As I am sitting at home with a ruptured Achilles, I have given it some thought.
Is it safe to assume that you have no tool kit at home, that you can lift a few tools out of?
If so, why not start to build one, based on something sensible? When you have looked at your bike and worked out the (really very few) tools you’ll need, then take yourself to Halfords or look online and buy yourself the best version of the tool you can realistically afford. Why? They might well last you a lifetime and will definitely last well beyond the duration of your next holiday. You don’t need to spend a fortune buying the ‘Professional’ range, just something good enough to spanner away on the very few times you’ll actually really need to do something.
This fellow listed about everything for a 1200 GS. It’s bloody overkill but he is American. You can though look at it, as the bike is pretty much the same (tool wise) as any other in the BMW range. Then, from his long list, pick the few things you actually need.
Some have asked for a complete list of my tools in the kit I have displayed online a few times, so here it is: <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =...
www.advrider.com
As a very simple example, I have a good quality Snap-On (probably stolen) screwdriver I found being flogged locally for peanuts. It is nothing more than a decent handle and two screwdriver blades, each with a different head at each end. The four heads cover every screw I am likely to find on any bike at the roadside or at home. Being one handle and two blades, it takes up less room than your T-thing and all those little bits in their plastic cases, the bulk of which you’ll never use. Find yourself something similar.
From memory, the only odd Torx bolt on my 1200’s was the male Torx, which clamped the gear lever onto its spline, all the other bolts were female Torx, I think. Why did BMW use a male headed Torx bolt there? I have no idea. I swapped the male Torx bolt out and the world kept turning.
Remember, that necessity is often the mother of invention. I snapped the left hand mirror off my 1200 GSA in Spain. Riding on the right, means that the left mirror is important, when overtaking. The mirror arm was OK and the glass / round glass holder was OK. But I had no easy means to join them….. I pinched a fork from a restaurant (I’ll go to hell, I’m sure) and gaffer taped the fork handle to the stem. The round glass holder I gaffer taped to the prongs of the fork, they being the perfect curved shape. It worked and got me home. No tools involved, as such.
