I've been riding, buying, selling, repairing, maintaining and occasionally racing bikes now for 47 years. In that time I have had loads of bikes (60+) some new, many secondhand, but all of them have had some form of toolkit, all of them numbering more than one piece. The 'comprehensive' tool kit supplied with the Thruxton 12 is a bent bit of rod with a cross head screw driver at one end and a 5mm Allen key at the other....the Factory call it an adjustment tool......I understand the 12R has the added luxury of a couple of 'C' spanners of dubious quality that folks are reporting as being not a lot of good at adjusting their rear shocks. The Factory are clearly either very confident in the reliability of their products....fingers crossed they are right about this......or think that none of us know how to twiddle a spanner correctly, do not trust us to use them so do not supply us with any to 'screw up' our bikes. Now this leaves me feeling vulnerable to situations where with some simple fettling with a few simple tools, I could get me going again without having to call out some recovery service or other to get me going and back home again.......(more about this in a new thread) I ALWAYS carry a Leatherman Supertool with me at a very minimum every single day whether riding or not, old school Boy Scout me.....be prepared.....and it has saved mine and a lot of other people's bacon over the past 20 years that I've carried this particular tool....I wore out my original Leatherman Tool I had before this one and have just bought a top of the range Leatherman Surge Tool to supplement my tired old Super tool.....I cannot recommend Leatherman products enough. How do other members feel about the lack of a toolkit?.....what extra tools for self reliance do you use?.......what do you carry and where do you carry it?.....or is it just me that likes to be independent? Cheers, dickydido
That Leatherman Surge looks great,i've got a Swiss army knife with loads of attachments, but the pliers on it are not near as big or strudy as the Leatherman,but the other bits on it have been really handy over the years
I carry an old leatherman, don't lower yourselves!, spanners ranging from 8mm to 12mm small adjustable spanner. 3 Allen keys, electrical tape, cable ties, never leave home without em, c spanner, fuses and spare indicator bulb, ones always blowing. Funnily enough no headlight bulb, I'll rectify that. That's if I remember them!!
hi Crispy, good, basic, survival tool kit similar to mine.......but where do you carry it?..... ....hidden in the bike somewhere?.... .....riding jacket pocket?...... ....bumbag/tool roll/tank bag/rucksack?..... Cheers, dickydido
I carry a variety of tools in a bumbag strapped to the back of the m/bike or round my waist if on my pushbike. Not having a carrier on my new Street Twin I'm going to gaffa tape a spare bunch under the seat.
I carry the normal Triumph tools in the kit under the seat, but also I carry a puncture repair kit, compressed air and air compressor (very small one) 3" led warning triangle, reflective vest, fuel transfer tube and chocolate. I do 60 miles a day and the puncture has been used on four other bikers that I have helped and twice on my bike. The fule transfer thingy I have helped two other bikers with. The chocolate was a pack of 6 mars bars that was shared with other bikers when caught on a motorway that was closed for 30 mins due to someone wanting to jump from a bridge (no we wern't watching as the closure was away from the bridge). She didnt jump Also visor cleaning kit with anti Fog and anti rain spray and a few cloths. All fits in my Kraiga US20 tail bag along with my packed sandwiches and locks
The Tiger came with a Triumph tool kit fitted under the rear seat. I think it comes with: 1 spanner 8 x 10 mm 1 spanner 12 x 14 mm Small pliers AC screwdriver slot / Phillips Spark plug wrench 3 in 1 , 16, 18 and 21mm I have added some Allen keys,a few cable ties and wrapped some insulating tape around one of the spanners. I always carry a Swiss Army knife as well.
I never carry any tools - I believe in preventative maintenance. Now watch me pushing my luck and pushing my bike on the next ride out
Both cars have a toolkit, other bike has,and I usually carry one of two backpacks with tools on the 12, but having survived a very naughty crash quite well, I don't wanna carry owt that my spine wouldn't like if I rolled so am a bit torn now.
I agree with the Big Lad on preventative maintenance, but admit you can get caught out. The new Triumph tool kits are a joke to say the least, unless I have some loose change to take the side panel off my Bonnie to get to the solitary 5mm Allen key I'm pretty much buggered, and how many jobs can I do with a 5mm Allen key. Unless I am setting off on a longish ride (200 miles+) or going into some remote area, I would not normally take any tools with me. Certainly don't want them on my person or in a rucksack in case I came off. Second reason, say for example I had a rear puncture on my Bonnie, firstly I have to take the silencers off to get to the rear spindle nut, then I need to undo the 87Nm spindle nut, then slacken the adjusters etc, etc. How many tools would I need plus my puncture kit etc. ? Brings me to the best tool in my armoury, the mobile phone, ring the recovery company and make them earn their money!
The 5mm Allen key behind the side panel on the Bonneville is to undo the seat bolts. I've replaced mine and the side panel screws with the Tec ones that you can undo without a coin!
Oh I know what it's there for, but not all repair jobs at the side of the road require just the seat off. I suppose I could take it off to lay on while I wait for the recovery vehicle. lol
Carry a tool roll that used to fit under the seat, comprehensive, sockets, spanners, drivers, knife ,mole ,heads ,ties ,tape ,puncture repair, only no room now on this bike so, leave it, fix a pannier, or take a small rucksack. It was neat on the last bike.
Hi jtd, ....but that's the problem with the 12 and 12R......there is no underseat storage space for even a very modest tool roll, I've already said on another Thread, sitting on either of the new generation Thruxtons feels like sitting on a three quarter scale bike to me......does my ass look big on this?...... So that leaves external storage....on the bike that will need very careful packaging and location so it looks a proper job (....now, that's a really great pint of beer, if you've not experienced a 'Proper Job' you are missing out!)..... ...or in jacket pockets or in add-ons like a bumbag or small rucksack .....not always comfortable or convienient......Oh! decision, decisions..... Cheers, dickydido