Tool Tubes

[dt]

I just got a lead on a neat tool tube from an online Agricultural Supply Company. It’s around the standard size…12 inches by 3 ¼ inches like the toolguy offers but for only $4.99…$9.99 including shipping, $16.98 for two. Says it’s a manual canister, but useful for mcs. I can’t make a pvc tube for that price, plus it would probably leak.

I needed one of these to replace the stock tool tube on my KL which only holds the small number of crummy factory tools. I’ll report back when I get and install the thing.

[niteman]

Sounds useful. I'll keep an eye out for your review.

[v65infla]

I know you are not into camping Bill but since you are setting up your bike similar you might want to check out www.motocampers.com and also the ever popular www.advrider.com  Alos, PVC will never leak if done right, that's why they use it for sprinklers and plumbing.   

[dt]

Also, PVC will never leak if done right, that's why they use it for sprinklers and plumbing.   

Operative part of this…if done right. 

I know you are not into camping Bill but since you are setting up your bike similar you might want to check out www.motocampers.com and also the ever popular www.advrider.com

I actually posted this ag-supply idea over in adventurerider on the thumpers board. Some guy came back with a photo of four of them mounted on his bike. That's the thing about adventurerider...someone is always a million miles out ahead on everything. Here's the photo so you can see them. Up close in the photo they look exactly like the tooltube.com tubes and those are $24 each including shipping. I ordered mine so I will be able to report on quality when it gets here.

[dt]

I know you are not into camping Bill but since you are setting up your bike similar you might want to check out www.motocampers.com...

I checked out this site over lunch. Pretty neat stuff going on, but this is serious business where guys go for weeks and months on motorcycle camping trips…loaded for bear. Here’s a Link to the “basic” motorcycle camping checklist. Holy smokes! They have one of those stores on Café Press for tees, hats and stuff like that. We should do that or something similar here. Also, as coincidence would have it, the admin on this site has both a super tenere and an ST1300.

[v65infla]

I know you are not into camping Bill but since you are setting up your bike similar you might want to check out www.motocampers.com...

I checked out this site over lunch. Pretty neat stuff going on, but this is serious business where guys go for weeks and months on motorcycle camping trips…loaded for bear. Here’s a Link to the “basic” motorcycle camping checklist. Holy smokes! They have one of those stores on Café Press for tees, hats and stuff like that. We should do that or something similar here. Also, as coincidence would have it, the admin on this site has both a super tenere and an ST1300.

Yep, Joe is a nice guy.  He also own's the ST site.  I have gotten quite a few good idea's there but fair warning though, hanging out there will make you want to ride and camp.  Read up on the stealth camping thread.

I am on the look out for a fuel container to carry not to mount so if it was the right shape, the tool tube would be an ideal carrier.  I would like to be able to carry an additional gallon of fuel which will get me another 40 miles in a pinch. 

[dt]

I am on the look out for a fuel container to carry not to mount so if it was the right shape, the tool tube would be an ideal carrier.  I would like to be able to carry an additional gallon of fuel which will get me another 40 miles in a pinch. 

I've convinced myself that those agr-supply tool tubes are the same as the ones they sell on TheToolTube and, if so, there's a vent hole in them. Suppose it could be plugged, but the aluminum fuel bottles in the linked site might be an idea. Click accessories at the top of the linked page. The biggest container is 1.5 liter, less than half a gallon. Also they're cheaper in other places.

For something inside the saddle bags, you could consider those fuel bladders, but egad they're expensive.

[dt]

This canister mic'd at 2mm thick. I now know for sure that it's the same as the tooltube site's tube in the previous post. Every dimension and mounting points are exactly the same. This one just has some hieroglyphics on the side and cap.

[dt]

I planned out a mounting solution and installed my $4.99 ($9.99 with shipping) tool tube on the KL250 this morning. The KL currently has a tool tube that holds the el’cheapo factory tools. The new tube is much bigger and I can get quite a bit more in there.






The KL had an existing bracket for the factory tool tube and I thought I’d make use of that since it’s already there and seemed like a good place for the bigger tube. So I just needed to make a mounting plate. Here on the ingredients. I got a sheet of 16 gauge steel plate (rigid, but about as thick as I want to cut) for the mounting plate. I also had some rubber edging to provide some protection to the edges…some epoxy to glue it to the plate and some hardware. The edging is the kind that has an aluminum lining so it molds and hugs around corners. I use this stuff for restoring old seat pans, works good for that and did pretty good for this application.




Then we designed a template using a thin aluminum sheet I had laying around. I like making templates because you can play around with positioning the final mounting plate like my helper is doing in the second photo.






Using the template, I then cut the steel plate using a regular saber saw with a metal-cutting blade and drilled the holes for the bracket and the tube. I then deburred and cleaned up the edges of the mounting plate with my dremel and some grinding bits…then some rattle can paint…and lastly, I installed the edging, first forcing epoxy along the groove. The edging goes on real tight, but I suppose if it slipped off it would be down in the sprocket/chain. Essentially, you just tap the edging on with a ballpeen hammer.







Best laid plans, at this point I decided that I wanted the bracket a little further out so I added a couple half inch spacers between the mounting plate and the bracket. Of course that required some other bolts and all I had was some longer bolts, so I had to cut them back to clear the tire should it ever compress that high.




Bolt on the tool tube to the mounting plate, cut and put some rubber bumpers on the bracket bolts. Oh, good shot of the spacers change-of-mind in the second photo.





And viola! There you go … 

[dt]

Finished up a few things with the tube.

First, that gold paint/symbols on the tube comes right off (sides and cover) with a little solvent. I used MEK and it literally wipes off and doesn't impair the finish or plastic.



Second, I filled in the little breather hole under the larger bracket. Easy to get to from inside the tube. Then I drilled a small drain hole at the bottom.

Yesterday, I stopped in the HF thinking I was going to get a tool roll to use, but the ones they had were too big. I'll post up when I find something that will work with this tube. The tool tube company has a pouch and roll if you want to got that route, but there's probably something in the couple bucks range that would do the same thing.

http://www.thetooltube.com/Accessories.html

[dt]

Decided that I wanted a reserve fuel container, too. I’m working on some plans for a little minimalist dual sport touring with the KL and those liter fuel bottles aren’t going to be enough or four would take up too much room. So I ordered a 1 gallon fuel pack from Rotopax (cheaper on their eBay store). This container is 13.5 inches by 9.5 inches and 3 inches thick. It will mount nicely on top of the KL’s tail rack and can still stack bags on top…and it’ll easily fit in one of the side cases on my touring bike with room to spare. They come in two and three gallon sizes too, but one gallon gets another 45+ miles on the Yamaha and 70+ on the KL. Should be enough. 

[v65infla]

I don't know how big you can get them but if you ordered two tanks, you can get ATV tank pannier's and put a plastic tank on each side and carry 2 gallons of extra fuel and not take up any more room. 

These would be an example;

http://www.amazon.com/ATV-Logic-Tank-Saddlebags-Break-Up/dp/tech-data/B001A6H1IC

If I were to get into long distance riding, I would consider this vs. a permanent aux tank.  Considering my bike will go 280 miles between fuel up's, I am always plenty ready for a break and I don't care how comfortable it is.