The Junk In Your Trunk

Finally got my "hand me down" '81 550 up and running, and now I got that itch. You know the one I'm talking about. Not the itch down there but THE itch. Especially since riding season is opening up full throttle.

SO. Question for yall. What junk do you have in your trunk? What kinda stuff do you keep with your bike at all times? I don't want to keep super valuable stuff there since it's just a piece a plastic that can be broken to get into, but I figure there have got to be some essential items in there. I don't wanna do any cross country trips or anything like that, but make a nice day trip ~300-400 miles round trip. Maybe a couple of the trips my late, future father in law liked to take back in the heyday.

My thoughts would be a telescopic screw driver incase the float bowls need to be drained, Cresent wrench, flash light, etc.

Obligatory pictures of the yet-to-be-named girl on her second maiden voyage included for those curious.

 

I have a top-box, and other storage, so I carry a fiar bit more than most people. I also tend to always be prepared for a multi-day ride since the motorcycle is the most economic of my vehicles, which means it gets pressed into duty for emergency trips.

Registration, the Yamaha toolkit, tire patch kit, two air pumps (electric for convenience, manual for reliability), zip ties, wire, self-amalgamating tape, flashlight, first-aid kit (I have carried one on every bike I've ever had), 1 liter of extra fuel (gas stations can be too far apart out here), bungee cargo net (in case I need to pick something up that won't fit into the top case), sidestand foot (for parking on soft ground), and an infatable pillow (because, naps).

 

There is a lot of people that will tell you many great things.
Not me, I just am curious if your sweet looking bike has the factory original rubber brake lines up front.

I travel with the factory tool kit under the seat and my leatherman. Haven't done any really long trips off of the beaten path.

 

I travel with my toothbrush and a couple of credit cards...

 

What k-moe said (especially the zip ties, in a couple different sizes) plus a small towel for drying the seat when you come back to a wet bike after a rain, and some disposable latex gloves to keep your hands clean if you have to do some roadside repairs on your way to a fancy dinner party. And make sure there are some spare fuses in your fusebox.

 

I travel fairly light; I keep the factory tool kit, registration, insurance, done bungies, two spare spark plugs and some duct tape. I don't know if I've just been lucky, but I've had my bike hit twice in the street where they have cracked the spark plug cap and / or bent the post on the spark plug. Of course, if I'm going on a longer trip my bag goes more fully loaded with some extra tools, the towel, and first aid kit.

 

what is this "factory tool kit" everyone is talking about? Leatherman is a great idea.

Those rubber brake lines... Im not sure. Id be inclined to say no. I asked that one of the first items to be done is ensuring the brakes were in top shape. it was in storage from early 90s to about 2012/2013, and Im not sure what all was done to it prior to my fingers getting ahold of it.

 

you were able to fit an electric air pump in there? Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

Learned the fuse box tip the hard way... made sure I have those now.

 

It's just a small bag of tools that came with the bike. It fits in a little pan under the seat and contains some basic tools like an allen and other wrenches, I think a screw driver, etc. Actually, here is a pic of something pretty close:

 

several combo wrenches a screw driver a wrench for the axle nut all in a pouch under the seat.
I have one but it is missing screw driver and tools are rusted.
I carry a short ratchet with the socket to remove the tank spark plug socket and extension spark plug and a screwdriver with bits in the handle and a multimeter, fuses and a flask full with oil in the chain box
just a day trip. I have a clutch safety switch connector jumper to bypass if the switch fails
also my AAA card 100 mile towing free gas delivered if I run out.

 

Lots of good suggestions. I like KMoe's post in another thread about keeping a spare clutch cable zip tied to the clutch cable. I've had that issue almost strand me a couple times and being in place makes it easy to swap out. Most other cable brakes you can live with for the ride home/next destination.

Hard to be prepared for everything. A charged cell phone and a VISA card will usually take care of the unexpected.

 

Like I mentioned, I have more than the usual amount of storage space. Check out my gallery.

 

Now I see. Newby done noobed. Apologies.

 

Only apologize if you did something wrong. No apology needed here.

 

A what?!? Lol

 

Pillow.

for naps.

 

Ewe.