Depending on what you want to be able to do you may need no sockets or 20 more.

What tasks do you see or can handle as a roadside repair?

 

I do my own basic maintenance, I change my own tires when I have to, I use paper maps, I whine to my wife on my cell phone from the side of the road.
I don't expect this computerized white whale to break down on the side of the road, but I suspect when it eventually does, I will need a degree in electrical engineering to sort it out.
So, to answer your question- I expect to fix, tie wrap, or duct tape things that fall off and be a bit prepared for the unknown.

 

The only time I needed a wrench has been to retighten the mirror stalk after a tipover (iirc). I used to carry lots of tools, now carry minimal; no sockets or ratchet, but I do carry the "pocket-knife" type folding torq bits, sae bits and metric bits---those have come in handy. I carry an 8" crescent wrench, a small/medium phillips screwdriver, a swiss army knife and the Park multitool that is used for bicycles.
I do carry the plug and go flat kit and the dewalt knock off of a leatherman tool. Some nitrile gloves, a few tie wraps of three sizes. That's about it. If I need to I can stop at a homedepot or a local hdre store. I am not doing very out of the way dirt or gravel, though I do sometimes find my way on it.
I think if all you are doing is tarmac, you can get by with minimal tools, and you will find your comfort level; for more desolate locations you may feel more confortable with more.
All of that stuff takes up space and adds weight.
I do carry about 250cc of oil and a half gallon of gas...and three credit cards and a cell phone and a SPOT device

 

Cruz Tools have tool kits bike-specific, the list of tools for your BMW is on their site. That might be a good start.

Home » CruzTools

Highly functional tools and tool kits for Powersports Born out of personal necessity, CruzTOOLS was launched with a tool kit for Harley-Davidson motorcycles over twenty years ago. We’ve since developed hand tools and tool kits for most powersports vehicles: street bikes, dual-sport, adventure...

cruztools.com

 

I think the biggest thing is to have the ability and tools to deal with a flat tire. Then a credit card followed by a few hand tools for nipping up small fasteners.

I used to carry a lot more stuff thinking the OEM tool kit was too spartan. But the reality is if I don't have parts having the tools to change them is useless.

 

Each time I do some maintenance on my bike, I try to do it exclusively with the tools I carry on the bike. If something is missing, I add it to the tool kit. Not an entire socket set, only exactly the sizes I need.

I can do oil changes (hexhead has three reservoirs), remove and mount wheels, brake calipers, remove the tank, adjust mirrors, handlebars and hand guards and remove all crash bars and the skid plate on the road. Tire plug kit and compressor, probably the most important. Tire valve core remover and extra valve. Throw in typical stuff like bulbs if you have incandescents, screwdriver, zip ties, wire, duct tape, a strap (good to secure a broken side case mount as we found out last fall), an adjustable wrench and a vise grip.

I recently added a small 8oz hammer with the idea that it might be better than nothing if I dent my wheel enough for the tire to not hold air, to try and bang it back into shape

 

I wouldn't worry about the hammer. I put a rear wheel slightly out of shape running over a pothole (tour of south China earlier this year). It held air until the next tyre change. No amount of hammering with any grade of hammer did anything useful so the (alloy) wheel was a write-off. The front wheel hit the pothole first and actually split the alloy longitudinally. Admittedly that was a small 310GS only but the principle still holds. I wouldn't be wanting to be hammering my 1200GS rims. That was one expensive pothole. Hilariously both tyres were OK.

 

Without thinking about raiding the tool roll from my old airhead or my travel kit from the KLR, I have assembled my "long ride" kit from Jim Van Boden's list. I've added a Promach dual tool for the front wheel and the plug cap thingy. I still have two questions (don't tell me I only need a credit card and a cell phone

1. Do I really ONLY need 2 sockets, 17 & 19mm for this beast?
2. What do the factory-supplied 8/10mm open-end and 14mm wrenches used for on the bike? (yes, I know-- for 8, 10, and 14 mm nuts. Thanks. Looking for a bit of inspiration!)

Thanks in advance.

