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6 Nov 2009
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Tools, she just doesn't understand!
Motorcycle trip planning is about gear as much as anything else...it's an excuse to get new things and fine tune the old things. One thing that keeps causing arguments in the run up to the trip though is the 'gear'.
I have a set of tyre irons, but couldn't help myself and bought a T-6 ultra lightweight aluminium tyre iron / wrench from Adventure Spec. I knew it was a luxury, so I only bought one...
It's beautiful to touch  and the row started when the other half found it on the coffee table, where apparently it 'didn't belong' and 'we didn't need it anyway'. 
...the end result is that I have had to conceed more space for her clothes and less for mine!
Does anyone have any tips for 'luxury' gadgets/tips to make her happier or more compfy on the trip?
Or, share your tool love stories here...LOL
...now back to my tyre iron-come-wrench...
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6 Nov 2009
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You paid 25 quid for a frickin' tyre lever !!!!!!!!!!!
It's a wonder she didn't shove it in a place in your anatomy where "where the sun don't shine " .
I suggest you buy another one quickly ,one tyre lever is no use at all - and the first one might get lonely .
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Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."
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6 Nov 2009
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Couple of suggestions:
The only 'luxuries' I brought with me were-
-A small metal espresso pot (bad coffee is just not acceptable)
-A Thermarest chair which you slip your mat into (really comfy for sitting around on campsites and takes up hardly any room. Got it for £5 from the bargain bin in Tiso's)
Outdoor Pursuits Co-operative (95) Ltd Therm-A-rest Chair Kits
As for expensive tools, forget it. Try and buy as much as you can 2nd hand. Once travelling, you'll quickly discover its just not worth spending a fortune on kit that's going to get abused or in some cases, never even used. But do get another tyre lever, just not a £25 one.
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6 Nov 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodger
You paid 25 quid for a frickin' tyre lever !!!!!!!!!!!
It's a wonder she didn't shove it in a place in your anatomy where "where the sun don't shine " .
I suggest you buy another one quickly ,one tyre lever is no use at all - and the first one might get lonely .
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LOL...not showing her your message!
Yeah, I know, I know..I have an old set of tyre irons already, it was just one of those things...it does feel nice though! 
I am just getting excited about the trip. I promise I won't do it again.
...the coffee tip is also one worth remembering...maybe if I make her a cup every morning it might help...maybe they are the luxuries I should deliver; lots of coffee, the nice chair in the sunshine and regular foot rubs.
Then again, riding for a few days in heat and I am not sure I should commit to the foot rubs...
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7 Nov 2009
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7 Nov 2009
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Working in mechanics, I've spent a small fortune over the years on tools and I stand by the saying "you get what you pay for".
I've snapped loads of cheap spanners, bent cheap tyre levers and destroyed cheap screw drivers.
Buy cheap tools at your own peril ! Nothing worse than tools that give up on you when you need them most.
BUT....Just because it's expenisve, doesnt mean its any good. I use a big old Dunlop tyre lever from the 1950's.
It cost £2 off ebay and is the strongest best lever I have ever seen. It would pull the tyre off a tractor  ..
Any tools that came with your bike (bar the plug spanner), should be binned !!
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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
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7 Nov 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grizzly7
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Love it!
Might buy one and keep it as a surprise when she least expects it and most needs it! That's a points winning product if ever I saw one.
She might even be more pleased if I changed the bike to look like this!
Ted, agreed with the tools on both counts; have a few old things from my Dad and they are solid and the fact that they are family makes them even more special. 
Once spent an afternoon in B&Q trying to find a pair of pliers that actually closed properly without too much of a gap with no joy!
...the tools I have kept over the years really are ones that I love. To quote another HUBB member 'you only complain about the price once'.
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8 Nov 2009
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I've got a grand tool .
I've always been especially proud of my 8 inch King Dick , a joy to behold and a constant friend .
I'd often whip it out and ask the missus if she'd like to burnish it , she was a game old girl and would give a good going over with a Brillo pad until it shone ,as a non mechanical type she was always amazed that a twiddle of the thumb would make it extend .
As it was the only tool I had ,it was used many times a week ,but afterwards I'd always give it a rub down with an oily rag before I put it away .
In those days we didn't have any of the fancy stuff you have now and motorcycles weren't as reliable neither , so it was always a reassuring feeling to know that you had your 8 inch tool stashed in a trouser pocket ,ready for action should the need arise .
I don't use it as much as I used to and it's got the odd dent from rough handling ,once it got into the wrong hands and a young and clueless lass used it as a hammer and whacked it on the kitchen table - eeeh by gum that made me eyes water !
But even in semi retirement I find it very useful and just handling it brings back fond memories .
They don't make them like they used to !
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Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."
Last edited by Dodger; 8 Nov 2009 at 07:54.
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8 Nov 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodger
I've always been especially proud of my 8 inch King Dick , a joy to behold and a constant friend .
I'd often whip it out and ask the missus if she'd like to burnish it , she was a game old girl and would give a good going over with a Brillo pad until it shone ,as a non mechanical type she was always amazed that a twiddle of the thumb would make it extend .
