Tool Kit Megathread

[TrailBoss]

I'm inspired by SneakyDingo's "Tire Megathread" to create a thread here for us to chime in on what the ultimate toolkit contains.

Please share:
1. Tool type (tire soon, wrench sizes, tire inflators, etc etc
2. Brand
3. Potential sourcing location (if possible).
4. What use the tool has being in the kit (inflate tire, take off front axle, adjust chain, etc etc.

I'll start a table of the information as it is posted.

* EDIT 3/15/2022: SneakyDingo strikes again and has provided an awesome Google Sheet with tool kit information. See this direct link, as well as the additional posts below for more information:

CT125 Honda Trail Forum

CT125 CDT Fixed Costs,$1,445.42 Item,Cost,Notes,Reference links Shipping the bike,$750.00,Shipping rates don't vary much based on distance, they all seem to be about this much,<a href="https://www.uship.com/">https://www.uship.com/</a> Flying out,$300.00,Flight based on 1 way flight, no stops, t...

docs.google.com

 

[m in sc]

I ordered all the factory tools that are offered from partzilla on the trail, and the most important one, a charge cable for the cell phone to call a tow truck or the wife to bring the car w the rail.

 

[Carolina Vagabond]

Not necessarily for the bike, but for those that venture long distances, I find a 4 way water key very handy.....

 

[Tman]

Not necessarily for the bike, but for those that venture long distances, I find a 4 way water key very handy.....View attachment 2141

Sorry but I'm totally ignorant on this. What is a water key and what is it used for?

 

[SneakyDingo]

Sorry but I'm totally ignorant on this. What is a water key and what is it used for?

This is a "if you know, you know" sort of thing. I am gonna admit, I have never once thought about carrying one of those while bikepacking, but there were a few times I wished I had one. It's either a 20 IQ thing or a 200 IQ thing to have in your bag. You either never use it, or you desperately need it.

A common practice to prevent vandalism, theft, etc. is to remove the... what would you call it - handle? from residential, industrial and sometimes remote area water outlets. Now, for an entrepreneurial thief or maybe just someone who wants a tiny bit of water to drink, you can use a 4 way water key (aka sillcock key) to turn the water back on temporarily. It's good practice to realize the water sometimes has been sitting there a long time, and as such can be contaminated. Let it flush for a bit and then fill the bottles, or be picky about which water source you activate. And as always, leave no trace. At best, the evidence that you were there should dry up fairly quickly.

Also it's 4 ways because the keys to the city aren't all the same size. This gives you the 4 most common ones.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I based mine off @SomeGuyRides's kit from his riding the TAT experience. He has his gear list here: https://tinyurl.com/2c4w3k5u. DaBinChe also has a pretty similar toolkit for the C125 Supercub located here. My needs aren't the same as theirs and they're tuned appropriately.

I have added my tools list here [Google Sheets]; you may need to switch tabs at the bottom to get the actual tool list. I'm still updating it slightly; the sheets list will be the most up to date (and I'll come back and eventually fix this one)

