Must Have Tools for F3

[Bob Denman]

I forgot to mention:
Carry JUST enough tools, to get in over your head :yikes:... anything more, and you're just taking up space! nojoke

 

[Road-Kill]

I don't see it. I'm just that McGyver type guy that can fix something in 5-10 minutes as opposed to using my cell phone to inconvenience one of my friends by saying "Hey I'm in the middle of BFE and really need to you stop doing whatever you're doing and drive 150 miles to come get me because something happened to my bike and I don't even have a freaking screwdriver". When I wrecked my Harley last year the tow truck driver had about ZERO experience towing motorcycles. Even though I was gimped up, I still managed to do most of the work loading it. If I hadn't I would have had more damage that I did from the crash. God forbid this had been just a break down and this clown had damaged my bike. Unless your tool experience is next to nothing, what is it going to hurt carrying a few tools in a nylon bag unless you need the room for your beer!

:thumbup:

All I was saying is that in my time and the three times my bike needed tow my tools carried were worthless. Calling for help, having the correct numbers to call and money were the only things that helped me. I do carry a few tools in my bike and always have but they have proven a joke when needed when on the road. I'm also the "McGyver" type but refuse to carry a ton of tools because one day in the coming decades I "might-possibly-could" have some use for them. Cell (used to be a calling card), Roadside and cash have been a lifesaver and are my primary go-to "tools" when I'm on the road whether in my car or on my bike. This reminds me of a TV show years back where a few bikers traveled to an event a thousand miles away laughing at those "guys" that carry too much. He said "real" bikers carry only what they can fit in their pockets. This fool then has the camera accidently swing around showing this fools RV, Toy-Hauler and car caravan support group that was following him and his fellow bikers. Most issues with bikes (and cars) allow the operator to "limp" home or to help. None of the times could tools have assisted in roadside repair. Just my thoughts from experiencing life on the road.

 

[Road-Kill]

You had a cell phone in 1982?!? Lol

You had a cell phone in 1982?!? Lol :roflblack:

j/k, but I see your point. I'm like they other guys though, I like to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Better to have and not need, than need and not have.

Ok you got me on that......back in the day I carried a calling card. lol

 

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: We just called collect... :shocked:







...And got hung-up on a lot! nojoke

 

[acpd22]

Poster child for breakdowns

I have owned quite a few POS vehicles in my lifetime and even the ones that weren't sometimes had issues. Just last Fall while on a trip from Tennessee to Florida, the turbo hose on my truck blew off. This happened on a Saturday just after 1:00 PM when all the dealerships had closed their parts departments. I was able to order a new hose at an auto parts store and got it the next day. We had limped the truck and our camper to a campground near the interstate and had I not had the tools I insist on carrying I would have had to call a select few friends that have a truck big enough to pull my camper and then wait an extra day till the dealership opened putting me at that point two days behind schedule. When it all comes down to it I'm not paying anyone to do anything I can do myself and I don't have the luxury of slapping down the plastic to the tune of 4-5 hundred dollars. Besides, that would be good Farkle money! :doorag:

 

[monkeyboymorton]

When it all comes down to it I'm not paying anyone to do anything I can do myself

I've got to agree with that. My spyder is coming up for it's 2 year service but as the warranty is only 2 years I don't see any point paying a dealer to do it. It's not like i need to keep up the dealer history for a warranty. Might as well do it myself and just follow the service schudle.

 

[WackyDan]

Fear mongering. Yes people you NEED (NEED!) to have lots of tools in your bike every (EVERY!) day because maybe something might possibly happen and you might (MIGHT!) have use for this particular tool. Not busting on having a possible remedy but in my 3+ decades of riding I can say NOTHING has ever helped other then calling for help and the phone numbers that actually can help. My "tools" are a cell and charger with ROADSIDE. A small bicycle tire pump, vulcanizing kit, leatherman and the junk "tool" kit that came with the bike are all that I constantly have stored in the bike. Lets see.......I had a catastrophic battery failure on a 1982 (in 1982) Honda Shadow. No jump starting would have helped because of the fried chip that prevented jump starting. A fried stator and rectifier on a 2000 (in 2002?) Harley Ultra Classic that also prevented jump starting. A flat so bad on a scooter 2 years ago that even my vulcanizing kit was worthless. What saved me.........A CELL PHONE AND THE NUMBERS TO CALL AND ASK FOR HELP! These THREE times I was left in the middle of nowhere and needed TOW. The greatest "tool" you can have is ROADSIDE. My two cents.

,

I agree in part. That roadside coverage is something we should all have for the catastrophic stuff. I'll contrast though the difference in owning my 2008 vs my 2017 F3.

For the 2008 which had a bigger trunk I ended up carrying a decent tool kit and a spares kit. I might have over done it, but the 2008 and 2009 GS/RS were finicky beasts with a list of known issues that sooner or later would bite you. Now... I never was stranded on the side of the road (for long) by my 2008, but carrying a spare set of plugs and some relays certainly helped me avoid that. After the first five years then we entered the stage of ownership where the age of the machine started to bite back... Broken fender mounts, etc. Nothing that duct tape didn't rectify until I got home, but still....

Fast forward to my new F3. A refined machine where things that you need to touch are far easier to get to. The amount of disassembly you'd have to do on the road is probably minimal at best compared to an GS/RS. I don't even have to carry oil with me anymore thanks to the 1330. I'm not carrying spares, I haven't even put together a tool set for it. I might put together something small - with decent tools, but that would be a mere handful at best.