As it was the only tool I had ,it was used many times a week ,but afterwards I'd always give it a rub down with an oily rag before I put it away .
In those days we didn't have any of the fancy stuff you have now and motorcycles weren't as reliable neither , so it was always a reassuring feeling to know that you had your 8 inch tool stashed in a trouser pocket ,ready for action should the need arise .
I don't use it as much as I used to and it's got the odd dent from rough handling ,once it got into the wrong hands and a young and clueless lass used it as a hammer and whacked it on the kitchen table - eeeh by gum that made me eyes water !
But even in semi retirement I find it very useful and just handling it brings back fond memories .
They don't make them like they used to !
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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
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9 Nov 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tedmagnum
"you get what you pay for". I've snapped loads of cheap spanners, bent cheap tyre levers and destroyed cheap screw drivers.
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Kin 'ell - you ought to learn how to use them properly 
Only jesting 
I bought a nice set of combi "swivel" ratchet spanners for half price at HALFORDS a couple of months back. They are from the Professional range and are g'teed for life. OK, they may not have the "Snap-on" label, but for me (a home mechanic) they are ideal 
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9 Nov 2009
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I also have the T6 combo tyre lever - and can really recommend it. Together with the 3/8 drive adapter and the right sockets it's a great tool, and it actually saves weight too.
Some of the other luxury tools I have are two Gedore 7R combination ratchet spanners. Very light and slim, but very strong, and really great in tight spots and on those nuts that take forever to undo with a normal spanner. Especially useful for example on valve cover bolts. And the nice thing is that the 10mm one has a 1/4" bit drive adapter turning the thing into a regular ratchet :-)
Oh and definitely chuck out the allen keys that came with the bike toolkit and get stronger ones with ball ends.
In terms of luxury items in the true sense of the word, the only thing I have are a pair of good quality, noise cancelling in-ear phones. Great for listening to music on the bike on boring roads, blocking out wind noise or just getting away from it all in a shitty hotel room with eyes closed and the therm-a-rest on top of the otherwise unconfortable excuse for a bed ;-)
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9 Nov 2009
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With you on the Coffee maker. This kept me sane on a recent
trip.
Sorry it's not really a tool...well ?
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10 Nov 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigford
Kin 'ell - you ought to learn how to use them properly
Only jesting
I bought a nice set of combi "swivel" ratchet spanners for half price at HALFORDS a couple of months back. They are from the Professional range and are g'teed for life. OK, they may not have the "Snap-on" label, but for me (a home mechanic) they are ideal |
When you use tools as much as I do (Private moto mechanic), trust me, cheap ones will break... I'm talking about the crap stuff you get with the bike or in a set for £5 etc.
You need to be paying about £5 for a small spanner if you want them to last a lifetime...
I'm also a firm fan of Halfords professional range. They are actually made by a well know quality tool maker and rebranded. Sykes pickavant I think !!
Snap-on are great but heavily overpriced. I really like TENG tools as well and even the Draper Professional stuff is good for home use.
Britool make some nice stuff too..
God, I love tools.. It's like porn ! I'v spent about £3000 on tools in the last 8 years
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10 Nov 2009
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I am of two minds
I am always torn when it comes to tools. I try to always buy the best I can afford (this for the home workshop) BUT sometimes the tight side of me takes over and I start thinking "how much am I going to use this" ? Every day ? Once a week ? Month ? Year ?
The theory that seems to please "she who must be obeyed" is if it is a occasional use tool then (depending on the exact application) then I may buy cheaper.
What do you guys think ? Is there a cost line that you never cross ? Or is it a usage vs cost decision
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11 Nov 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gixxer.rob
I am always torn when it comes to tools. I try to always buy the best I can afford (this for the home workshop) BUT sometimes the tight side of me takes over and I start thinking "how much am I going to use this" ? Every day ? Once a week ? Month ? Year ?
The theory that seems to please "she who must be obeyed" is if it is a occasional use tool then (depending on the exact application) then I may buy cheaper.
What do you guys think ? Is there a cost line that you never cross ? Or is it a usage vs cost decision
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I wholeheartedy agree Rob. I also have a bad habit of losing things and even though, as Ted says, a cheap product may strip after a couple of uses, so what if you are only ever likely to use it a few times.
I personally find less is more - I have been touring internationally for over 35 years and have NEVER carried tyre levers or the like with me - even crossing the Sahara. I also lost most of my tools in a river crossing in Kenya back in ''78 and ingested sufficient fluids to seize the bike. Believe it or not - and I suspect most of you won't - I managed to remove and tear down the complete motor in my RD350 using only a spark plug spanner, phillips screwdriver, 4mm allen key and a shifting spanner. The only item I couldn't remove was the clutch boss retainer but Yamaha Nairobi obliged on that one. A new set of pistons, rings and a rebore and it was as good as new - and the bike is still running on that same set 31 years later.
On my most recent journeys I have allowed myself the luxury of carrying a small compressor and tyre plugs to fix punctures, but again I'm not sure how necessary they are - you would be amazed how far you can ride on a flat tyre (albeit at slow speed) to get to a repair shop if you need. 
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
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