Was 'Gracie' (a 2001 FLHR) supposed to have a tool kit as original equipment???

She surely did not have one!

Yo HV - if I'm missing this item and was supposed to have it - could I get one now ya reckon?

[Rags722]

katfish,
As far as I know ( not counting CVO bikes which I have no idea about) the only bikes that came with a FREE tool roll was the FLHTC & FLHTCU.  HD sells the kits ( see Maint section of the P&A book, but you can probably build your own a lot cheaper. 
I know my FLHTC 's back as far as 97 always had one, and none of my buddies with RK's ever got one.

Rags