This frickin website-most. KTM North America-least.
Bill in Tomahawk.

Most useful in the early stages of Africa (ie half of it): anti-crapping pills.

Most useful generally: Leatherman (yawn) - what else can trim unwanted body hair, flush carburettor and spread butter?
Also Petzl head torch for countries where electricity is an unusual bonus (ie all of West Africa).

Least useful: Folding chair (didn't make it to Portsmouth.)
Water filter (never used. maybe some relationship to need for anti-poo pills)
Cooker. I'm on holiday! Why would I want to cook?

------------------
Simon

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fitzpatrick

Three absolute essintials plus a few hundred more:
Cable ties.
Leatherman, goes without saying although I just did.
And duct tape AKA "The Force Tape"
Think Star Wars. It has a dark side, a light side and it holds the universe together!

OK, I've only been riding since last October, but so far:-

Most Useful:
A mobile phone - so I can hear my dad say: "I don't know much about these modern Japanese bikes, but have you tried..."
Xena disc lock - alarmed disc lock that straps to the bike. it solves two problems at once and only cost £50 (needs work on waterproofing though)

Least Useful:
Thermal liner for Bering Jacket and Trousers - used on the way home from the shop and only once since
Rayven motorcycle boots - broke in three months. effing useless

Most useful.... 1/2 helmet. Might get frowned upon by some and I might take it on the chin one day, but I personally love the endless peripheral visibility and the feel of open wind on my face.

Least useful.... the factory BMW "tool kit". Proof positive BMW doesn't want (or trust) you to do anything on your bike yourself.

.

Or is it a marketing tool suggesting that you'll never need to do anything to your "bullet proof" BMW?

Is that why the tool kit in an Enfield is so comprehensive? ;)

Matt

Is it true that the BMW tool kit just contains a compact mirror and a tiny tub of Turtle-Wax?

That's correct but they also have a BMW beard trimmer fitted as standard equipment which is kept under the seat. Very handy.

Ah, but is it as good as the colour-coordinated Ducatti blow-wave and hair dryer?

John

p.s. The Kiwis tell me that the beard trimmer can also be used for shearing sheep, but being from Oz, I would not know anything about that......

Ah, but the KTM 950 has a bottle opener on the end of a 10mm spanner...
kept the thing when I sold the bike;-))

The Kawasaki comes with a small oven so you can always melt it back into shape.

On the subject of which, my standard toolkit has a bizarre tool that seems to bamboozle every one who sees it. It's a 4-5" tube with a circular opening at one end and a osrt of pinched, figure of eight shape at the other. If anyone has any ideas what the hell it's for, please let me know.

It's your spark plug socket. You poke your screwdriver through the holes in the side to turn it. Or are you kidding?!
Matt

in my kwaka toolkit I always assumed that was just an extension bar, so you could pretend the axle spanner would work..

"p.s. The Kiwis tell me that the beard trimmer can also be used for shearing sheep, but being from Oz, I would not know anything about that......"

So what you are saying is that the beard trimmer is used to make Beemer riders and sheep more presentable to one another .Hurmmm , that explains a lot !

Hey! Not fair! I resemble that remark! Oh bugger...where is the spell check?

John