Hi all,

This year I am determined to do a long trip and maybe get over to Singapore and tour M'asia and south Thailand (3500km). All depends on being able to successfully negotiate transport logistics and tough regulations in Singapore.

I am contemplating spares and equipment that I must have on hand. I am lucky to have a few friends in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Pinang. They will be able to hold them for me so that I can ship them locally should I need them.

I am looking at experienced members like TWB, Bert and others who have been on long tours and can provide this info.

I am slowly getting bits together, but can anyone provide a list of:
a. must have tools, spares, clothing (tropics) and other items,
b. "a.+ would be nice if you also had this" items.

I am confident that I've managed to get the bike reliable, but would be nice to be totally prepared. The bike(s) will be sea freighted to Singapore or M'asia and returned the same way. So far I and my friend are committed but others are welcome if they wish to ride their Ks through tropics.

Thanks in advance

Ned, no doubt others will pipe in shortly, but having made a trip through a bit of Europe this year I thought I was 'well equipped'. However my fuel tank sprung a leak and later my fuel hose sprung a leak as well. What I didn't have at that time (and now always carry with me in addition to all the tools/stuff) is a length of fuel hose and two component putty. Further a longer trip might mean having to change tyres somewhere. Make sure you can get your tyres out there.

wow ned sounds a huge plan .....good luck

A bit of an update:
a. crate for the bike is easy to get,
b. as the bike is less than 1000kg the charge is per m3 basis at around $120 + $100 flat fee
c. before you get excited, many other charges will be levied, making the actual transport cost a minor issue.
d. I find that freight forwarders are equivalent of horse traders or second-hand car dealers. They will try to fleece you at every turn.

recommendations:
a. fill a maritime container and/or
b. get a friend in the business to help

It is clear that the transport issue will be the problem, so I am concentrating on this.

Now if you want to go to the US, Europe or NZ, no problems as many people do, but Asia ... i don't really get it.

Ned,

He is basically the spare parts that I have with me when traveling far away:

First look at this post.
At home, all my spare parts are stored in clear plastic bags and clearly identified. If in need, I can call my wife and ask her to send it to me. She doesn't know anything about mechanic, but she can read.
As I often travel with other K riders, we try to share the spares and we have the following with us:

Electrical:
1 spark plug wire (the longest one)
1 set of Hall sensors
Computers (FI and ignition)
Spark plugs
1 spare FI relay
1 ignition coil

Mechanical:
Cables + cable lock
Spare clutch and throttle cable
Assortment of screws: take the longest 5,6,8,10mm you can find and thread them to the full length – It then could be cut to fit anywhere.
Go to the download section of this forum, and get everything then burn it to a CD. You may not find people with Internet connection but you will always find somebody with a computer.

Bert

A grand tour. Nothing like it to cure what ails you, or for no particular reason but for the ride.

I also carry a few essentials, but since I'm often riding solo and don't have the pack mule capacity of friends along, with not quite the detail that Crazy Frog has mentioned. But I usually have individual F/I and/or ignition items parcelled up (labelled for ease of IDing and sending by someone who can post them to me in an emergency), even if it means waiting a day or two, seeing the local sights whilst awaiting my package of joy.

A few things that I consider essential are gaffer's (duct) tape, longish cable ties, a texter pen (magic marker), sparkie's tape, spare globes (bulbs), spare fuse assortment, the hardcover Haynes manual (fits in the lid of a pannier quite easily - but I like the idea of burning a CD!), a magnifying glass, an LED torch, one sparking plug (rarely do they fail in multiples), some form of two-part liquid metal-in-a-tube like JBWeld (in case you hole an engine cover - it happened to me in Mexico), clutch cable, one throttle cable, a tubeless tyre puncture repair kit, a mini air compressor & air gage, a small, digital multimetre, a few clean rags, 'handi-wipes', a credit card and a mobile phone - sometimes my laptop too, depending on the severity of terrain, but I didn't drag it along on the Long Ride Round OZ a few months back. I also have, over the years, added to the standard toolkit. I like my mini Snap-On 1/4" ratchet, sockets & bits. They're compact and rarely does one need to tighten anything that hard (in aluminium) that would require a 3/8" drive or bigger. By going over the bike and verifying that there's a spanner or driver for every fastener, you can be certain that nothing's missed.

Perhaps not surprisingly, these items almost all fit into the space under the seat and inside the seat cowl of my K100RS.

Der Weg ist das Ziel!