How you pack your heavy stuff/tools on your bike when on long trips?

[Afan]

On my first two-week trip I was following the "rule" from my previous bike (ST1100): I stored heavy stuff (bag with tools, air-pump, tire kit, chain cleaner) at the bottom of one of my Givi side cases. Other heavy stuff in other side case. Lighter stuff, mostly clothing, on top, and in the top case. Frunk was full of small things, like my documents, quarters, valet, 2nd set of keys, earbuds, 2nd glasses, clear visor, quick snack, etc. Dry bag with camping gear on the pillion seat.
But somehow I had a feeling that my front wheel will go up if I hit a small stone or something similar... I felt it bouncy, or something... Had a feeling that the too much weight is on the rear wheel.
So I moved all my heavy tool into the frunk, and small stuff form the frunk into small backpack, tied on top of the top case.
Keeping the balance was much easier. And, additional advantage was that, when I was sleeping in a motel, I would take with me the side cases with the "useful" stuff/content (never needed my tool with me in the room ).

So, I would like to hear your opinion, what do you have in your frunk while on long trips, where do you keep your heavy stuff, etc. Or you have some kind of special bag for tools so you can tie it to the front wheel, or to the engine guards?

 

[dduelin]

I carry only three tools outside of the compact ST1300 tool kit that rides in the bottom of the frunk. The three tools are a 3/8" drive breaker bar and the axle nut/bolt wrenches and those ride in the bottom of one of the saddlebags. I have an aftermarket rear shock that remains composed when I carry a 50-60 lb touring load.

 

[StratTuner]

I carry the tools in a plastic tube suspended under the top box platform. The tube was designed to hold a tractor operations manual (I believe). It's about $12 on Amazon.


the tools in it are these:

They consist mostly of common socket wrench sizes used on the NC.
There's a multi-purpose tool and some zip ties all wrapped in a blue rag so they don't rattle.

 

[drdubb]

I carry my tools in the trunk

 

[670cc]

I carry the tools in a plastic tube suspended under the top box platform. The tube was designed to hold a tractor operations manual (I believe). It's about $12 on Amazon.
View attachment 36631

the tools in it are these:
View attachment 36632
They consist mostly of common socket wrench sizes used on the NC.
There's a multi-purpose tool and some zip ties all wrapped in a blue rag so they don't rattle.

A few suggestions (no offense intended for your choice of tools as I’m sure you have reasons for bringing them along):

That’s a lot of sockets! Inventory your bike’s fasteners, as I believe there are maybe just 7 or so socket sizes needed for a stock NC.

Add a 17mm hex bit so you can remove the front wheel. Buy a 17mm hex bit. Drive out the bit and carry only the bit in your tool kit and operate it with your big adjustable wrench. Use the other piece as a 17mm socket a home.

 

[Afan]

I carry only three tools outside of the compact ST1300 tool kit that rides in the bottom of the frunk....

In the frunk? Good. So, I'm no tdoing anything wrong.

... I have an aftermarket rear shock that remains composed when I carry a 50-60 lb touring load.

I'm kinda heavy guy (250 lbs) and still like to take stuff on trips with me that I don't need. So, I was thinking about the better shock. Which would you recommend?

 

[Afan]

... Add a 17mm hex bit so you can remove the front wheel.

... what brought my other question: do we need to carry 17/24/27 mm sockets on the trips? The reason I ask is because the tire is tubeless so we don't need to take the the wheel off to change a tube. To fix a hole in the tire I use tire kit repair and don't need to take the tire off. And, if it's not reparable, I still don't need to take the tire off because I don't carry backup tire with me, right? So, why bother? The same (my) logic for tire bead breaker levers. I bought the Motion Pro ones, the shorter ones to pack it easier - and now I know I don't need them and I should've buy longer ones.

You agree or disagree?

 

[Afan]

I carry the tools in a plastic tube suspended under the top box platform. The tube was designed to hold a tractor operations manual (I believe). It's about $12 on Amazon.
View attachment 36631

I bought two of these at Harbor Freights for MSR fuel bottles but never installed.

 

[Deleted member 1183]

So I moved all my heavy tool into the frunk,

That is exactly what I did when I still had a NC700X. On my other normally aspirated bikes I carry the heavy stuff in a tank bag. Too often I have seen bikes with too much weight on the rear with associated handling issues.

 

[SilverRocket]

In my frunk I keep one of those 6 pack, cloth wine bottle carriers. Each part has something different- water bottle, sunglasses, camera, battery backup charger, etc. Just things I will need while riding.
I have an older Nelson Rigg tailbag that I keep over the rear seat. It detaches easily enough but still stays on the seat good enough to hold some weight. This is where I put my heavier things, tools and any wines I might bring home. My clothes go inside my Givi luggage that fits inside my hard top case. Both it and the frunk have what I consider to be ridiculously low weight limits.
Since the rear seat is designed to hold a passenger I feel it's the best place for heavy items.

