T-Sport: Personalizing the T

Carrying Tools

If any brand of motorcycle should come standard with tools, it is Harley-Davidson. This is not to say that I believe them to be any less reliable than their competition, it's just that I believe that their soulful vibration we all love necessitates a constant vigil over all the nuts and bolts holding them together. I learned this the hard way when I lost the flange nuts from my exhaust system on a trip I made to Port Dover . I made the mistake of thinking that this was a new bike and neglected to make it a routine to inspect fasteners.

I finally decided to put together a tool kit after nearly being stranded at a gas station once. The bike was running a bit rough and didn't want to idle, so I was heading to the Harley shop for them to have a look. My fuel level was getting close to reserve and I was split on whether to keep on going to the shop, or stop and fill-up. I regretfully chose the latter. After paying the attendant, I cranked the engine and was rewarded with.nothing. I tried every trick I knew in getting the motor to run without success. I was certain at that point that my carburetor was plugged with dirt, especially since I had so much trouble with float bowl contamination earlier. ( see Warranty ) Fixing this problem, even if temporarily, would have been a breeze if I had had any tools with me. I did have one bit of luck. My daughter was with me, and she had her cell phone. This got me through to the service manager who gave me one more tip on restarting. It took a few more tries, but I got it to start and I rode as fast as I could to the shop.

Another lesson learned! I started to piece together a tool kit as soon as I got home. Once assembled, I needed a good

Leather toolbox.

place to stash them on the bike. I rejected using the T-Sport's bags because I don't always have them on, and because they would not only provide easy access for me, but to anyone else as well. Once again I turned to the Harley catalog and found a solution.

The Leather Tool Box bolted on to the bike between the battery and the rear shock. It is easy to miss, but looks good when noticed. It is too bad it is not lockable. The lid is secured by two leather straps that are stiff and a little difficult to undo. I think this is a good thing as it may delay a casual thief somewhat. Of course, a quick cut with a sharp knife would have it opened in a jiffy. But the thief would get very little for his (or her) effort; the tool box is very small. Since the tools I would be carrying would be for emergency use only, I selected very carefully from my tool collection only those tools that I would never miss; the cheap pot metal ones. I did, however, include decent hex and torx keys.