Onboard Tools/Leather Pouches?

[TeeCat]

Hey, guys...

Somewhere around here, either here or on 650rider.com, we had a fairly comprehensive thread on on-bike tool kits. It mainly focused on portable ones that one could have at the ready, whether bought or assembled by the rider. Can't find that thread for the life of me! I don't necessarily want to ask people to rehash that here, though that's fine if it comes to that, but maybe someone else knows where that thread is.

Also, the upshot is that even if I get a kit put together, the little place under my seat isn't going to hold much more than some 20 amp fuses and my curled up battery charger pigtail! I have seen some cargo tubes, and even tried to make one once, but from an an aesthetic viewpoint, I keep being drawn to those little leather pouches. They're just cool looking. I like unadorned black "handlebar bags" in particular. Whatever I get would likely be mounted down on the frame right in front of the crankcase (I want the cylinders exposed, obviously), or maybe right below the headlight.

Thing is... what would look good on a cafe/roadster? I'd much appreciate ideas/experiences on both the bag itself, and the mounting, in terms of where. Pics welcome and encouraged!

Cheers!

TC

 

[gggGary]

Put on a hitch and this and you should have most situations covered.

 

[BigJimmyW13]

Do a search for "tools" it's the 7th one down.........

 

[TeeCat]

Ah, that's one of them... thanks Jimmy.

Meanwhile, I found a kit here, but I'm wondering if I can put something like it together for less than $80.00 with a pass through Advance auto.

TC

 

[XSLeo]

Those Cruz Tools kits are nice. Putting one together by buying the individual pieces may be just as expencive. Try pricing it out and see.

 

[littlebill31]

I like this one myself.


All I can say though, seriously, is to not block air flow to the front of the engine.

 

[TeeCat]

Leo, I ended up ordering a CruzTools... should be here this week. I'm waiting for a toolbag too. Should mount right below the headlight.

 

[suthpaw22]

What type of toolbag did ya get?

 

[pumps]

Bought this fork bag at a garage sale for 10 bucks and cleaned it up . Put some extra holes in it and used some black zip ties to secure it to the signals on the rear.

 

[suthpaw22]

Looks good! Beautiful bike as well

 

[pumps]

Thank, it's coming along but darn it's slow going. Either I have time or money but never both! In pieces right now.

 

[TeeCat]

pumps, rats... I can's see your pic from work... will look at home!

suthpaw... I ended up ordering this one. Can't imagine why it wouldn't work out.

TC

 

[suthpaw22]

Teecat,thats a good looking bag. I was thinking of something very similar to mount on my forks under my headlight

 

[TeeCat]

Yup, that's where I plan to mount mine. Not a bad price, for sure.

 

[suthpaw22]

Definately not... Let me know what ya think of the bag once ya get it.

 

[TeeCat]

Well, as luck would have it, I received both my toolbag and my Cruztools kit (from Overstock.com and Oldbikebarn.com, respectively) on the same day - today! Both look like very nice products, so I suppose I'd recommend them from what I can see.

I have not mounted the bag yet, but I will shortly. I have to decide if I'll use the two rawhide mounting straps, or get some nylon/hook and loop ones, and use the rawhide ones supplementally, as rawhide can dry out and break. I also have to go through the tool thread and add some things that are not in the tool kit... fuses, spare plugs, a few other things that have been recommended.

TC

 

[Okie]

Put on a hitch and this and you should have most situations covered.

Might want to go a tooth or so larger on the rear sprocket.

 

[lassenc]

I've found out that it is possible to pack alot of tools behind the sidecover.

2 tyre irons
1 sparkplug socket
screwdriver
umbraco
3 spanners
C-spanner
Feelerguages

What more do you want?

 

[TeeCat]

Well, my left sidecover is pretty busy with the intake, and the right one has a finned combo regulator/rectifier under it. So they're out.

Tried this bag tonight. It's 12" long, which is just right for the tool kit, and about 5" in diameter. I had envisioned mounting it to the triple tree lowers, right beneath my signal mounts (the triangular kind with the little speed holes in them), but there is very little clearance between the bottom of the bag and the top of the front fender. In a best case scenario, there'd only be about an inch of suspension travel before the fender hit the bag's bottom. Might not be a big deal, as I'm only about 155-ish, and it's not as if the bag is totally unyielding. But I ain't movin' those signal mounts... I ain't!

The other option is to mount the bag way down low on the frame, from the lower motor mounts (like a cargo tube), but the bag is just wide enough to come really close to the headers, though they're wrapped. Maybe a set of Gordon Scott's heat shields would solve that if I go the second route.

A third seemingly unlikely option would be on the saddle... not in back of it, but actually right up against the front of the bumstop in the pillion position (my bike is set up for strictly solo). Surprisingly, that actually doesn't look half bad!

TC

 

[lassenc]

Surely you must have the same triangular space behind the batterybox like everybody else?