I've been facing this question, as well, as I recently got a 2016 R1200GSA and will going out on a trip soon. I've found the 8/10mm wrench handy for adjusting the shift lever, but it's best to have separate wrenches in order to release the locking nuts while holding the linkage; the 14mm for the mirrors. So far, I've only seen other two hex nuts, and they are the 19mm on the long bolt mounting the engine to the frame, and the 17mm bolt on the front axle. I've got a complete torx socket set for the rest and a ratchet or two with socket adapters. Otherwise, a handful of flat, Phillips, and torx hex-drive bits, a pair of pliers with a cutter, medium Channellocks, a homemade 19mm hex gizmo for the other end of the axle, a 10mm allen wrench for the oil plug, small and medium crescent wrenches, and that's about it - why more? I'm not off riding into the wilderness [yet], and while I've done my share of wrenching, I've no desire (and hopefully no need) to have to replace a wheel bearing or a clutch on the road again; carrying a shop of tools was necessary to keep my '70 VW bus going, but I'm hoping my BMW will be more reliable. If I'm going to need parts, I'm more likely these days to get the same people I get the parts from to do the job more efficiently and get me back on the road.

 

I rode my Sportster for 20 years without much worry, didn’t even have a tire patch kit or pump. The only time I got stuck was when the clutch cable broke and the tow truck picked me up without delay.
I assembled a tire kit after my friend had a flat. He was like: no problem, I have roadside assistance. They told him it would be around three hours. It was cold and rainy with no shelter nearby, but by no means remote.
My toolkit is probably overkill. It was mainly in prep for a Labrador trip that so far has yet to happen, and thinking what could happen 100 miles from anything, while being stuck at home.

 

I have this kit and it pretty much covers any tool needed for most maintenance/repair and then some.
tool kit

 

This is very complete indeed from a quick check. The e-Torx are missing from many other kits, e8,10,12 is correct. Impressive that they even included the t55 (handlebar ends and handguard). A 22mm/19mm (hexhead/LC) allen wrench/adapter needs to be added if you ever want to remove the front wheel. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you for the suggestions.
Do I really only need 2 sockets, 17 & 19mm?
Don't I need something special to remove the oil filter?
Yes, I expect to change oil during a long trip although my days of riding in remote parts of the world are probably over. My GS rides will probably all be in north America and not up isolated two-tracks in Wyoming.

 

Actually, as an addendum to my previous post, a 13mm socket for the brake calipers.

 

I carry this tool kit on every ride no matter how long or short:

Ultimate Adventure Designs Compact Tool Kit for BMW R1250 and R1200 GS, GSA, R, RS, & RT WATER COOLED MADE IN USA with LIFETIME WARRANTY

Make sure you’re always prepared by carrying the Ultimate Compact Tool Kit, which is made in the U.S., for your BMW R1200GS.

www.advdesigns.com

It's a little pricey but it is all made in America tools curated specifically for whatever bike you ride and, as I recall, this is a family owned business that rides and uses the stuff they sell. The only thing I had to add to it was a bottle opener for after a long day on the bike.

 

Hello All,
I'm new to this forum and new to my bike (2012 Rallye edition). Several years back when I bought a 2007 f650gs, I spent way too much time putting together a comprehensive tool roll for the bike.
I learned 2 valuable lessons: First, after adding up the time spent on it, my time is worth more than $1.85/hour; Second, popular brand names with lifetime warranties aren't made like (or where) they used to and will break. I knew their computer chip manufacturing is world class, but I was surprised to learn that Taiwan has some of the best tool foundries in the world.

I bought my 1200gs about a month ago. After looking at several tool kits, I purchased the SBV set. The quality and time savings more than justify the price. Here's a link to an article covering these tools: Review / SBV Tools - Strong, Innovative, Compact - Adventure Rider (advrider.com)

Thank you all for this forum! I'm thankful for the knowledgebase.

 

Hello All,
I'm new to this forum and new to my bike (2012 Rallye edition). Several years back when I bought a 2007 f650gs, I spent way too much time putting together a comprehensive tool roll for the bike.
I learned 2 valuable lessons: First, after adding up the time spent on it, my time is worth more than $1.85/hour; Second, popular brand names with lifetime warranties aren't made like (or where) they used to and will break. I knew their computer chip manufacturing is world class, but I was surprised to learn that Taiwan has some of the best tool foundries in the world.

I bought my 1200gs about a month ago. After looking at several tool kits, I purchased the SBV set. The quality and time savings more than justify the price. Here's a link to an article covering these tools: Review / SBV Tools - Strong, Innovative, Compact - Adventure Rider (advrider.com)

View attachment 30026

Thank you all for this forum! I'm thankful for the knowledgebase.

Having bought tools piecemeal over the past four weeks for my new-to-me R1200GS Rally (too), I agree that my time is/was worth more than what I may have saved.