A quick gear review, gear for when the ride goes wrong.

While contemplating how I might carry out getting vital race related information from the Ninja without using the stock gauge cluster, I decided to go through the gear I carry with me on the V-Strom. I like to occasionally check to see what I've got going on under there as it is easy to forget and I don't want to find myself without important stuff like my registration or my roadside tool kit.

Earlier in the Ninja Race Bike build, I removed the stock gauge cluster. My thought was that I'd find a quick and easy race tach to replace the clunky stock unit and still have the engine info I need for a race. I also toyed with the idea of removing the tach from the cluster thinking I might just use it seperately by fabbing up a mount. After doing my research I decided it wasn't worth the effort so I remounted the stock gauge pod. Now I get the tach as well as the coolant temp and neutral light. Both of these may be useful on the track. 

Here is where we get to the gear review. The first item I am reviewing is the Dynaplug Tubeless tire repair kit. This is the Ultralite kit and I got it on a whim when making a purchase at Cycle Gear. At the time it looked like the perfect solution for a portable plug kit for my long trips. Combining it with a Slime 12V air pump I thought I would be able to fix a flat long enough to get to a bike shop to repair or replace the tire. I was wrong.

I pulled it from the V-Strom tool kit with plans to practice using it on the old tires I still have kicking around the garage from the V-Strom tire change. What I found was the pre-loaded plug in the tool stuck in the tube with the metal end popped off. Thinking this was no big deal I tried to load another one (it comes with four in total). No dice. The extras were swollen and extra sticky which prevented me from getting them loaded into the tool. I'm glad I tried this in my shop and not on the road as I would be stranded until the tow truck came. I can definitely recommend that you DON'T get one and instead get the standard rope plugs available everywhere for half the price of this junk.

On a brighter note, here is a piece of gear I take with me on all long trips. It is the Stockton Tool Company Roadside Tool Kit. This was a Christmas present from my wife. It weighs about 4 pounds and is a little bulky. It fits quite easily into my top box or saddle bags without hassle however. It is all import make tools, but is a very comprehensive set of items you may need to finish a trip or at least get somewhere where you can get mechanical assistance.

In the kit are two sizes of screw drivers (flat and cross tip), wrenches, sockets, allen keys, star keys, fuses, electrical tape and even a rag. I supplemented the kit with zip ties, hose clamps, and some cotter pins. Combining this with my stock V-Strom tool kit and the tire repair tools should enable me to make enough roadside repairs to get home for the night on my multi-day trips. I can even do chain maintenance when the ride hits the 600 mile mark as recommended in my owners manual. I consider this an essential piece of gear that always comes with me even if I have to leave other comfort items behind.

Hopefully you get something from these reviews and even more, I hope you take some time to think about your next journey and what you need to bring should the ride not go as planned.

Ride safe, Blue