 

[StratTuner]

A few suggestions (no offense intended for your choice of tools as I’m sure you have reasons for bringing them along):

That’s a lot of sockets! Inventory your bike’s fasteners, as I believe there are maybe just 7 or so socket sizes needed for a stock NC.

Add a 17mm hex bit so you can remove the front wheel. Buy a 17mm hex bit. Drive out the bit and carry only the bit in your tool kit and operate it with your big adjustable wrench. Use the other piece as a 17mm socket a home.

View attachment 36633

No offense taken. I'm not a mechanic of any stripe, really, and I carry all that stuff just because I don't know what I should carry. The sockets go from very small up to 17mm because that's the range on the NC.

I am also carrying sockets for standard-sized HD riders. Usually when I stop to help someone, it's a Harley guy, but that's only happened three times in four years.

I'm printing the 17 mm socket thing you pictured so I can take it to the auto parts store, point, and say "I need these.'
thanks for that.

 

[Therapy]

Rear wheel wrenches etc. to adjust chain.
I over packed in 1976 while out alone. I needed most of it at one time or another.
I over pack today still even though now-a-days one can just stop and call Mommy.

 

[T S N]

Someone once told me that a bmw airhead transmission fits in the frunk.

 

[Doc True]

It sounds like you have the placement figured out. Heavy stuff is better in low places. Apart from that, you only have two options, in the back or in the front. The back caused issues so it has to go up front. The only thing that I would suggest is to take a good look at what you realistically need to take with you. If weight is causing these issues, you may want to pair down. This isn't something someone can answer for you because we all have different levels of competency, different levels of mechanical anxiety, and ride in different places. There are some very good tips in this thread already and I'm sure other threads as well.

I have a 12 mm, 14 mm, and two small adj. wrenches to adjust the chain, some multi-tool things, and a plug kit.

Remember that, unless your traveling away from civilization, you can always find tools for those rare things. You can buy them at an auto-parts store or just borrow them from folks. In this age, if you can find people, you can find tools.

Also, it's a Honda and not a BMW. You have a much smaller chance of needing tools than you might think.

 

[Doc True]

A few suggestions (no offense intended for your choice of tools as I’m sure you have reasons for bringing them along):

That’s a lot of sockets! Inventory your bike’s fasteners, as I believe there are maybe just 7 or so socket sizes needed for a stock NC.

Add a 17mm hex bit so you can remove the front wheel. Buy a 17mm hex bit. Drive out the bit and carry only the bit in your tool kit and operate it with your big adjustable wrench. Use the other piece as a 17mm socket a home.

View attachment 36633

This is a very cool trick. I like it, but I can't think of reason to remove the front wheel while on the road. What am I missing?

 

[670cc]

This is a very cool trick. I like it, but I can't think of reason to remove the front wheel while on the road. What am I missing?

I agree, it would be uncommon on a tubeless tired machine to need to remove the front wheel in a road emergency.

However last fall on a trip I packed my front fender with mud, which dried like a brick. I removed the front wheel to get the mud out. At least I got to pat myself on the back for bringing the 17mm hex bit along.

While I've never done it myself, OCR is the kind of guy that changes tubeless tires by himself in a parking lot. So, I guess unexpected things happen.

 

[pahondafan]

This is what I carry in a vinyl pouch in the tail cone under the seat. In the frunk is a screwdriver handle with bits and a Leatherman wave. The third tool from the left in the pic is a cut-off from an allen wrench for the front wheel. I inventoried every fastener on the bike that I was likely to encounter and only carry those size wrenches.
The Cruz-tool was the most expensive item in the kit. All other tools were flea market finds.

 

[Therapy]

This is what I carry in a vinyl pouch in the tail cone under the seat. In the frunk is a screwdriver handle with bits and a Leatherman wave. The third tool from the left in the pic is a cut-off from an allen wrench for the front wheel. I inventoried every fastener on the bike that I was likely to encounter and only carry those size wrenches.
The Cruz-tool was the most expensive item in the kit. All other tools were flea market finds.

View attachment 36830

And there you have it.

I started a list whenever I got a bike. That is the list I use to collect what I need to take on a trip.

 

[Therapy]

This is what I carry in a vinyl pouch in the tail cone under the seat. In the frunk is a screwdriver handle with bits and a Leatherman wave. The third tool from the left in the pic is a cut-off from an allen wrench for the front wheel. I inventoried every fastener on the bike that I was likely to encounter and only carry those size wrenches.
The Cruz-tool was the most expensive item in the kit. All other tools were flea market finds.

View attachment 36830

And there you have it.

I started a list whenever I got a bike. That is the list I use to collect what I need to take on a trip.

P.S. What is a Cruz-tool?

 

[670cc]

What is a Cruz-tool?

CruzTOOLS - Highly Functional Tools