Each of us comes to our own place of comfort in terms of taking care of ourselves on the road, and in life. What that entails will vary as wildly as we do. In regard to the whiff of privilege — being here, engaging online and having some sort of two-wheeled machine on the highway, that would indicate some level of privilege. Or luck.

As I settle into retirement I understand how privileged I am. Even though I paid into a fund my entire adult life, having that opportunity was a gift.

Wait a minute. Are you riding a motorcycle? Or driving a 1953 MG TD?

– Flat-fix kit, which at first was simply a basic patch kit, but later evolved into a patch kit augmented with both a tire boot (in the event of a damaged tire sidewall), extra tube, and C02 carts for a quick fill to augment whatever frame pump I had. (I still do this.)

– Basic First Aid kit; nothing elaborate, but the usual bandages/tincture/Advil

– 21st-Century/First-World Additions: phone, credit card. We can lightly joke about them (and the whiff of privilege they obviously carry), but when you need them, you’re damned glad to have them.

I’m in the process of modifying this list in terms of my longer-distance excursions with the GTS, but the basics remain as guidance; I don’t need the kitchen sink, but a few necessities from the cupboard are clearly in order. 🙂

Yep, pretty much what RichardM listed, some spare parts that I’ve come to need and now carry as well: Fuel injector coupler for fuel line, a driveline donut, spare clutch thrust bearing components/actuator rod, spare clutch and throttle cables, fuses, pusher brake pads (for the period when I was going through pusher brake pads in an insanely swift manner)….I do my scheduled services only with the tools I carry on the rig, to ensure I can do same type work and repairs while on the road or during a long trip.

Makes sense Kitty. Was talking to a friend this morning and he echoed your comments. Take care of the machine and do the maintenance required and it should serve you with good reliability. We were discussing a BMW R1150 RS with 91K miles. Service records and appearance show it was meticulously cared for. Should have another 100K miles in it easily with only typical maintenance repairs.

Or so one would hope!

Let us know what you put together.

I’ve used my rain gear once now. Most times I just ride wet. But as it gets colder that will change.

I think there is a line between riders who want to fix some things on the road so they can keep riding and those who throw in the towel when something fails and ride another day. I’m not sure which side I want to be on.

Carrying a lot of tools and spare parts feels good but I need to make sure I know wheat to do with them. The three times my Vespa failed on the highway — only two I could have fixed. First, ran out of gas. Simple fix. Second, bad sparkplug wire. Could have fixed that if I knew what I was doing. Third, destroyed spines on crankshaft — a result of my changing the drive belt without really knowing what I was doing. Required an engine rebuild.

So I tend to ride with the same expectations of when I drive. If it fails, I’ll call a tow truck. If it’s a 500 mile tow, oh well, poor me…

Do you know what the limitations of the AMA Roadside Assistance are? Can’t remember if it has a mileage or cost limit or whether it will tow to a “qualified” facility.