Tool quality

[paultt]

Much has been written about tool kits, good interesting stuff. thanks to all.
another thought, should said items be of best quality. no point in having cheese tools or the wrong one when the best is needed.
paul

[Possible]

I've always just stuck with the OEM tool kit, when there was one. I've never really gotten stranded in the
middle of no where and needed tools. And it always seems like you'll always need the tool you don't have.
And in this age of instant communication, you're rarely far from civilization, so the need for tools is far less
than when you had to rely on access to a phone booth.

[RayBJ]

The OEM tool roll plus extras stay on-board for on-road fixes. Not unusual for me to never open the roll in a bike's lifetime because I use my 'good' tools at home.

[pegasus1300]

If you are going to buy tools either to carry onboard or for use at home,buy the best you can afford. They will last you a life time and for home use buy a quality box and always put them away when you are done. You may lose a few over the years (10 mm, 1/2", 13 mm) but mostly you will know where they are when you need them. The tool bag that comes with the Spyder is fairly complete and pretty good quality but not really adequate to do much. You will need a Torx socket and an Allen head socket to change oil and a quality rachet A power screwdriver and a Torx socket are a godsend when taking all the plastic off.
Oh and when you buy that tool box buy a bigger one then you think you need. Over time you will fill it. And need another box. You may even develope a tool addiction,don't ask me how I know.

[Little Blue]

+1.......On quality tools.

[carbonation]

Some inexpensive tools are actually pretty good, depending on application. Nothing wrong with a Harbor Freight set of wrenches for example, if you are only using them occasionally. If you make your living with tools, all bets are off. Those tools are an extension of your hands and knowledge and need to be quality.
I've been through a lot of tools in 60 years. I'm mostly stocked with old USA Craftsman, Snap-On, Proto, VIM bits, with a couple of Tekton and HF things here and there. But I have destroyed my share of Crapsman Chineseum, Stanley, and other inexpensive stuff from chain stores.
Look at your local flea markets and antique stores for old USA Craftsman and Snap-On. Ratchets come up pretty often, Snap-On has a lifetime guarantee. A call gets a rebuild kit via mail, and the process is simple. Craftsman rebuild kits are on eBay often.
I will say most of the stuff today is China made, so research a bit before purchase. There are a bunch of tool reviews on YT.

[Gwolf]

I wouldn't carry tools from the bargain bin on the scooter, but tools that are only used occasionally don't need to be the same quality or cost as the tools in daily use. Most tools that get damaged are used over and over again. They may get dropped, double wrenched, chrome peels, and pressure points may stretch slightly. That would not be a problem for tools that are for emergency use only. I carry acceptable quality tools on the scooters, but not the same quality or cost as the tools in the shop that are used constantly.

[troop]

My traveling tool kit consists of: a few common size wrenches, flat-philips screwdrivers, fold out torx/allen wrenches, electrical tape, mini air compressor, tire plug kit-guage, flashlight and maybe couple other odds-ends. Fits in a shaving bag and kept in a Shad side bag. None of the tools are Matco/Snap-On quality. Lets face it, most things nowadays can't be fixed on the road. That's why we have cell phones...

[Possible]

While I do agree that it may not be necessary to spend big money on tools, I do warn against using Harbor Freight's hand tools. They are all
12 point wrenches that I have seen, and are well suited to rounding off bots and nuts. Only high quality 12 point wrenches should be used, all
other hand tools should be 6 point, especially the ones below 12mm.

Complete disclosure: I was a can line mechanic for 30 years and have a ton of hand tools, none of which are Harbor Freight. I have lots of HF
sockets and power tools that I bought after I retired. Like was said, they aren't something you use to make a living with, but work fine with
minimal cost and occasional usage.

[remus]

I use the tools in the tool kit as a guide to what to buy. I replace the original tools with better quality and more suited to use on the bike. Then add more tools as I find I need them. The allen wrenches, for example, in the original tool kit are too short for oil changes. I prefer the t handle Allen wrench anyway so bought the correct size and replaced them in the tool kit. If I sell the bike the original tool kit goes with it and I keep the tools I bought. When I travel I also take my torque wrench, tire pump, patch kit and misc bits and bobs for emergencies.

[Lew L]

Quality tools really are better. That said------much of the fastener hardware on our s are made of cheeze. I hate soft wimpy bolts holding my things together. I'll never buy another phillips head fastener!! ( except for drywall screws ) When I worked I always purchased grade 5 as standard as some of the students were a bit ham fisted.
Lew L

[ARtraveler]

OEM tool kits have always been of the "cheesy" variety. Does not matter what brand of MC you buy. Happily, I have never had to make any on the road fixes, and the tool kit roll, gets looked at maybe once or twice in its lifetime with the bike.

"They" say that Ural comes with the most complete tool kit, but that is another, but interesting, story.

I have added a set of torx and a craftsman handle to suppliment, but that is the extent.

I am not mechanical so, it does not matter for me anyway. We usually encounter bikes being worked on in our area. There are always three or four bikes, and a bunch of "mechanic" types gathered around the bike being fixed. Most of the time, guess what brand? Yes, you are right.

[troop]

For those who use your rydes for true touring, what "tools' in your traveling kit have you actually used while on the road, far away from home?

[bigbadbrucie]

For those who use your rydes for true touring, what "tools' in your traveling kit have you actually used while on the road, far away from home?

