How to Build a Motorcycle Toolkit That Works
Adventure Rider Radio – Motorcycle Podcast
Adventure Rider Radio | Adventure Motorcycling
4.9 • 960 Ratings
🗓️ 3 April 2026
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Putting together the right motorcycle toolkit can make all the difference when you’re out riding—especially on an adventure bike, where help isn’t always close by. We talk about how to build an efficient setup, from choosing what actually belongs in your kit to organizing it so it’s easy to use when it matters most. The conversation covers how to prepare for unpredictable issues like flat tires, leaks, and bent or broken parts, along with the often-overlooked supplies that can save the day during a roadside or trailside repair. Along the way, Jim talks with Clinton Smout from SMART Performance Centre about building a toolkit around the jobs you’re most likely to face, and we’re joined by Matthew Kunz from Obsidian Adventure Gear to look at compact, bike-specific tool systems designed to keep you prepared without carrying half the garage.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | A lot of riders think they've got a motorcycle toolkit sorted, but in many cases, it's just guesswork. |
| 0:06.4 | You know, a few tools thrown together, maybe based on somebody else's list or something someone has told them, |
| 0:11.4 | and a hope that what they've got is going to cover anything that goes wrong. |
| 0:14.9 | Well, on this episode, we're going to give you a much better way to think about it. |
| 0:18.5 | We're going to walk through how to figure out exactly what |
| 0:21.3 | tools your motorcycle actually needs, how to build a kit that suits your bike and your riding |
| 0:26.7 | style, and how to avoid carrying a bunch of stuff that you don't need while at the same time |
| 0:30.8 | missing something that's important. It's actually a pretty straightforward process, and it's |
| 0:35.3 | something that you can sort out in an afternoon once you know how to approach it. We'll also get into some extra gear items and working supplies |
| 0:42.2 | that can make all the difference on the side of the road or on the side of a trail, and we're |
| 0:46.4 | going to look at one commercial toolkit designed around the same idea of keeping things compact, |
| 0:51.4 | organized, and practical. I'm Jim Martin. This is Adventure Rider Radio. |
| 0:55.6 | Stay with us. |
| 0:56.3 | We get a good one for you. |
| 1:02.2 | I'm Ted Simon. |
| 1:03.3 | Jocelyn Snow. |
| 1:04.0 | Lost in Vince. |
| 1:04.6 | How you get heard of. |
| 1:05.2 | Grant Johnson. |
| 1:05.8 | Sam Manicum. |
| 1:06.5 | Charlie Bowman. |
| 1:07.1 | Simon Pavey. |
... |
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