PDA

View Full Version : Recommended tools for road trip



lvwilly
05-09-2012, 10:19 PM
I'm getting ready to do a 5,000 mile road trip and looking for any lessons learned. I have a spare belt to swap out before I go but any tools or other spares I should have. Bike should also be sufficiently farkled but looking into the Palmer long distance pegs, they seem pretty popular for the longer rides. Expensive though, any alternatives? I'm also having trouble downloading the manual from this website. Says my login doesn't work. Thanks in advance.

RT Performance
05-09-2012, 10:31 PM
Knight design has some nice Ulysses pegs and weighted bar ends.
Tire plug kit and co2 inflator.
other than that loctite the bolts change the oil and go

captain chaos
05-10-2012, 06:52 AM
Some basic tools and supplies are never a bad idea. I always pack some wrenches/screwdrivers/basic tools when I head out on a long trip. Also, never underestimate the value of some duct tape, bailing wire and zip ties. [up] They take up very little space but they can really be a life saver if you’re in a pinch. Aside from that I normally take a few pieces of wire, some fuses and some electrical tape in case of electrical problems.

Also, depending on how many miles are on the bike, I would check the wheel bearings and if there are any signs of roughness or drag, replace them. It’s an easy fix at home but can be a REAL pain out on the road. My brother ran into this very problem on the trip we took a few years back. He was getting a lot of vibration in the front of his bike so we stopped (a few 100 miles from home) and sure enough, his front wheel bearings were bad (no vibration when we left) [mad]. We had to call like 5-10 different shops to find one that was open and had bearings in stock (we got REALLY lucky). We ended up in this little shop right in the middle of the ghetto in Louisville, Ky. The owner literally told us “I wouldn’t leave your bikes out here unattended if I were you”. :p It only took a short time to fix and he didn’t charge us much, just parts, minimal labor and a case of beer for staying open after hours (no joke).:D
Other than that, go over the bike carefully and make sure everything is in good working order.

Other stuff to include:
First aid kit, flashlight, cell phone charger, map (sometimes a map beats a GPS), Advil (Ibuprofin), tire plugs and an inflator of some sort, MP3 player and ear plugs. The last 2 can REALLY help with the fatigue of long days on the road.

Otherwise, have fun![up]