Preparing For First Continental Trip On My New 1200 S Touring

There was a recent thread on this, reliability isn't an issue I did a 3000 mile euro trip on mine a few years ago... Although I did get a minor oil leak on the return leg. The standard toolkit is crap so make sure you add to that. I only managed 3k out of a rear tyre so bear that in mind too. The standard clutch slave is dire too maybe check that also.

 

No spares I canthink of.

Keep a 10mm spanner handy so you can bleed the clutch / front brake easily if you need to.
Also decent allen keys to fit the panels, and potentially the rear hub so you can adjust the chain if necessary.

Asside from that there is nothing needed. I've done a number of 10 day trips over the last couple of years and the 10mm spanner was the only thing really, its handy to just let the air out of the clutch master cylinder at a petrol stop. Takes seconds.

Oh, its worth keeping an eye on the pannier mounting rubbers, and also the top box plate bungs. If you lose the pannier rubber it will rattle around like a pr!ck in a bowler hat. If one of the bungs falls out then the top box can chatter on the plate - not a big deal but annoying. A spare set of 4 are only a couple of quid.

Years ago I bought a fairly cheap 1/4" drive socket set which I carry wrapped up in a sock. The sock stops it all rattling and gives you something to wipe your hands on :wink: Never needed it for my bike, but its been used a lot on other bikes
I also carry a 'slime' electric pump to deal with punctures, plus the puncture repair kit. Miles better than the poxy pressurised bottles. This all fits under the pillion seat just fine along with the socket set and standard tool kit.

 

I think the Bleed nipples need an 11mm spanner and the other thing to carry is the socket for the rear wheel nut - 55mm sockets are hard to find in some garages, they will usually have a long breaker bar but not the socket, Oberon is one make but there are others as well. It fits under the seat in a sock! Have a safe trip.

 

One thing to make sure of is that if you hand your socket over to a garage and it's not an impact socket they've got to use a breaker bar rather than an impact tool or they'll wreck it.

If you're not sure whether or not it's an impact socket an easy way to tell is that if it's chrome it isn't and if it's black it probably is. Impact sockets also normally have a groove around the outside and a hole through them for a retaining clip to stop them flying off if the trigger is pressed when they're not under load.

 

kevpix where u heading as we(4) are heading out on 1st june ferry to holland maybe catch up

 

Likewise our group of 5 is off to the Black Forest on 4th June for a week.

Yep the rear wheel socket is a must if the puncture monster strikes. saves a lot of faffing.

 

Me and the are getting the overnight ferry from Northsheilds to Amsterdam on the 4th june, staying 3 night at 2wheels mournings then going to have 2 nights in Colmar and last 3 nights in blackforest, you never know our paths may cross

Hope the weather picks up a bit

 

Colmar is lovely, I stopped there on my way to Geneva on my SS couple of years ago, havea great time

 

Is this the right socket to carry for an impact wrench?
Draper Expert 5036 55mm 3/4-inch Square Drive Hi-Torq 6-Point Impact Socket: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

 

That's the baby.

 

You can use this one with an impact gun and it also works for the front axle nut.Steel Ducati 1098/1198 SF MTS1200 wheel nut socket

 

Not the six point one - that won't fit, it's a 12 point socket you need like the second link that Wheels posted.
Steel Ducati 1098/1198 SF MTS1200 wheel nut socket

 

That'll teach me to look for one word and ignore everything else.

Sorry guys, that was me skimming through things and being lazy.