It’s What We Do

Adventure Rider Issue #15

• Fit Out
• Checkout
• Full Throttle with Karen Ramsay
• How To Ride with Miles Davis
• Think About It
• Hear! Hear!’ to both of you legends.
• Reader’s Ride:The Congregation
• OK in KL
• SWM RS 650 R
• TransTerra
• Ol’ Mate
• KLR Destinations
• Bucket List
• Great Ocean Off-road
• Andy Strapz DRz
• BMW GS Safari
• RideKTM
• It’s What We Do

I feel like I’m carrying way too many tools and I don’t think that’s fair.

With all the technological advances on today’s bikes, why should I still have to carry several kilos of dead-weight hardware? Is it because I’m what my son calls ‘Old School’? Maybe that’s part of it.

I learnt from really good people the value of being able to repair the common problems that might crop up on a bike, and I admit I’m reluctant to let go of those teachings. But when I look at my current tool kit, I scratch my head and wonder. There’s a great many things I considered essential equipment a couple of decades ago that I now think are a complete waste of time. I don’t carry a spare plug. I don’t fit spare cables or carry a cable-repair kit. I don’t carry gas bottles or spare sprockets any more, either.