Britbike forum Forums British motorcycles in general British motorcycles in general What tools /spare parts do you carry on a trip?

Hello brit bikers
Preparing for a longer trip (800 miles) with my BSA A10, getting tools and spares ready. Experience from previous trips: Tire puncture, clutch problem, lost bolts, brake cable dammage. But could always do a roadside repair. The white wrapped thing on the left is a new spare tube. Also very helpful is a bunch of friends coming along, although with non british bikes. They also carry their tools, helps to find whats needed most of the times. But its always a compromise between weight and beeing prepared.... Wondering what you other brit bikers carry along!?

The tools / spares:

https://ibb.co/fXtL2xP

A few years ago, clutch repair on the campground:

https://ibb.co/9wsPrjy

Wish you happy driving!

Triple A or Hagertys.

You are very well equipped indeed! I need to add the electrical tape. For the rainy days at the camp, I carry also a large tarp to build a "garage".

Haha yes, for the real bad breakdowns I have that But I am not sure if they carry any withworth tools!

I carry my RAC card and mobile phone

I would add a mini impact driver (for getting outer case screws off), a pair of vise grips, one large and one tiny, a roll of duct tape, and a continuity light.

Ed from NJ

My cases come off quite easily...wonder why But yes, the other things are useful.

No such thing as "too many tools."
In my years of driving delivery trucks, I always carried a box with a generous supply of tools, along with some spares.

The '70 TR6R I am rebuilding will have the 1966-67 tool tray under the seat, as well as it's stock tool box/side cover on the left side.

I recently did 1300 miles in 5 days ( Cross Country Chase) on an A10 with my wife on the back. I ended up adjusting the clutch (pull primary case cover) and fixed a broken top end oil feed pipe which made it necessary to reset the tappets (feeler gauges). I was glad I had a box end wrench to fit the foot peg nut, an assortment of rubber tube in various sizes and some hose clamps. Your tool kit looks comprehensive. If you have a monoblock carb I would consider carrying a pilot jet cover nut and a spare main jet cover nut as I have seen people loose these and then you are stuck. Did anyone mention tie-wire and a sharp knife? I've cut up empty beer cans to make covers, funnels, etc.

Another item I had 3 people ask me for on the Chase was a hammer. Some sort of drift is also good to have. Think of how many assemblies are held in place by slotted nuts or threaded covers that require a pin wrench. Bodgery to use a hammer and chisel but it might get you down the road.

I always carry a fused wire with an alligator clip at each end, a test light, and my Pocket Pro meter in my jacket. Of course, spare fuses.
Spare parts include a 530 master link, and, after my misfortune on TSMR a couple of years ago, a spare rear axle nut.
I suppose that if I were on a long journey I would carry a spare tube, but in the event of a flat I would call the AMA to get hauled somewhere. Not in the mood to do tire surgery on the side of the road.

I understand your worries but what you need is a comfy motorcycle. If you never changed the throttle wire, well; possibly that would fail so if your bike has good service and you have new electrics; chains etc (if not is crazy to take a long trip anyway) you do not need most of that stuff. Even more if you ride not so fast.
You need the screwdrivers wrenches etc to take off the parts to change the throttle cable and adjust few nuts; bulbs; a puncture spray and not so many more things.

-Few years ago a young British fella with his gal rode from Mexico to here (Uruguay) on a mid 60s BSA; do not know how many km but at least 16000-18000km! They only had a puncture in Bolivia and a problem with the transmission in South Brazil (where they connected to a forum, may be this one, to ask for help on how that thing could be dismantled)

Before this lock of borders here; I did a 1500km trip with one of my bikes (79) and the problem that I had was with the stupid external oil filter (a thing installed by PO) that almost seized the engine; but if was stock, never would happened and I was riding with a new bike besides, so we rode at strong speeds.

I just put a new clutch cable on the Trident. Now I can carry a spare when I travel.
At least one rider who ended up on the chase truck on TSMR this year did so with a broken clutch cable.

You are right, a hammer can help a lot! Years ago on my friends HD WL 750 the clutch "fell off" the shaft and we found by luck a hammer in a nearby old metal junk container.

Trip is over allready, was good fun, nothing serious to repair. Except the Goldstar BSA which came along, suffered from a rainy night on the campground. He forgot to cover the carburettor, and it was full of water in the morning. Took a while to start...


https://ibb.co/RgysjGm

Since the Trident still has the original charging system I also carry a spare rectifier and Zener in my pocket.
I tend to carry one of anything that has ever fallen off in the past.

I’ve found that if you ride the bike regularly you work out where the potential problems might come from, so the tool kit changes from bike to bike.

A credit card solves most large problems. Or some friends. Everybody is different.

Otherwise needle nose vice grips can be a gear lever, clutch or brake lever, pliers, spanner, clamp.

I also carry cable ties, fuses and twin core wire in case I need a jump start or need to jump someone else.

They are always things you don't expect, such as the rear axle nut! I never thought about this!

