Why
When heading out on a motorcycle tour, it’s not just your sense of adventure you need to pack—bring tools too, unless you enjoy waiting for roadside rescue in the rain. First and foremost: tyre-changing tools. You haven’t lived until you’ve wrestled a stubborn bead in 38°C heat while a wallaby watches in judgment.
What
Tyre levers, a puncture kit, tubes and a mini compressor are non-negotiables. Next, spanners and sockets—because when something rattles, leaks, or wobbles, you’ll want to look busy while pretending to know what you’re doing. A 10mm spanner is especially critical, as it doubles as a sacrifice to the mechanical gods (you will lose it). Bring at least two of these.
Zip ties? The duct tape of the future. Got a broken fairing, flapping mirror, or loose exhaust? Zip it. And speaking of duct tape—wrap a metre or two around a pen or water bottle for quick fixes. It’s the universal solution to “uh-oh.”
Video
A bunch of other tools are also required. This short video specifies what I carry. However, like religion, there is more than one answer and you will find all the answers on YouTube
Remember: if you pack tools, you probably won’t need them. If you don’t? Well, enjoy bonding with every passing mechanic between here and nowhere.