I’ve been touring now for more than 30 years on GW’s, Cruisers, and now my RTS, and have NEVER had a breakdown during the trip....not even a flat tire. I do my pre-trip inspections and if anything questionable (including tires) gets taken care of PRIOR to my leaving.

[Steve W.]

For those who use your rydes for true touring, what "tools' in your traveling kit have you actually used while on the road, far away from home?

We have only done a few "tours" that involved an overnight stay (or more). The bike is relatively 'new' (less than 10k miles). So far, the only time tools have been used on the Spyder has been to add farkles.

On the other hand, MY ride is usually my 40-year-old Suzuki. For that, I carry a quart of oil, funnel, voltmeter, basic pliers/screw drivers/combination wrenches, and some wire, connectors and crimpers. There is also a tire plug kit and compressor. Everything except the oil, funnel and compressor fit into a bag that is about 4x4x8, so it doesn't take much room.

.

[Gwolf]

Yeah, I have done plenty of roadside repairs. Going off on 10,000 to 15,000 miles trips on a bike built 20 years ago. Done everything from adjusting the clutch in a motel parking lot to rigging a broken clutch cable to pull with vise grip pliers just to get someplace that has a cable. I have made deals with private owned gas stations to let me use their oil drain pans to do an oil and filter change out on the road. Had plenty of minor electrical problems, like ignition not firing, blown headlight bulbs, blinkers stopped working. Did a lot of riding back when bikes were not as dependable as they are today. Never had to do anything to the Spyder on the side of the road, so far.

[Possible]

A bike built 20 years ago would be a year 2000 bike. LOL Only ones really unreliable around that time would be Harley's and Moto Guzzi.

Just jivin' ya, I know what you meant. I toured all around the country on early 70's Triumph Bonnevilles. Only problems I ever had was a
broken clutch cable, a common problem, and a blown headlight switch. I rode the bike through town with the broken clutch cable, just
pulled into parking lots and rode in circles until the light changed. The blown headlight switch required a push to get the bike started, since
I couldn't kick it fast enough with the headlight stuck on. Luckily the wife was along, although she was not so sure how "lucky" we were. LOL

[spyder01]

I carry a set of commonly used hand tools that fit our bikes,plug kit with small compressor,also the 36mm wrenches so I can remove/adjust rear wheel,mostly just adjust the wheel bc without a jack it might be tough to remove but I could hopefully find someone with a jack.I put these tools in places where there is unused space like under the seat and under the suitcase in the frunk.I only carry high quality tools and dont forget a flashight.I was a mechanic for 30 years.

[Gwolf]

A bike built 20 years ago would be a year 2000 bike. LOL Only ones really unreliable around that time would be Harley's and Moto Guzzi.

Just jivin' ya, I know what you meant. I toured all around the country on early 70's Triumph Bonnevilles. Only problems I ever had was a
broken clutch cable, a common problem, and a blown headlight switch. I rode the bike through town with the broken clutch cable, just
pulled into parking lots and rode in circles until the light changed. The blown headlight switch required a push to get the bike started, since
I couldn't kick it fast enough with the headlight stuck on. Luckily the wife was along, although she was not so sure how "lucky" we were. LOL

Yeah, it was Harley Sportster. First one was 1998 and then a 2001 that I put 350,000 miles on, with a couple of top end rebuilds. Still got that one.

[Terraplane8Bob]

My trusty "Leatherman" Multi-Purpose tool has tackled every roadside repair from a seized brake caliper to electrical problems for several decades. It fits on my belt and is guaranteed for life. I wore one out and they sent a replacement free of charge. What's not to like ?

[pegasus1300]

50 years on the road, Norton, BMW, Triumph, BSA, Yamaha, Royal Star, Honda. The Norton ate clutch cables like there was no tomorrow and the nut that held the clutch to the main shaft was always coming loose so the clutch would ride out to the end of the shaft instead of releasing, made for interesting riding. BMW was prone to flat tires and with only 2 qts of oil in the sump needed frequent oil changes on the road. The Triumph was actually almost trouble free.The BSA, I had to rewire before I dared ride it very far.The Yamahas never broke nor did the Honda but I was so used to carrying tools I never stopped! I too carry T Handles for the 5 and 6 mm Allens, a power screwdriver and Torx socket for all the Torx head screws and sockets and ratchet for the oil drain bolts. A battery power box, a tire plug kit,. small air compressor. It all fits along with the factory tool kit in a Hopnel bag made to fit in the deep well of the 2012 RT. I have only used the tools once on the road when the shift lever came loose coming home from D3WR in 2019.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I remember this admonition from over 40 years ago. I had a small print shop and used an AB Dick offset press. In the first few pages of the service manual I bought for it was this (not exact quote).

"Buy good tools. Cheap tools can break. The only time they break is when you are using them. The only time you will be using them is when you need to fix or adjust the press. The only time you need to fix the press is when something breaks in it. The only time it will break is when you are using it. The only time you are using it is when you need to get a printing job completed for a customer. So if you use a cheap wrench your customer might not get his print job. If the customer doesn't get his print job you don't earn money. A cheap wrench can keep you from earning money. To avoid that, buy good tools!"

Buy tools appropriate for your situation, good tools for when you can't tolerate a tool breaking, and an inexpensive one if a busted tool won't intolerably disrupt life.