Purpose	Tool	Brand	Where to buy it	At home/On the bike	Notes
Brakes	2.0x15 cotter pin	Any	Any hardware store	Both	Used on rear brake. Official Honda is 2.0x15 and replace every time, but definitely cheaper from a hardware store
Chain	Chain Breaker	Any 428 Chain breaker	Any motorcycling store	At home
Chain	Spare Master Links	Any	Any motorcycling store	On the bike	Old is as good as new in a pinch; I have a tendency to save my old master links and put them in my toolkit when I change my chains same-for-same.
Drop sheet	Duck MAX Strength Heavy Duty Insulating Film Window Kit	Duck	Amazon, Home Depot	On the bike	Backpacker trick: Ultralight ground sheets for sleeping are basically these, but 10x the cost. For sleeping on in a pinch, as a tool drop sheet or quick waterproof cover. Cut to size.
Feeler Gauges	Feeler Gauges	Generic	Automotive stores	At home	Valve adjustments
Flashlight	Mantis Workman's Light	Mantis	Amazon	Both	Workman's light with a magnetic base and a rotating mount. The magnetic part is useful as a 3rd hand for grabbing dropped bolts too.
Fuse Puller	Fuse Puller	Honda	Came with the bike	On the bike
Misc	Various Zip Ties	Generic	Any hardware store	On the bike	The bulks in multiple sizes give you lots of options and are worth it. I also get the 500 lb ones in bulk.
Misc	Wolfy Tool Roll	Wolfy	https://wolfmanluggage.com/products/wolfy-tool-roll	On the bike	Hold tools. Recommended by SomeGuyRides. I have several tool rolls and this one is definitely the nicest. A gift to myself.
Nuts, bolts and screws	Generic Metric Socket Set	Generic	Any hardware store	At home	A gift from my neighbor. Apparenly came out of a Datsun. Contains all the metric stuff ones.
Nuts, bolts and screws	Loctite	Loctite	Any hardware store	Both	Securing bolts
Nuts, bolts and screws	Park Tool AWS-11 hex wrench	Park Tool	Walmart, bicycle supply stores	On the bike	Apparently you only need the 3mm, 4mm and 10mm to do the servicing on the bike.
Nuts, bolts and screws	Pittsburgh 9 pc Combination Wrench Set	Pittsburg	Harbor Freight	Both	$9. It contains every metric wrench SomeGuyRides used on the TAT, was affordable, and came as a set. I have no idea of whether I would recommend this yet.
Nuts, bolts and screws	Screwdriver	Honda	Came with the bike	On the bike
Nuts, bolts and screws	VESSEL BALL GRIP 1/4" JIS Driver multibit screw driver	Vessel	Amazon	Both	P/N 220W3J1. There's a separate impact driver set I'd also buy for home but I don't have a need for that yet.
Oil	Automotive rag	Any	Anywhere	Both	Blue towels work best here. I have a bulk pack from Costco. This + zip ties (or rubber bands if short term) will stop things rattling.
Oil	Oil Funnel	Cyantor	Amazon	On the bike	Flexible funnel used for oil changes. Not strictly needed but can make life a little easier.
Pliers	Leatherman Squirt PS4	Leatherman	Amazon	On the bike	Contains several basic tools & mini pliers. Have used for several years on my bicycle. Typically used for removing small bits of metal from tires.
Tire inflation	Air Compressor (big)	Any	Almost everywhere	At home	Tire inflation, possibly other things.
Tire inflation	Lezyne Co2 inflator + 2 screw Co2 cartriges	Lezyne	Bicycle stores	On the bike	The bicycle pump is fun, but the Co2 cartridge is faster. WEAR THICK GLOVES WHILE USING IT.
Tire inflation	Pressure gauge	Generic	Almost anywhere	Both	Pencil gauge style.
Tire inflation	Topeak Morph bicycle pump	Topeak	Amazon, Bicycle stores, REI	On the bike	IYKYK this pump is way better than normal hand pumps. All versions will work but the Mountain Morph is better suited to the CT125.
Tire inflation	Valve core remover	Motion Pro	Any online automotive store	Both	I have a Park Tool one already. Great for adding slime, airing up and down tires, subtle revenge on a driver that stole your parking spot, etc.
Tire patching	Tube Patch Kit	ParkTool & generic	Any bicycle store	Both	A combination of glueless & glue patches + an extra glue tube. The glue always dries out.
Tire patching	Tubeless patch kit	Genuine Innovations	Any bicycle or automotive store	Both	Patching the tire itself will be good preventing future flats
Tire removal	MOTION PRO Bead Buddy II	Motion Pro	Any online motorcycle store	At home	I probably won't need this, but it was cheap and I wanted to see if I could make one that you can 3D print.
Tire removal	MOTION PRO Rim Shield II	Motion Pro	Any online motorcycle store	At home	Another "I want to try and duplicate it" but I will definitely use these. I don't like scratching rims.
Tire removal	MOTION PRO Spoon Tire Irons	Motion Pro	Any online motorcycle store	Both	It was a toss up between 3x spoons and the BeadPro™ Tire Bead Breaker set; this was on sale.
Tire removal	Rubber mallet		Any hardware store	At home	Removing the axles

EDIT:
There are three things in my wishlist that aren't above.

• BelRay Super Clean Chain Lube 400ML Spray-On - you can get this from Amazon or Cycle Gear. Cycle gear is WAY cheaper.
• uxcell Universal 9mm Hexagonal Air Valve Adjust Wrench Quick Repair Tool for Motorcycle for valve adjustments. Apparently this makes it WAY easier.
• Spark Plug wrench - I haven't bought one yet.

