[adude]

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum and I have a question I haven't been able to get answered yet. I guess it's really two parts so here goes. Do you carry tools on your bikes and where do you store them? I wish there was a bit more space under the seat to put a tool roll. My old K75 had a nice little space in the tail that held tools and a rain suit. So, what does everybody here do? Is there space somewhere that I'm missing? Currently I'm keeping them in one of the hard bags but would love to leave the bags home sometimes but still have a few tools on hand. My bike is a 2012 Classic. Thanks.

 

[las]

It depends on what you want to take in the way of tools. So far, I can fit everything I need before I would call roadside assistance under the seat.

 

[Classic11]

I'm taking the easy :ninja: way out and waiting until the roadside assistance runs out. Otherwise most tire kits are useless for our tubed classics.

 

[las]

Classic11's right on the tools for tire changes; however, after BMW roadside assistance expires, or when one figures out that the people who answer BMWroadside assistance calls are dumber than posts and couldn't find their own noses with a mirror and a map of their faces, there's the insurance company's roadside assistance; and that won't expire until the insurance does. So I don't worry much about tire changing tools in my tool roll unless I'm traveling where there is no cell phone coverage. In the NE US, that is just about nowhere!

 

[adude]

I guess I'm just talking about normal hand tools. I don't bother carrying tire tools either. I have a small tool roll that I keep on my bike that is just a tad too big to fit under the seat. I keep the tiny roll that BMW provides with the bike in the strap under the seat. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Clem]

Can'd add very much adude, as Classic & las have covered it very well. Both have Classic models, and are "been there & done that" guys. I have a small kit about one or two inches thick and 3X4 inches on top of the battery. I have a magnetic tip Torx driver with 6or8 torx bits and a few other lightweight goodies stuffed into a mechanics glove, then the other glove pulled down over the wrist part to form a tool sack. There is room on both sides of the bike between the frame and the side panels to store this. Under the tail light is a small area. The roll that straps under the seat can be increased in size from the scant OEM (a disgrace) tool kit. Another roll of tools can be stored from the rear brake master cylinder to the left side of the bike on ESA models.(mine) Non-ESA models have the adjuster knob taking up that space. You can see the places where the numerous rubber seat supports contact the frame and other areas under the seat. Just avoid those, and you should be OK. Test fit the seat to make sure you will be able to get it to latch securely.Good Luck.

 

[adude]

Yeah that's the space I was concentrating on. I have a 2012 Classic, non-ESA. I have managed to get some small stuff up by the rear of the seat. Maybe if I pare down my tool roll a bit I can fit it in there. The bike looks sooooo good without any luggage attached it would be nice to be able just to carry a small tool roll for commuting or day trips. Thanks for all for the replies.

 

[toooldtocare]

I split my tools up into three rolls, and find that I can fit them there. I carry extra tools, such as a tire plug kit, CO2 fill kit, extra wrenches, a Leatherman, spare oil filler cap, and a few other things. Wish I had more room too, moving from an airhead with plenty of under seat storage, but I can live with what I have.

 

[Budrow]

Hi- I bought a 2011 R1200R classic last summer. I've bought a BMW-specific toolkit from CruzTools, and it (just) fits under the seat, where the OEM kit resides.
Also, I researched the OUTEX conversion kit, and changed my tubed tires to tubeless- cost about $130. tubeless kit supermoto wheel rim rk excel outex I carry a portable tire pump and a tubeless tire plug kit.

 

[Budrow]

Hi- I bought a 2011 R1200R classic last summer. I've bought a BMW-specific toolkit from CruzTools, and it (just) fits under the seat, where the OEM kit resides.
Also, I researched the OUTEX conversion kit, and changed my tubed tires to tubeless- cost about $130. tubeless kit supermoto wheel rim rk excel outex I carry a portable tire pump and a tubeless tire plug kit.

 

[dbrick]

There's some pictures and discussion here.

 

[Lawrence of Suburbia]

FWIW. On LCs there’s no under-seat space at all – an anorexic credit card would find it hard to hide down there.

But on my earlier pre-LC Roadsters I found some quite useful storage that I made use of when touring.

On either side of the bike – looked at from above with seat removed – there are three long, skinny ‘nacelles’ (for want of a better word) which may not be obvious at first glance. As another poster has described here, they are the spaces between the frame members and outer bodywork...

But by packing stuff into a number of the olde-style pencil cases we used to have at school (anybody remember pencil-cases – or pencils?) I could make good use of these spaces. See pix – the green coloured things and less easy to see black ones on the other side are the cases containing mostly tools and such.…

 

[Svaha!Dean]

There is room on both sides of the bike between the frame and the side panels to store this.

I learned of this space on this exact Forum and utilized it last Summer with 8500 miles of success; right side held a socket set tool pouch.

 

[tonyd48]

Could not resist replying to this thread as I'm on a 2011 Classic, and had a flat tire today, and roadside assistance was a major joke (and Las, that was very insulting to the post you compared those yahoos to, most posts are smarter than the donkey I dealt with today). I digress, back to the issue regarding "tools". I removed the license plate mount bracket and mounted a small SKB case which is large enough to hold everything I need to change a flat, front or rear.

. Rewiring the license plate light was a snap and it created a place to mount the LED tail lights. As I've tubes (just ordered the Outex kit) I have a small hand pump and patch kit as well as two tire irons, the Torx necessary to pull the lugs and the muffler, 3/8" drive ratchet and 4" extension as well as the mondo nut needed to pull the front axle. The box I ordered was about big enough for handgun, here's a pic of it open:

. There's a few additional tools in there as well as I have ample room, I tossed in an extra Gerber "leatherman" multi-tool as well as a small ratchet set with philips, torx and allen heads.