Don't leave home without it

Tools and other bike modifications — but what do I really need?

The thing with today's motorcycles, James says, is that making the long haul isn't nearly as problematic as years past.

"Bikes have changed a lot over the last 10 or 15 years," he says. "They've gotten so much more reliable. You used to need a saddlebag half full of tools, but you just don't do that anymore — unless you like touring on antique bikes."

James says tools have become less of a priority, but cellphones are. "A cellphone and some form of roadside assistance is imperative," James says, "I'd consider MoTow or any kind of service like that where you can call an 800 number and people come out to help you."

James figures these services have come down in price to where most people can afford them. The reason, again, is that the bikes are so reliable.

"Theoretically, if you're offering the same service today as 10 or 15 years ago, you should be making fewer runs because the bikes just don't break down as much, James says. "That's a savings you can pass on to your customers."

There are some tools, though, that James still recommends you bring along. "But," he cautions, "repair kits are only as good as your ability to do the repair."

Take fuses for instance, James says, "what good is bringing along spare fuses if you don't know where the fuse box is?

"Or people will bring along a tire repair kit without ever having used one before," James suggests you practice on an old tire so that you're at least familiar with the procedure.

Did you know you could damage your bike in the simple act of topping off your oil level? "This is a classic example I use all the time," James says, "On a BMW oil head, you have to wait ten minutes after riding before checking the level.

"The stories are legendary," he says, "people checked their oil, thought it was low, and added some more, checked again and added more until it was all blowing into the air cleaner.

"You need to read your owner's manual to know how to check your oil," James says.

Some manufacturers want you to check with the bike on the side stand, others standing straight upright. Make sure you know how to check yours before you head out.

If you don't know how to do simple tasks on your motorcycle, James says simply ask someone. "It's a great way to meet other motorcyclists."

Even James admits when he first started riding he didn't know how far to tighten his chain. "So I tightened it as far as it would go," he says. "Oh, it made all kinds of noise, until one day one of my co-workers showed me how to set up the slack.

"Bottom line, don't be embarrassed to ask. "We all started out that way," James says. "Nobody pulled out of their driveway for the first time knowing everything."

James also recommends paying for quality tools versus the cheap stuff. "A tire pressure gauge is important to have," he says. "But if it's a cheap one, you could be doing more harm than good."

James says he has seen gauges that were 6 pounds off, and on some tires, that much can be 20 percent of your total air volume.

OK, so you've fixed the tire, but unless you were lucky enough to catch the flat in front of a gas station, you're still dead in the water -- unless you can inflate it.

"There are pocket-size air pumps to inflate tires that'll either plug into a heated vest outlet or a power port," says James. "Or there are pumps that operate off a spark plug hole, but you'll probably only want to use them on multi-cylinder bikes."

The only other immobilizing breakdown you're likely to be able to repair is your final drive. If you run a final belt drive, James says you need to weigh your need for the expensive belt repair kits, verses simply joining a roadside assistance club.

It's a decision you have to make with everything you might bring. Here's how James reasons it out.

1) Are you really going to have a belt failure when out on the road? "If you regularly inspect your belt, you'll discover problems long before they become a crisis," James says. "Even if you pick up a rock and it starts to put a hole in the belt, you should be able to make it to the next town."

2) The belt repair kit is really only designed to get you to a repair shop. "These are temporary at best, like that itty bitty spare tire in some cars," he says. "You're just not going to want to go very far on it."

3) As stated earlier, are you really going to be able to use the repair kit if you need it? "Honestly, if I were on the Dalton highway, 200 miles from the Arctic Circle, yeah I would have a belt repair kit, and I'd be trying my hardest to get it to work," James says. "In that desolate part of the world, you're pretty sure you're hundreds of miles from any help.

"Now, if I'm 35 miles from home," James says, "no, I'm on the cell phone calling in help."

If you're running a chain drive, James says it's another case of simply watching your wear, and maintenance.

"If you plan on riding any real distances, I recommend going to an automatic chain oiler," he says. "There are a couple different brands out there that constantly keep the chain oiled all the time. This reduces the wear which provides for a longer life."

A light bulb failure may not put you on the side of the road, but it can make continued riding quite hazardous.

James suggests carrying spare bulbs. "Depending on the bike, you can walk into some dealerships and buy a 'bulb kit.' This is a little plastic box," he says "with a holder that contains every kind of bulb used on your bike."

If you suspect you'll be doing a lot of night riding, James says you might want to consider throwing more light out front. "There are many different types of lighting systems that you can tailor to your situation," he says, "from low 35-watt bulbs, which do a great job of flooding the area right in front of you, to half-mile pencil spot lights."

Don't forget, besides being able to see, you'll also want others to see you. "With one rear tail light," James asks, "what are the chances you're going to know it's burned out while you're riding?"

He recommends having more than one light, and having it wired in with your brake light.

Mechanically, that's about all James figures you'll really need to be concerned with, other than the minor stuff already mentioned in "The bike just stopped. Now what?"

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© 2002, American Motorcyclist Association