EDIT 2:
I need to check to see if the above tools list will be able to swap the front sprocket -1/+1T. It was something SomeGuyRides mentioned in his review of Engineer's Pass of wishing he had done that. When I looked up the procedure I think the above toolkit lacks the deep socket required to pull the covering panel off (8mm deep socket?) that the Youtuber mentioned. I have to go to work but that's something I'd add. In addition to this, there's some deep sockets I have to double check would be covered by this list I have when doing valve adjustments at home, to make everything top-dead-center.

Something else I'm thinking about is throwing a small toothbrush in the kit. This bike has a lot of Allen head screws, and to prevent stripping the heads you should always make sure those are clean first. A toothbrush is a good on-the-road solution. I can't remember which bolts they are on my bicycle, but my bicycle has some like that.

 

[Carolina Vagabond]

I usually don’t buy new tools unless it’s something I need but I picked up this little set and it seems well built and thought out. It’s a Harbor Freight Icon flexhead ratchet and 35 bit set. I’ll end up removing the bits I won’t need for the bike and add a couple of JIS bits for my older bikes. This set is small, really small. I think it is great for throwing on the bike. $40

 

[SneakyDingo]

That's a pretty cool find. I've got a 3D printer so I reckon I could trim that down pretty easily to just the ones needed on the bike and make the kit even smaller.

 

[dmonkey]

I steer away from the lower quality hex bits because they always seems to warp and round out after regular use, have had it happen with modern Craftsman, Husky, and Pittsburgh bits. TEKTON has a good price-to-durability ratio for regular use tools and they sell individual tools and bits with free shipping to the USA so that's what I put together my current kit with. It's often cheaper to buy a set and then just remove the ones you don't need and throw them in a drawer, but some of the sets don't include the full range of sizes you may want so it's nice to be able to supplement it with individual bits or sockets.

I really like the idea of 3D printing something! Right now I keep my sockets on a few plastic socket rails in a tool roll, but something custom would be nicer and more compact.

 

[m in sc]

I have a similar one from wera but also has sockets in it. about the same size. similar to this. https://www.amazon.com/Proxxon-2308...t=&hvlocphy=9010668&hvtargid=pla-421299740109

 

[TrailBoss]

I steer away from the lower quality hex bits because they always seems to warp and round out after regular use, have had it happen with modern Craftsman, Husky, and Pittsburgh bits. TEKTON has a good price-to-durability ratio for regular use tools and they sell individual tools and bits with free shipping to the USA so that's what I put together my current kit with. It's often cheaper to buy a set and then just remove the ones you don't need and throw them in a drawer, but some of the sets don't include the full range of sizes you may want so it's nice to be able to supplement it with individual bits or sockets.

I really like the idea of 3D printing something! Right now I keep my sockets on a few plastic socket rails in a tool roll, but something custom would be nicer and more compact.

The Harbor Freight Icon line is meant to compete with Snap-On. I watched a few direct comparison videos on YouTube and so far it looks to be true.

 

[McRuss]

Wow, what a list! I updated a kit for my first ride on the 125 and the first thing I added was Slime! I hate the stuff but it will get you out of the woods at the very least. Other than that, I'll go back over someone's list and add what I've missed. First ride will be with well-prepared buddies though.....

PS, does any one pull a trailer to haul their tool kit? JK, the box on mine will hold $200 worth of Harbor Fright tools!

PPS, this is my first chain drive/tube type bike since I sold my DR250 a couple years ago. Spyder and Vespa are tubeless and belt drive! But on the up side, neither have a clutch lever and the Spyder requires shifting though with a paddle (Honda might have done that....) My clutch leverless FJR1300 had both foot and paddles!

 

[dmonkey]

I feel the same way about Slime. My tool kit approach is to make note of what tools you use when working on the bike, put a set of them aside to build a tool set for the bike, and get to the point of trying to mostly use your road kit to do all the work on the bike - with exceptions like at home I'm going to use longer tire spoons with better leverage and I'll also use a torque wrench that I don't carry in the bike tool kit.
No trailer to pull my toolkit, but my Expedition 134 top box can be locked which is nice. I've only ever had a spare gas can and spark plugs stolen off a motorcycle, even when using soft bags. When I use a milk crate I throw a jacket over it when parked so the contents are less visible, and I started using GPS trackers on all my bikes where I'll get a phone notification if the bike is bumped or moved a bit.