A lost carburettor float bowl / main jet-nut, learned me securing it like this:

https://ibb.co/X7P5cnp

Bikes that are properly maintained & regularly ridden do not break down because you find things that require replacement well before they fail.
Having said that, the spare carried depend on the necessity of the bike running for the full time and the space available
I make my own cables so fit free rotating drums to the lever end of my brake & clutch cable thus never had one fail on a ride.
Just in case one did, then a pair each of 4" or 6" long nose & short nose lockjaws, short to hold the outer, & long to hold the broken inner.
Same tools become default gear change if it falls off .
Tubes & tyre irons if it is an interstate / international rally
Plugs, drain bolts , inspection caps & O rings for the above
Globes , fuses , a couple of foot of electrical wire, duct tape Occy straps, a couple of blots that are prone to falling off ( rear stand ) .
A couple of chain links & a short length of chain as I needed to borrow one once .
Then it is a standard tool roll that fits inside a plastic chammois tube
A set of WW open enders, selected WW socket heads , 3/8 socket driver , magneto pinion remover, selected impact driver screwdriver bits & a socket to drive them with , a 6" shifter ( goes in pocket ) carb screw driver ( also goes in pocket ) and greasy hand wipes .

For internationals / interstates, clutch spring tool & hammer

Trevor, I completely agree, most of us know the weak points of our "ladies" and can check things before they break.

Still, over all the years I had quite some roadside repairs. But with a bunch of friends we always managed to get the bikes running again. And what's better than telling these stories later while having a couple of beers

https://ibb.co/cNGVnJc

It should be no surprise there is a broad range of expectations and sensibilities represented on this forum. I like to think any bike I own would carry me anywhere I want to go in this world but others will not venture out on a vintage machine any further than they can push back home. To each their own.

As to what to carry along; experience tends to influence choices. I have read accounts of people who rode around the world on vintage bikes ("One Man Caravan" '30s era Douglas for example) and experienced nothing worse than a failed light bulb. That's not my experience. I have a '61 MSS Velocette I have done over 100K miles on and I know and trust it. Still, on a solo trip to Canada from Southern California, in the middle of the desert on a hot day, a recently rebuilt magneto failed. Sure glad I was carrying a spare and was able to install it as the situation was close to dire.

So, make your choices and choose your kit. The bottom line is (to paraphrase Dirty Harry) "Feel lucky Punk?".

Hi All,
While on the 2018 Cannonball where there were extensive and expensive rigs housing all sorts of repair equipment
I was working on Magnetoman's Ariel engine late in the evening, courtesy of Keith Martin, using the onboard mini lathe in their mobile workshop
I needed some emery tape or cloth and a fine file, which none of us had , our other team member did a tour of the car park asking for either item
from other teams to no avail
I do not know how or why I had not packed such basic items? I should have looked at what I have in the tool bag I take with me when I travel and taken note

No one has mentioned packing a small fire extinguisher? these have saved many potential write offs in my experiences !!!

Zambu,
I notice on your A10 that it has a 276 carb with separate float chamber and no air filter or even a gauze
Those carbs can and do easily catch fire if the engine spits back !!! On an A10 it should also have an angled float chamber to compensate for the downdraft mounting
The correct carb for your A10 would be an AMAL Monobloc , which in my experience is a big improvement (plus an air filter)

When I pack for trips on A10 Super Rocket I need to remember a Phillips screw driver bit and a short 17mm spanner for the Mikuni carb in case I need to drain it. I also bring a spare magneto points assembly.
While on Holiday in Switzerland some years ago, on the first fill of petrol one of the taps immediately started to leak badly, so packing a spare tap plunger might also be a good idea

John

I never thought about the axle nut either until it happened. It's never happened to me before, or since. Now I check it regularly.
I did have a drain plug escape from the carb once. Lucky the bike didn't catch fire from the petrol on the silencer. At least I was only about 5 miles from home. I now carry a spare plug when I ride the Trident. I guess I should order a spare for the Mk2s on my Bonnie.

John, thanks for the tip with the carb. I am aware it is not the correct one. It came with the bike when I bought it years ago. It has a gaze / screen on the inlet, maybe you could not see it. It runs quite well, for my understanding. But yes...I might get that correct Monobloc one day....hmm..

On the longer trips I alway carry a small file and some emery cloth, as you saying its needed sometimes.

On one occasion (International BSA Rally in Germany 2011), the newly installed rear brake cable (UK made) lost the pressed- on "end fitting"! I was really surprised! Fortunately a friend carried a little gas torch and some tin, we soldered it and its fine until today.

I carry a fire extinguisher on my old Chevy (used it once!) But never thought loading one onto my bike. A matter of space..?

Had my share of DNF's but very few were really unexpected usually due to a bad habbit of leaving things too late then doing rush repairs without sufficient time to test said repairs or just plain not properly preparring the bike before I left .
I often feel that the biggest problem is the riders who have forgotten what these bikes were like from new and expect 2020 performance from their bikes and do not have the skills to compensate for the short commings of their mount .
They are noisy, shake, bits break , fall off & fluids leak out everywhere but most times they will get you home .
Remember BSA regularly tried to win Maudes trophies by building bikes up from spare parts the riding them for long distances .
I have seen a lot of bikes retire from runs that I would have had no problems riding back home.
These bikes are a lot tougher than most appreciate and they can often be fixed with junk found on the side of the road.

We had a member who broke the fuel banjo en route to a rally 600 km away.
Did he give up & go home
No way, a golf T found on the side of the road and some epoxy & he was back on the way .
Way to easy to call it quits & then wait for the back up or call the other half to bring the trailer to rescue you .

Hello again

A year later, and I was happy to have all the tools with me - a flat tyre needed a new tube. I caught a screw, the last meters rolling out ripped of the valve of the old tube...coming to a stop with a badly shaking bike!

Took us an hour to fix (and some beers in the evening then)!

Cheers!

https://ibb.co/khPXCbg