Brit Bikes Speaks A Foreign Language

[Red Dog]

I'm use to working on Japanese bikes. 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 mm sockets, Allen key (aka rex key). Okay, there is this occasionally 16 or 17mm wrench needed. ( And, for some reason known only to God, combo wrench set are never soled with an 8mm wrench. Wheel bolt wrenches I'm going to ignore for this discussion.) With my road kit, I could tear 90% of my DR down on the road side. That same road kit would tear apart 75% of my Father's Subaru.

However, the damn Brits have to use odd sized wrenches. For example, the 5mm hex head to remove the seat.

Thank God, I was as aware of this, as last Sunday, when I had to pull the seat and use a jump pack to get my bike started again.

Tell me, am I just alone or have many of you run into this issue.

 

[Vector]

Tool up my friend...LOL

 

[CarlS]

Yrs. I had build a kit for my 03 Bonneville and add to it for my Tiger 800. Seems like I have what i need for my, new to me, Bonneville T120.

 

[Rocky]

Since I also enjoy vintage British bikes, I have a set of Whitworth wrenches (spanners) just for them - along with SAE and metric sets.
As Vector said, you need to tool up.
That said, I have noticed that once in a while an SAE or metric wrench will just barely fit a nut or bolt. Probably due to minor manufacturing differences in the dies for the wrench or the fasteners. Even so, I would rather use a wrench that fits properly and won't round off the fitting.

 

[solomon]

However, the damn Brits have to use odd sized wrenches

Bye Jove, sorry about that old boy.

Although, I must say, 5mm hex is common, what? It's on lots of things?

(⁠⊙⁠_⁠◎⁠)

 

[Qship]

Lots of 5mm hex screws holding the bodywork and panels on my Tiger Explorer.

 

[solomon]

My Chinese bar-end weighs are 5mm. I'd say it's the hex I use the most. Have one in bike toolkit. In fact I keep throwing 5mm hexes out, keep getting them 'free' with items I buy that need assembling.

 

[Red Dog]

Okay, boys and girls, I need to clarify somethings.

First - my shop box contains SAE and metric tools to preform any maintenance I need to do on a SAE vehicle, as well as a metric vehicle.

Second - In the good 'ole USA metric wenches are sold without an 8mm or 16mm wenches. Go figure.

Third - On all the Japanese bikes I have owned (dirt and dual sport bikes) The only weird wench size I've run into is the 16mm wench (see above) use to tighten down mirror lock nuts. This precludes axle bolts. I do have wenches to deal with them.

Fourth - I'm speaking to my road kit. What I've need to add to the road kit to fix my bike on the roadside.

Fiftieth - Right side chain drive: I can only imagine trying to explain this to a tire technician who is so infused that drive sprockets are on the left side. See my thread about replacing my current rear tire with a Shinto 705 rear.

My closest Triumph dealership is in Cleveland, OH. I don't wish to tell you how far away to me - it's just inconvenient. Consequently, I either do my own maintenance, or figure out how to get this bike to Cleveland.

But, getting back to my road kit, it's been an add, this add that. I just find this shifting from Japaneses bikes to an English bikes is like, , so this is the they do them.

 

[Red Dog]

Oh - I forgot to mention Torx. The only other bike I know of that uses them is BMW. How, this maybe a European thing.

I do have a full set of Torx wrenches/bits, including the tamper proof. But again that's in the shop tool cabinets.

 

[sikatri]

Oh - I forgot to mention Torx. The only other bike I know of that uses them is BMW. How, this maybe a European thing.

I do have a full set of Torx wrenches/bits, including the tamper proof. But again that's in the shop tool cabinets.

Torx, have them on a few of my cars, one european and one us. It’s one that some manufacturers like to use. Anytime I see an odd fastener, I research if it’s worth opening. LoL.

 

[solomon]

Just looked on my bicycle. It's American, a Specialized. Brakes have a star-shaped screw. Maybe that's a Torx head?

Just be grateful you don't have a vintage bike. There are long forum-threads on screw-threads (yawn).

 

[Red Dog]

Yeap, star shaped - that's a Torx.