My boredom post for today    There was a post the other day about the factory tool kit and how it has rather low quality tools.  Here is the tool kit I carry in my tank bag.  I knocked it over and spilled it while I was working on a bike this weekend so I snapped a few pictures while I reorganized it today.  It has all the basic tools you'd need in a roadside emergency & for minor maintenance and repairs:

Standard and Phillips tip screwdrivers
Combination wrench set (8-19 and 22mm)
Pliers and wire cutters
Allen wrenches
3/8" drive socket set (10-19mm)
Tire pressure gauge
Tire plug kit and CO2 inflator
Latex gloves

When traveling I also throw in some mechanics wire and extra levers in case of a minor wreck.  All the tools fit in a cheap shower tote that stows easily in a tank bag (too big to store under the seat).  As Jared pointed out, you really only need 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19 and 22mm sizes on the GS so you could eliminate some sockets and wrenches to make the kit smaller and lighter    

-Jessie


Tools



Tools neatly stowed in a shower tote



Shower tote zippered closed



Not a tool I carry but one that I had in the bag from working on crustybmer's GS. This is a Toyota Special Service Tool that was used to change valve shims on 80's Camrys.  Not something that is used much anymore so nobody really notices/cares when I borrow it from my old job 

Wow.

You were a boy scout when you were a kid, huh?

"Be Prepared"

Now what would you take if you were just making a tail emergency kit?

I've been thinking about it from time to time. Mostly how to get it to stay in there.

Quote from: meri on January 11, 2010, 11:13:56 AM
Now what would you take if you were just making a tail emergency kit?

I've been thinking about it from time to time. Mostly how to get it to stay in there.

8, 10, 12, 14, 17 & 19mm combination wrenches, pliers with wire cutters and a standard and phillips screwdriver would be my starting point then see how much room is left.  If you have the space I'd add a socket set.  Look around and you can find something that will hold all that and still fit under the seat.  Try a soft CD case.  See what you can find at a Goodwill, sometimes they have bags from medical equipment and small electronics that are decent for holding tools.  Good luck!

-Jessie

How firmly does something need to be secured under the seat? Are we talking zip ties, or magnets. Or even some sort of snap might be nice.

Well, the stock toolkit has a rubber strap that's supposed to hold the pouch in place, and the pouch with snap that's supposed to hold the tools together so the strap can hold the whole thing in place.

If you glance around the underside of the seat/top of the fender, you'll notice a lot of gaps small things can easily get rattled through. My Yamaha's have a document holder under there for the registration, but my GS (possibly not all GSs, since mine was far from pristine) has nothing like that, so I keep the papers in a zip-loc in my riding suit. IF I get to reconfiguring the underside of the seat I'll probably address that and better tool storage as well. Should get to it in 5-10 years or so at the present rate     

depending on how bad you want extra room for stuff you could cut up the rear fender and make your own storage compartment that sits lower.  Just make sure that you dont go so low that you bottom out with every bump. may have to get a stiffer rear susspension or raise the angle of the subframe.

I put a handful of tools in a zippered Shure microphone bag,
and the registration in a heavy ziploc bag.
They fit under the seat all the way aft and aren't going anywhere.

What's the dog biscuit for? In case you break down, cannot fix it, and the nearest house has a dog? Maybe in case you get hungry while you're broken down?

Michael

You should always carry a dog treat in case a dog charges your bike   

What I carry has evolved over the years and it's an ongoing process.  Like my last big trip to West Virginia on the SV.  The shift lever pivot bolt backed out of the frame.  To fix it properly I needed snap ring pliers which weren't in my tool kit.  So I had to half ass it and hope it would hold for the rest of the vacation and the 6 hours ride home.  Same thing with spare parts.  My drops/wrecks have taught me to carry extra brake & clutch levers, spare gear shifter and some mechanics wire when going on long trips.  Something I haven't added yet is spare mounting brackets for the brake reservoir and clutch lever.  When I high sided the SV my arm caught the right mirror as I was launched breaking the mount for the front brake lever/reservoir.  It also took out the shift lever.  I could have rode the bike home in second gear but I was too shaken to ride without front brakes.  I haven't had to use the dog biscuit yet...

-Jessie

  I've been wondering which wrenches I would need for a real toolkit. I'm sure glad more thought went into the bikes than the "tools" under my seat.
When the bag is of better quality than the tools inside, somethings wrong...
So thanks for providing me 8, 10, 12, 14, 17 & 19mm. To sears I go. 

Quote from: ke7syv on January 12, 2010, 07:22:38 PM
I've been wondering which wrenches I would need for a real toolkit. I'm sure glad more thought went into the bikes than the "tools" under my seat.
When the bag is of better quality than the tools inside, somethings wrong...
So thanks for providing me 8, 10, 12, 14, 17 & 19mm. To sears I go. 

Thank Jared, he gave me that list 

-Jessie

Nice, I was actually going to make a thread asking what tools people carry around on their bikes since i am planning some long trips this summer. I love being organized, you should see my freaking tool chest and garage. I dont leave it after working on something without having everything thing back right where it was for the next wrenching session

Nice.

I built a similar kit that I put in a mechanic's roll and was going to stuff under my seat, but it ended up too big to fit.  I carry it in the duffel I bungie to the back seat.

Had all the sockets I'd used on the bike, combo wrenches for the wheels, allen sockets, multitool, screwdrivers, tire guage, and probably something I'm forgetting.

A solution I've seen dual sport riders use is to put the tools in a welding rod keeper tied to the frame between the panniers and the frame.  Seems like a good idea and might be ok even without panniers.

Thinking about it though, I've only taken my kit on rides with Jessie, so maybe I don't need to worry about it anyway...

I reckon I was going to go with the very basic tools, but this would have to do. Thanks for the info!

Quote from: BaltimoreGS on January 11, 2010, 10:35:08 AM
My boredom post for today    There was a post the other day about the factory tool kit and how it has rather low quality tools.  Here is the tool kit I carry in my tank bag.  I knocked it over and spilled it while I was working on a bike this weekend so I snapped a few pictures while I reorganized it today.  It has all the basic tools you'd need in a roadside emergency & for minor maintenance and repairs:

Standard and Phillips tip screwdrivers
Combination wrench set (8-19 and 22mm)
Pliers and wire cutters
Allen wrenches
3/8" drive socket set (10-19mm)
Tire pressure gauge
Tire plug kit and CO2 inflator
Latex gloves

When traveling I also throw in some mechanics wire and extra levers in case of a minor wreck.  All the tools fit in a cheap shower tote that stows easily in a tank bag (too big to store under the seat).  As Jared pointed out, you really only need 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19 and 22mm sizes on the GS so you could eliminate some sockets and wrenches to make the kit smaller and lighter    

-Jessie


Tools



Tools neatly stowed in a shower tote



Shower tote zippered closed



Not a tool I carry but one that I had in the bag from working on crustybmer's GS. This is a Toyota Special Service Tool that was used to change valve shims on 80's Camrys.  Not something that is used much anymore so nobody really notices/cares when I borrow it from my old job 

Interesting, how would you use that toyota shim tool?

It's actually more cumbersome than the true tool but works the same way by pushing against the cam to press down the shim bucket.

-Jessie

Is screwdriver included in Suzuki tool-kit a JIS or just a plain ol Phillips??

Regular Phillips, I don't own any JIS tools.  If a screw is stubborn I use an impact driver.

-Jessie

Quote from: BaltimoreGS on May 30, 2012, 08:27:34 AM
It's actually more cumbersome than the true tool but works the same way by pushing against the cam to press down the shim bucket.

-Jessie

Thanks