Some say that 90% of all mechanical failure on a motorcycle will be electrical Related, That said, I invested in a small butane powered soldering iron that is hardly any larger than a felt tipped marker. and sure enough, I’ve used it several times while on the road to repair blinkers, heated gripes etc. -- Perhaps not THE most useful piece of gear, but nice to have.
As for the LEAST useful thing I carry around on my bike, well, that would have to be my dog ’LEO’; I CAN’T GET HIM TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL!!

most useful is my thermal mug with a built in coffee plunger, without that the day could not start.

Bloody Tyre repair bottles...
 

Definitely least useful; I had a bottle of the tyre repair foam explode in my panniers once in Turkey - my soft pannier was completely blown apart on that side (the other side caught fire later falling down onto exhaust because no weight to balance it - joy!) and when I went back to pick up my clothes I found that my only pair of jeans was completely coated in latex - suitable for Saturday night at a fetish night-club perhaps, but not very useful in rural Turkey - completely crap stuff!

Leatherman has to be my essential though - but then that sounds like something for a fetish nightclub too come to think of it... :eek3:

Tony

(Now I drive a Landrover so I just carry an entire toolkit with me, and half a tonne of spares... and a big hammer to fix it with...)

Cobb
 

Along with the usuual cab le tips, gaffer tape, wd40 and leatherman, I would have to say my most useful piece of kit is the COBB cooker. Roast potatoes, baked potatoed, baked banana, pizza etc etc mmmmmmmmmmm

Most probably need a car to carry it round with you though ....

Most useless ......... probably some the of the so called recovery books we carry round with us. Wish I'd filled the space with good novels from a 2nd hand book stall .............

Would like to add solid soap as a useful piece of kit as I've just found some of that natural 'handmade' stuff that is brilliant for washing hair. Doubles up for normal washing and shaving - even laundry I suppose, though I wouldn't want to waste it. One big bar is cheaper than everything it replaces and easier to pack.

Totally agree. Solid soap is gold, we've used it for practically everything - to shower, to do the dishes and laundry, etc. I even found it to be a great substitute for shaving foam.

0- motorbike :) :)
1- a smiley face
2- money
3- garmin 60csx
4- swiss army knife
5- water bottle
6- snacks

least useful?
 

Not sure about the most useful but the least has been the air freshener... Seriously. I do not have a garage so Rhonda my trusty Transalp lives in the garden wrapped in huge chains and padlocks and a massive waterproof bike cover.

This is an ideal place for all the local cats to hang out when it rains and of course they are all marking my trusty stead as their very own territory.

On firing Rhonda up the smell of hot cat piss is awfull as a few on here can testify. Ask Ted Magnum... You can smell me coming from about 300 yards. the smell does not disappear for around 30 miles and I got so fed up of spraying my exhausts and engine with nuetradol before I set off anywhere, I had the bright idea of buying an air freshener.

I can tell you it did not work. The first heavy rain washed it off the inside of the screen and it landed on my exhausts where it promptly melted and welded itself to the front downpipe. My bike now smells like a condemned jam factory.

Soap is also well useful for sealing small holes/cracks in plastic petrol tanks.

Leatherman
Headtorch
Wet wipes...
Rubber gloves
Gaffer

And no-not all necessarily for the same job!

Just read the entire thread and agree with most so here are my two peneth.

Usefull
1. LED tent tlght. (Ok you could use a head torch, but the thing is so small it was worth the £3)

2. Pillow! (toured and camped enough to realise that no matter how hard you try you cannot make bike riding jackets\trousers\back protectors comfortable at 3:30am - I will never leave home without it again:D)

3. 12v socket (so glad I fitted one to the bike, charged and powered everything)


Useless.
1. iPod (well this time it was, barely used apart from drowning out the noise on a couple of campsites.)

2. Stove (used for breakfast, but after a few days we ended up just grabbing food on the way and didn't touch it after a while - not going to bother the next time and just enjoy the local cuisine)

Most Useful: Leatherman "Crunch" I think I would have a major fit if I lost it..

Useless: A watch nobody is EVER on time......:innocent:

Bottle opener has gotta be the bestest tool ever !

Another vote for gaffer tape here. And if you dont want to look a total scruff bag after driving all day, face wipes for a quick wash before you show yourself in the hotel.

Worst piece of kit - plastic plates. Eat straight out the pan.