Motorcycle Touring Toolkit: What You Actually Need Roadside
A touring toolkit should be small enough that you forget it is in the bike, but complete enough to handle the 5 most common roadside issues. Here is exactly what I carry on the Indian Pursuit, why each item earns its place, and what I left behind.
Table of Contents
The Principle: Fix or Limp Home
A roadside toolkit is not a garage toolkit. The goal is not to rebuild the bike on the shoulder of the Trans-Canada Highway. The goal is to handle the 5 issues that actually happen on tour: a flat tire, a loose fastener, an electrical connection, a dead battery, and a broken cable or lever. If you can fix or limp home from those, you can handle 99 percent of roadside problems.
Anything beyond that requires a tow or a shop. No toolkit changes that. Carrying tools for major repairs is weight you will never use.
The Essential Kit
Here is what I carry on the Pursuit. Every item has earned its place through real use or real near-misses.
| Item | Weight | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Torx set (T20-T50) | 120 g | Indian uses Torx on most fairing and body fasteners |
| Metric hex keys (3-10mm) | 100 g | Levers, mirrors, windscreen, battery terminals |
| Adjustable wrench (8-inch) | 180 g | Nuts and bolts not covered by hex/Torx |
| Tire plug kit + CO2 inflators | 150 g | Tubeless tire puncture repair |
| Zip ties (assorted) | 30 g | Broken fairing, cable routing, temporary fixes |
| Electrical tape (mini roll) | 20 g | Wiring repairs, waterproofing connections |
| Multi-tool (Leatherman or similar) | 200 g | Pliers, knife, screwdrivers, wire cutters |
| Tire pressure gauge | 50 g | Check pressures on tour, catch slow leaks early |
| Jump starter (mini lithium) | 150 g | Dead battery, especially after overnight cold |
| Flashlight (headlamp) | 80 g | Night roadside repairs, hands-free |
Total weight: approximately 1,080 grams (2.4 lbs). That is less than a full water bottle. It fits in a roll-up tool pouch that lives in the left saddlebag and never comes out unless I need it.
Tire Repair Kit
The most likely roadside issue on a touring motorcycle is a flat tire. The Pursuit has tubeless tires, which means a plug kit can get you back on the road in 15 minutes.
The kit I carry includes: 5 rubber tire plugs, a reamer tool, an insertion tool, 3 CO2 cartridges with a threaded adapter, and a small pair of pliers for pulling out the offending object. Total size: smaller than a smartphone. Total weight: under 150 grams (5.3 oz).
The process is simple: find the puncture, ream the hole, insert the plug, trim it, and inflate with CO2. This is not a permanent repair. It gets you to the next tire shop. But it has worked reliably for me and for thousands of touring riders.
I also carry a tire pressure gauge and check pressures at every fuel stop. A slow leak is easier to manage when you catch it early. See the maintenance schedule for recommended touring tire pressures on the Pursuit (36 psi front, 41 psi rear).
Electrical Repair
Electrical issues on tour are usually connection problems, not component failures. A vibration-loosened bullet connector or a corroded ground can kill your lights or your starter.
For electrical, the minimum is: electrical tape, a few spare fuses (check your bike's fuse rating), and the wire stripper/crimper on your multi-tool. If you want to go further, add a few metres of 16-gauge wire and a couple of bullet connectors. Total addition: 50 grams (1.8 oz).
The mini lithium jump starter is the one item I added after a cold morning in a motel parking lot where the Pursuit's battery was too weak to crank. It is the size of a phone and weighs 150 grams. It has earned its place once, and once was enough.
"A roadside toolkit is not a garage toolkit. The goal is fix or limp home, not rebuild on the shoulder."
What I Left Behind
Equally important is what I stopped carrying:
Full socket set. I carried a 40-piece socket set on my first tour. I used one socket. Now I carry only the 3 socket sizes the Pursuit actually requires.
Chain breaker and riveter. The Pursuit has a belt drive, not a chain. Even on chain-driven bikes, a roadside chain replacement is not realistic. Carry a chain repair link, not a full tool kit.
Torque wrench. A torque wrench is essential in a garage. Roadside, you tighten by feel. A torque wrench is too long and too heavy for a saddlebag.
Spare oil and coolant. Unless your bike has a known consumption issue, you do not need to carry fluids on a 7-day tour. Check levels at every fuel stop. If something is consuming oil fast enough to need a roadside top-up, you have a bigger problem.
Where to Store It
The toolkit lives in a roll-up canvas pouch in the left saddlebag of the Pursuit. It stays there permanently. I do not remove it between rides. This way, it is always there when I need it, and I never forget to pack it.
The tire plug kit and CO2 cartridges are in a separate small pouch that fits in the same saddlebag. The jump starter goes in the tank bag for easy access. The headlamp lives in my jacket pocket.
Everything has a place. When I need a tool, I know exactly where it is. That matters when you are on the shoulder of a highway with trucks passing at 110 km/h (68 mph).
Build a purpose-built kit for your specific bike. Target under 1 kg (2.2 lbs). Include: Torx/hex set, adjustable wrench, tire plug kit with CO2, zip ties, electrical tape, multi-tool, pressure gauge, mini jump starter, headlamp. Store it permanently in the bike.