Rudy's Rolling 1500 ToolKit  last updated April 19, 2007

I'm a person who measures the conveniences provided by manufacturers against my own needs.
In my lifetime, I have yet to find any motorcycle tool kit provided with a bike begins to approach  what I consider minimal functional usefulness.  It's understandable since they have to do it cheaply but that doesn't necessarily help me when I 'm broke down somewhere.
I have also never seen one of them much smaller than the approach I have taken with the tools I carry that would still actually allow me to repair my bike or someone elses while on the road.
The best way I have found to build a functional yet small tool kit is to assemble the tools I have used during my own work on the bike from my shop tool kit.
I simply don't put them back, instead I accumulate them in the box I have chosen to be the carry box.  Then to ensure that I have only the tools I need, I continue to work only from the carry box adding any aditional tools only when needed for other work on the bike but that were not yet in my carry box.  Then when I've settled in on what I use normally for the vast majority of the work, I decide which of these are small enough to carry, or find a smaller version of it, or decide not to carry it unless I'm doing a major trip.  For example, a 3/8" torque wrench.
Later I buy whole kit replacements of these items to replenish the shop tool box and move the remnants to a spare misc tool area in the shop. 

To this end I have 4 categories of tools I carry plus long-trip items.  The 4 categories are:

1.  Electrical testing and repair tools and supplies consiting of:
        A VOM meter, typically a cheap HF unit or an old small Microanta analog VOM.
        Dykes (wire cutters)
        Assortment of crimp terminals (tool kept in the mini tool box)
        Ty-wraps
        Fuses of all types and sizes (generally multiples of each)

2.  Adhesives and tapes (all unopened)  These are stored in an identical sealed plastic box as the tools and kept in the right side box across the bike from the mini toolset.
       JB Weld
       JB Weld Putty
       JB Weld 5 minute
       Gorilla Glue
       3M brand Duct Tape (stored in a plastic bag)
       3M brand Electrical Tape

3.  Other general stuff
       Ride-On flat tire sealant (not installed) 2 bottlles  (two additional bottles stored in the trailer for it if needed)
       Tire valve removal tool
       3' length of 3/8" vinyl tubing
       Wally World Air Compressor
       Tire plug kit
       Flares   (trailer has emergency triangles and fire extinguisher)
       A few spare grommets
       A kenetic LED flashlight
       2 Sealed garden kneeling pads (double as seat cushions)
       16 oz bottle of water
       
4.  Finally... The mini tool box

     

Consisting of:

(See next picture for image of tools described here.)

Starting at the bottom half and going across:

 Sealed box lid
 Honda toolkit 27mm wrench
 Honda toolkit spark plug socket (fits 17mm deepwell socket shown later)
 Honda toolkit 22mm wrench with extenender handle
Craftsman multi-tip magnetic screwdriver
HF right-angle ratcheting phillips screwdriver
Stubby # 2 phillips
Crappy pliers
Magnetic Can/Bottle opener (magnet can be used to hold screws)
1/4" Craftsman ratchet handle
1/4" 6 inch extension
3/8" 6 inch extension
3/8" 3 inch extension
3/8" ratchet handle
6mm - 8mm gooseneck box wrench
7mm - 9mm gooseneck box wrench
10mm - 11mm gooseneck box wrench
12mm - 14mm gooseneck box wrench
12mm  box./ open end wrench
A ty-wrap :)
Basting brush from $10 basing syringe kit
Sealable plastic box

Starting at the top half and going across:

Complete metric allen wrench set (Advance Auto)
1/4" 3 inch extension
1/4" 11mm socket (all sockets are 6 point only)
1/4" 10mm socket
1/4" 8mm socket
3/8" 6mm allen socket
3/8" 22mm socket
3/8" to 1/4" socket adapter
3/8" to 1/2" socket adapter
Misc allen wrenches that came with things added to the bike
3/8" 14mm deepwell socket
3/8" 13mm socket
3/8" 12mm socket
3/8" and 1/4" mini ratchet handle
Xcelite 8mm handle nut driver
Oil filter wrench (Big Bike)
Invasion style electrical terminal crimper/wire cutter/stripper (Vaco 1900)
Clean shop rags
Misc screws, nuts terminals, leftovers.
Not shown, a 6" Crescent Wrench (adjustable spanner), to cover anything else.

     

Fits nice.
     


I store it low in the bike and spread the weight and movement using spongy rigid packing material from a Dell PC shipping container.
This helps protect the box and reduces noise when riding.
     

As you can see, I also carry a spare oil filter and a new Honda fuel filter as well, plus one old spark plug for diagnostics.


When I travel far, I add my HF 3/8" torque wrench and several large deepwell sockets (at least a 30mm and my modified 32mm socket with 4 key stocks and two 2" hose clamps in case I need to torque steering head bearings), or to change the bars, positioin, change a tire and re-torque the axel and clamps, etc.
I ,may also carry a butane soldering iron/mini-torch and solder along with a lighter and some wire.

Hope this helps somebody out there.  It is fairly complete if you repair your own stuff.

Rudy