Building a Bronson Bike - Travel Tools


When traveling the Long Lonesome Highway, the last thing we want is to make a repair to the bike.  But things happen and it helps to be prepared.  Tools are heavy and when you need one, it helps to have your own, rather than having to borrow from someone like Buster in Episode 12.  I built this set to keep just behind my Gel-cell battery, along with spare plugs, points, condenser and 1157 tail bulbs.  Also, a battery charger hook-up to plug into my homemade pigtail to allow and easy connection to a battery charger.



The rear left wheel nut is a big guy at 1 inch and 1/4 in size.  A lot of car garages would not have a wrench this big unless your at a diesel truck stop.  You would not want to use a pipe wrench or adjustable and round the nut off.  A wrench this big is 17 inches long as you can see, so a short version is required and can be tapped around with a hammer of some sorts or block of wood.


The right rear and right front nuts are 1 inch, also a not-so-common wrench in a generic tool box.

Best to have one of your own!



We all know and love the common wrenches noted above, and fit the rest of the bolts and nuts on the bike, a 7/16 and 3/8 wrench is not pictured because the wrench is already small enough to fit behind the battery without modification, best to get and end wrench with a 7/16 on one and and 3/8 on the other end, thus one wrench is required.


This is the storage compartment just behind the battery.  Hopefully you have a new style Gel-cell which is much thinner than the old wet-cell type.  Everything fits in here nicely.


When you need a charge no one wants to pull the battery out.  Before your next trip install a pigtail set up to allow a quick hook-up.

Now . . . . if your like my Uncle Alex, you may want to carry a complete set of tools for ever scenario.  This tool case is very nice and available from Walmart, it cost $69.00 last Christmas!  (You will still need a 1 1/4 and 1 inch wrench)


OR

My Cousin Billy, carries the famous Snap-On Bronson Rock from Episode 23, this rock was found at Big Sur in 2009 during the 40th TCB Anniversary ride across the Bixby Creek Bridge.  It is all-purpose and fixes anything.