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Equipment Reviews Post YOUR REVIEWS of ANY Motorcycle, Camping or Travel Equipment and accessories. Tell us what worked and didn't work for you!
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 5 Oct 2013
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Some of the bikes "standard" tools in the tool kit are in fact fairly light and small.

BMW use short length spanners, short in the handle not the nut/bolt area. Lighter in weight and smaller is size.

KTM .. well ... Possible to buy individual toolkit tools? - ADVrider

--------------------
Combination tyre irons with rear axle nut spanner look good. eg Motion Pro 32mm/tire iron
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  #2  
Old 5 Oct 2013
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I use an adjustable spanner instead of spindle, sprocket tools.

However, those spindle tools which double up as tyre levers are nice.

Zen Overland sell them.


I also use a reversible screw driver.

Often I change all the screws and bolts to the same type and size of head for everything that I safely do with. 5-6mm HEX usually. That saves the amount of tools you need to carry in the first place.
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  #3  
Old 7 Oct 2013
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Thinking of tools...
I started with over 4kg of tools, now down to 1.5kg. One major part of that was buying a Motion Pro kit and adding the Allen bits not in the original kit. adventure spec tools motion protrail tool

Part of the innovation of lightweight tools is around the thinking about tools. What do you really need? REALLY?

I run tubeless tyres so just carry tyre plugs and a small compressor. I need a torque wrench to tighten my wheels correctly so I figure if the wheels must come off it will be in a workshop. Therefore I carry no tyre levers, no torque wrench, no heavy tyre changing gear.

I looked at the recommended kit for my bike, then eliminated any tools that had less than three uses, and those few single-sized nuts and bolts were replaced with more standard heads/sizes.

I also worked on the bike with the remaining tools and considered what my skills and tools could realistically do on the side of the road (e.g. change filters, remove plugs, undo covers). Once again I removed tools from the kit.

Finally I removed any tools left that were doubled up, used a lightweight tyre pressure gauge in place of my heavy one, and even used lighter-weight bags for carrying the tools.

It's still a work in progress!!

PN
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  #4  
Old 7 Oct 2013
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Howabout some pics!
Old Toolkit
Light weight & unusual tools-events-5243.jpg


New Toolkit
Light weight & unusual tools-events-6029.jpg
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  #5  
Old 29 Oct 2013
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Although expensive at around £50. The MotionPro trail kit is by far the best investment I've made for use on my bike. I added an extra allen bit and an extra socket and I've used it more times than I can remember. I do need to replace my spanners with an adjustable one though.
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  #6  
Old 29 Oct 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulNomad View Post
Old Toolkit
Attachment 10722


New Toolkit
Attachment 10723
I'd say ditch your oil filter tool unless your filter is in a ridiculous 'hard to reach' place.

You can remove them by drifting them off with a screw driver etc. Or pierce the very thin skin with a screw driver. That's only if they were put on too tight. You can often remove them with two hands and a cloth.

Putting them on is easy by hand. They aren't meant to be on tight. 10 NM.


And c-spanner ?? Do you adjust your rear shock during a trip ???
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Old 29 Oct 2013
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PITA - I'd keep the filter tool - light and small and saves a lot of hassle. Same goes for C-spanner which can double up for head bearing adjustment/disassembly in some bikes.... agree there are multiple bodges to get around tools like this, but just how minimalist one wants to be varies from rider to rider....

IMHO.


Quote:
Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
I'd say ditch your oil filter tool unless your filter is in a ridiculous 'hard to reach' place.

You can remove them by drifting them off with a screw driver etc. Or pierce the very thin skin with a screw driver. That's only if they were put on too tight. You can often remove them with two hands and a cloth.

Putting them on is easy by hand. They aren't meant to be on tight. 10 NM.


And c-spanner ?? Do you adjust your rear shock during a trip ???
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  #8  
Old 29 Oct 2013
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I've got three full size roller cabinets full of thousands of pounds worth of tools and now I have to go out and spend another £50 on this Motion Pro kit because I'm now jealous of lightweight tools.

You bunch of *&%£$*~*


Still, the tool kit on my last trip weighed more than all of my camping gear combined so I think I need to invest..

These are all available from Zen Overland.
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  #9  
Old 17 Dec 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
I'd say ditch your oil filter tool unless your filter is in a ridiculous 'hard to reach' place.

You can remove them by drifting them off with a screw driver etc. Or pierce the very thin skin with a screw driver. That's only if they were put on too tight. You can often remove them with two hands and a cloth.

Putting them on is easy by hand. They aren't meant to be on tight. 10 NM.


And c-spanner ?? Do you adjust your rear shock during a trip ???
I never did reply Ted, sorry. My screwdriver is a basic handle with reversible flat and Philips head so prefer the oil filter tool. It's not such a difficult place to access but the tool saves a lot of frigging around. I can also use it as a dish to hold nuts/small bolts of other areas I'm dismantling. The third use is a party hat held on by dental floss

The c-spanner is for the front shock. The rear has a preload dial and because I travel fairly light with gear, it's set low. I adjust the front to match. When I hit some off-road I lift it right up for max clearance and travel. No other tool will do it. And yes I do adjust suspension regularly as terrain requires.

I haven't found other uses yet but I will eventually. Like I said though I have kept things that I can and will do on the side of the road.

So there are my reasonings!!

PN
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  #10  
Old 22 Mar 2014
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Chewing gum.

Very useful for holding things in place while you get things fixed properly - I'm talking about awkward nuts that fall out of sockets and that sort of thing. Tasty too.

Velcro cable ties - a truly excellent invention.
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  #11  
Old 12 Apr 2014
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulNomad View Post
I never did reply Ted, sorry. My screwdriver is a basic handle with reversible flat and Philips head so prefer the oil filter tool. It's not such a difficult place to access but the tool saves a lot of frigging around. I can also use it as a dish to hold nuts/small bolts of other areas I'm dismantling. The third use is a party hat held on by dental floss
You know the K&N spin on oil filters have a nut on the end so you can use a 17mm ring spanner or some pliers which may already be in your tool kit

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