Other Equipment
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Tools
After
years of fiddling around with second hand tools of average quality, I
now have a set of the best, thanks to British manufacturer Britool.
My bike uses Whitworth fixings exclusively and the Britool combination spanner set and 6 piece socket set covers every nut and bolt on it. Modern Bullets are mostly metric, although they still have some Whitworth fittings. Obviously, Britool cover all metric sizes too. I have never used such superbly made tools before and they feel like they will last a lifetime. I hope I will only need to do routine maintenance during my 8000 mile journey, but if more serious spannering is required, I feel reassured in having such fine tools to do it with. Contact: Britool website Tel: (+44) 01142 917266 |
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Rack Pack
I needed a versatile holdall bag to carry equipment such as a tent and sleeping bag, plus a couple of spare 5L fuel cans.
Lyon Equipment, of Sedbergh in the Lake District, provided me with the perfect solution; an Ortlieb Rack Pack. Ortlieb make superb outdoors equipment, tried and tested by travelers for over 25 years. I chose the large (49 litre) Rack Pack. It has a full-width roll closure which allows fast access and keeps water and dust safely on the outside. Although initially designed for touring bicyclists, the Rack Pack has been awarded 'highly recommended' and 'top-product' status in several European motorcycling magazine tests. Contact: Lyon Equipment website Ortlieb UK Dealer List |
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Luggage Straps
There's only one name when it comes to luggage straps; Andy Strapz. Made in Australia, they have so many benefits for motorcyclists over bungees: there are no metal hooks so virtually no risk of eye injury; they don't roll off or cut into luggage; gear can be packed and unpacked in seconds; they hold firmer yet under less tension due to their width and they are kinder to paint and bodywork. They also fold away into a very small package. It has to be said; they're the bees knees! I chose a pair of 1250mm long strapz to hold my rack bag onto the rear luggage rack.
Contact: Andy Strapz UK website Tel: (+44) 01202 744599 |
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Loctite British singles are notorious for losing nuts and bolts due to vibration. It had always been my plan to use Loctite Lock N' Seal on all fixings to prevent this.
On visiting the Loctite website I was very surprised to see the company make everything an overland motorist could possibly wish for in a emergency repair kit. As well as the essential Lock N' Seal, Loctite have very kindly provided me with a whole range of products including Duck Tape, Epoxy Glue, Instant Gasket, chemical metal, silicone sealant and even a magic metal compound that would plug a hole in the crankcase if necessary! Contact: Loctite Website Loctite catalogue download |
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