Was pulling together some ideas for building the roadside emergency kit for my bagger. Thought I'd post it here to generate some discussion for items to add or remove from this list.

Might also be good for many of the new riders we have that read this forum.

Here are my thoughts for an emergency roadside kit (in no particular order of importance):

1. Toolkit containing:
a. vice grip pliers
b. needle nose pliers (most double as wire cutters)
c. multi-head screwdriver kit
d. electrical tape
e. multi-tool (Leatherman)
f. adjustable wrench
g. assortment of allen and torx keys (if your bike came with the Harley tool kit, you probably have these already)
h. zip ties
i. shop rags
j. ground cloth (I’ve used an inexpensive shower curtain for this. Costs just a few bucks and can double as a rain shield in a pinch.)

2. Tire repair kit with can of Fix-a-Flat, CO2 cartridges, or equivalent

3. Roadside reflector kit

4. Road flares

5. Bottled water

6. Emergency blanket (space blanket)

7. First aid kit
a. bandaids
b. antibotic ointment
c. sterile gauze patches
d. aspirin, Advil, Tylenol, etc.

8. Your favorite anti-monkey butt medication – Gold Bond powder, spray, etc.

9. LED headlamp with spare batteries

10. Micro flashlight with spare batteries

11. Bike-specific fuses, bulbs, and pre-gapped spark plugs

12. Cigarette lighter / waterproof matches

13. Toilet paper in a waterproof bag

14. Sunscreen and after-sun lotion

15. A carrying case for all the above

 

That's a pretty complete list. If you don't ride a bagger you'll need to narrow it down to cell phone and credit card.

 

You forgot the roll of tinfoil to make a cosmic ray blocking hat!

 

Gotta add that to the list!

 

Forget the fix-a-flat and CO2 cartridges. Get a small compressor and tire plugs.
Also you will want a tire gauge.

I carry the pump for the air shocks.

I have a wind-up flashlight (no batteries) as a back-up to a mini LED light.

Small socket set and combination wrenches. (Vice grips and Adjustable wrenches are good to have but won't fit in many places and can cause damage).

Spark plug wrench.

Also carry a length of hose for siphoning fuel.

Duct tape.

 

Some good ideas here.

A small, low pressure air pump with a flexible hose is a great idea. Lightweight and inexpensive plus it works on both the tires and the shocks.

Tire plugs -- Aren't they part of the tire repair kit?

Tire pressure guage -- Doh, should have thought of that earlier. That's a "must have" item prior to every ride.

Plug wrench -- Yep, spark plugs is on the list but forgot to add the wrench. Good catch!

Not sure about the siphoning hose. I understand the reason for having one, however.

Duct tape is another good idea but the rolls tend to be pretty large (takes up a lot of space). I do have zip ties on the list which might perform most of the same functions as the duct tape. Not all of them but most functions.

Thanks for the input!!

 

Don't use a compressor or tire pump on the shocks. Too much volume or air.
The Shock pump may work on tires but will take forever because they are low volume.

Don't pack the whole roll. Unroll about 6"-8" and fold it back on itself. Then keep wrapping. A 10ft length of duct tape will make a pad about 2x4 and .25" thick.

 

Duct tape, tequila and Advil.

 

Your carry too much junk. Think about just how much can you do on a ecm controlled fuel injected bike. Multi tools with screw drivers built in for motorcycles to use on loose bolts. Couple of turn signal bulbs. Extra fuses. Small compressor and plug kit. Pliers. Electrical tape and some good quick wire ties.... Spare spark plugs are a carry over from times past and no one with any sense or money overhauls a motorcycle on the side of the road now days. Pulling spark plugs out of a hot aluminum jug isn't smart either so my spark plugs have anti seize on the threads. A small umbrella in the bottom of one of those bags for shade in west Texas waiting for the trailer. Haul plenty of water and a cell phone.

 

I also bring:

Lip Balm
Eye Drops
Nose Spray

All relatively small items, easy to carry, that make a huge difference in quality of life if they're needed - and I usually need all of these at some point during a long trip.

To those naysayers about your list - after 15+ years in the military I've learned to pack light, but I've also learned that if you have room for it and you're not on foot - pack it. All you "real" bikers can borrow my stuff when I see you on the side of the road...