Hitchcocks Forum

All, having done the regular check that all nuts are tight on Bertie I have written a list on spanners and other tools used and what I carry in my tool bag, I thought it might be useful to others, these should be enough to get you out of most troubles...................................................................................................................... Front hub, brake side 25mm , Speedo side 24mm - Front brake 17mm, 10mm, 8mm - Front mudguard 13mm - Engine mounts 13mm - Primary chain 18mm, 11mm - Front Foot rest 17mm - Rear brake pedal 15mm - Rear foot rest 18mm - Rear 15/16" - hub Rear wheel 18mm - Rear brake lever 18mm - Rear brake adjuster 13mm - Chain guard 13mm - Rear shocks 17mm - Seat posts 14mm - Army bars 12mm - Kick start 13mm - Amal carb inlet manifold 14mm, carb 13mm, carb cable adjustments 8mm - Exhaust 21mm, 14mm, 13mm - Petrol tank 15mm - Clutch adjuster lock nut 17/32" socket - Also found some 13mm are a bit loose, 1/2" works well on these .......................... Among other tools are some box spanners, a double ended screw driver, a stubby screw driver with various ends, feeler gauge, pliers, gaffa tape (in case a bracket breaks), Stanley knife, spare cables......................Im sure there are other handy bits that ive missed, please add to the list if you can think of any.........................regards....Just enjoy the ride.

Strewth, if I had to carry that lot I would give up riding. You must need a tool chest in a trailer to drag that along. I bet it plays hell with your fuel consumption.

One of the guys who got me interested in old bikes in the first place said the only thing you need in the toolkit is a pistol with one bullet in it... But then he is a Sunbeam S7 Owner!
REgards, Mark

AA membership card & mobile phone. Sorted!

Apart from the gaffa tape and cables that live in the pannier, all the other tools fit inside the tool roll in the tool box, all of the spanners are double ended so its not that much.

Various sizes of cable tie - invaluable for when gaffer tape isn't strong enough! Also some stout wire for holding hot bits together (the cable ties melt of course - ask me how I know) Small pot of hand cleaner (the little jars that have jam in a motorway services are ideal)and cleanish rag. Small adjustable for the spanner you don't have.

I'm with Midge on this one - RAC card and phone. They either sort it or chauffeur the bike and I home.

I've never found jam to be much use as a hand cleaner.

Nothing useful to add right this minute but please keep em coming, that's given me a good old laugh, especially like the gun and a single bullet suggestion. Right, I'm pdf to try cleaning my hands with jam, was thinking strawberry but I reckon the seeds in raspberry might help shift the ground in grease better, what do you think?

Good list. I also carry a small pair of Mole-Grips in case I break a lever. I carry this no matter what bike I ride and used it once in Portugal on a broken brake lever after the bike was knocked off its side stand.
regards,
Alan