Workshop · on the road
Tools for the road: what belongs in your kit?
Spanners, a good spark plug, fuses, bulbs, cable ties, a piece of fuel hose and some bolts: this way you always get your classic home.
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The original on-board toolkit of a classic is often incomplete or worn out. With a small, well-chosen kit you can solve most small breakdowns yourself on the road: a loose cable, a dirty plug, a blown fuse. Here is what belongs in it. Adapt it to your bike: check which bolt sizes are really on it.
Spanners and tools
- Combination spannersThe sizes on your bike, usually a few between 8 and 17 mm. Try at home which ones you really need.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Spark plug spannerExactly the right size for your plug, with a handle or a tommy bar through it.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- ScrewdriversFlat and Phillips, or a combination screwdriver with interchangeable bits. A slim flat one reaches everywhere.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Allen keysA folding set, for the Allen bolts on later models and reproduction parts.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Combination pliersSmall pliers for squeezing, bending, holding and cutting wire.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Nail fileTo quickly clean dirty or burnt contact points at the roadside.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Feeler gaugeTo check the gap of the contact points and the plug.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Small torchFor breakdowns in the dark. A torch with lithium batteries lasts a long time, even in the cold.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Multitool or pocket knifeTo cut a hose or trim tape to size.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
Spare parts
- A good spark plugThe right type from the workshop manual, with the gap already set. See Reading spark plugs.
- FusesA few of every rating on your bike.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- BulbsSpare bulbs for tail light, brake light and possibly the headlamp, in the right voltage (6 or 12 volt).
- Cable tiesCable ties in a few sizes: for all sorts of things.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Insulating or duct tapeTo insulate a wire or hold something temporarily.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- A piece of fuel hoseWith two hose clips, for when an old hose splits.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Bolts and nutsA few M6 and M8 bolts with nuts and washers, in a little box.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- A piece of electrical wireWith a few crimp terminals or connector blocks, to temporarily fix a broken wire or earth lead.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Spare cable nippleA screw-on nipple for a throttle or clutch cable that breaks at the nipple.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
Tyres and breakdowns
- Tyre repair kitTubeless: a plug kit. With inner tubes: tyre levers and a patch kit. Practise once at home.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Valve cap with core toolA metal valve cap with a little fork on it: you can also use it to remove or tighten the valve core. Handy with a leaking valve or when patching.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Small pump or CO2 cartridgesTo bring the tyre back up to pressure afterwards. See Tyre pressures NL.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Jump leadsLight leads to start with the help of another bike or car, if you have battery ignition.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
- Tool rollEverything together, without rattling. Fits under the seat or in a bag.View at bol (NL) ↗Bekijk op Amazon ↗
Don’t forget
- Your phone, charged, and the number of your breakdown service.
- A pair of work gloves and a cleaning rag.
- A printed list with your bike’s sizes: plug type, electrode gap, fuses and bulbs.
- Want to carry spare petrol? Only in an approved, properly sealing fuel bottle, and never in an ordinary plastic bottle.
- See also Bike won’t start? and Safely on the road.
SourcesRideApart: The basic motorcycle toolkit (English)Auto Motor Klassiek: breakdowns on the road, column with readers’ tips (Dutch)
More in the workshop
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