Tool kits

Does anyone have any thoughts on a basic toolkit when touring? Perhaps to remove a wheel/tyre, access the battery or change a light bulb ...

hondatrail125.com

 

[SneakyDingo]

PS, does any one pull a trailer to haul their tool kit?

A very real conversation to have when you are thinking, "that's a lot of money and inconvenience if that goes missing..."

- I'm currently using a milk crate on the back of the bike. I put a tote that uses almost all the internal space of the crate inside it, and carry that with me as needed.
- I'm working on something a little more custom right now around Apache 4800 cases, where I can quick-release it remove it from the back of the bike and take it with me.

 

[McRuss]

I pulled the stock tool kit out yesterday and added a couple items (photo). In addition to the screw driver, I added 10 and 12 mm open end/box wrenches, a small socket set with 8-12mm sockets, ratchet, extension, and pliers. When I figure out which driver bits I need, I think there is room to add them. And before someone replies, yes, I know the cap on the tool kit can come loose. This was more an exercise to see what all I could fit in there, I'll probably carry a better tool roll in my crate when I get serious.

 

[Ala Hele 125]

I bought a Motion Pro Multi-Purpose tool kit, which comes in zippered nylon pouch. The kit fits in the 125's tool box perfectly, but you'll have to leave out the helmet lock cable.

 

[MisterB]

McRuss, I'm on a similar path. I have a .30 Cal ammo crate with what I need for tire repair for the Trail and wife's Super Cub but I don't carry it when I'm commuting or running to the store or whatever.
This is hopefully enough to tighten up something that comes loose or needs adjusting. Still room for a tube to add some oomph to the 6" sliding T-handle, a 3 or 6" extension, and pressure gauge.
I bought the Givi S250 box that JTB showcased in this thread but I know that I'll have it packed to the gills and probably break the mounting system.
If I have space I use it, so best to stick to Milk Crate storage for the heavier stuff and work within the limitations of the OEM toolkit.

The second pic is a cool tool I inherited from my dad, I've loved this since I was a kid. Couldn't find a modern equivalent in metric, would've been perfect! It's a hex key with special hex sockets. It's from the 60's or very early 70's and the only thing printed on it is "Japan".
I may mill out a small amount from the 3/8" receiver of my sockets to store them on the round handle of the slider to reduce the total size. Big maybe though, I'm on the hunt for a 3/8" square L-wrench.





edit: only took removing a few thousandths from the 3/8" flats. Had to smooth off the stamped branding on the t-wrench.

 

[Kev250R]

There is some great info here for sure, however I kind of take a more minimalist approach. Basic tool kit with a few extra things in it specific to the machine and a Leatherman. My thought is if/when something breaks just get the machine back to my truck or get my truck to the machine; I carry a lot of tools in my trucks.

The typical ride with my friends is an 80-100 mile loop, mostly on dirt trails in the mountains when it's warm or the deserts in the winter with a few longer rides every year in Utah or Arizona. When I first started riding with them I used to carry a large tool bag strapped to my rear rack but after a ride or two soon decided it wasn't necessary, so now it stays back at the truck.

Proper Prep and maintence plays a big part too. Nothing leaves my garage for a ride unless it's 100%. In the past we've actually asked people not to join us anymore becuase their machines were unreliable and caused problems.

 

[bryanchurch06]

I just ordered this online, found a better price on optics planet, I will post a review asap on it. I plan on making a laminated cheat sheet for torque specs on the trail. By I plan on it I mean pestering Sneakydingo until he posts on I can copy. I do plan on repaying Sneakydingo for all his help by feeding him green chili cheese burgers and pie in pietown NM until I have to lift him onto his bike.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I just ordered this online, found a better price on optics planet, I will post a review asap on it. I plan on making a laminated cheat sheet for torque specs on the trail. By I plan on it I mean pestering Sneakydingo until he posts on I can copy. I do plan on repaying Sneakydingo for all his help by feeding him green chili cheese burgers and pie in pietown NM until I have to lift him onto his bike.

Funny you mention that. At one point someone uploaded them and I saved them.