Live to Ride   Ride to Live

From time to time each of us has a need for gadgets. Some to help us out of an emergency, some to make life on a Harley a little bit more comfortable and some just to have ...well , because there just neat gadgets to have!

On this page we attempt to find the most necessary, for emergency's, for comfort, and just nice to have gadgets . We include where you can purchase, a link to their web site, pricing and a description of why you might like to carry the item with you. Some items one might like to carry on day trips and others you might like to leave in place of something less bulky for longer trips that require packing only the stuff you are going to need .

There will be 3 categories

1. Must have/must carry all the time.

2. Makes riding more comfortable. Carry when needed.

3. Don't need to carry ... Just plain Neat . .



Tire Repair Kit

Flats will spoil day trips as well as excursions, best to keep one or more of these in your saddle bag at all times.

Click on photo for more information and pricing

A First Aid Kit

The below items can be purchased at Walgreen's, CVS and other outlets. They have many more items that you might consider adding to the kits, such as an allergy tablets, a space blanket, some larger compresses, etc. Or ... you could simply Make your own.

Pictures are examples only and are not links.


A Tool Kit

Harley makes several size tool kits with tools that will fit the majority of nuts and bolts. However if you want to put together a kit yourself then these are some of the tools you'll need for the Harley ...

This taken from a Harley tool Kit ...

Allen wrenches: 1/8, 5/32, 3/16, 7/32(long), 5/16, 3/8''

Long 4way box end: 36mm, 3/4'', 1/4'', 8mm

Multi-open end wrenches:

1- 3/8, 7/16, 1/2''

1- 3/8, 1/2, 9/16'', 10mm

Double end tube sockets:

1- 2.7 in. long 5/8 X 3/4''

1- 6+/- in. long 14mm X 11/16''

8 in 1 driver w/bits:

#1& 2 Phillips

3/16 & 1/4'' slot

Torx- 25, 27, 30 & 40

Here's a nifty set of box end ratchet wrenches and on each end there are TWO sizes. These come in Metric or Standard and retail for about $30.00. Two wrenches take the place of 8 wrenches. A whole lot less to put in your saddle bag. Four wrenches would cover all the major sizes in metric and standard.

Click on photo for more information and pricing





Rain Gear

Although you should consider carrying rain gear all of the time, it is understandable that you do not always have space to do so. On cross country trips we would suggest that you put it in a bag and keep it bungee corded to the sissy bar, tour pack or some other outside area of the bike for quick access. Of course this leaves the inside for more stuff that needs better protection from the elements.

In this category smaller / lighter is better ... when packing for long trips. However, if you keep rain gear in your saddlebag all the time, then pick something that's durable and would hold up as additional warmth if needed.

Mini Air Compressor

As with the rain gear, it would be best to carry one of these all of the time. However, on long road trips, this is a must as it can save you from having to call a wrecker.

This item is from Advanced Safety Devices. It is quite small and will fit in a touring saddle bag. In the box it measures about 4x2x3 inches. It is manufactured for a number of companies under several brand names and can sometimes be found in most auto parts and larger (Wal-Mart, Target) stores. Some come with battery clips. Most newer Harleys come with a battery charger lead and a matching fitting can be made with a cigarette lighter socket.

Click on photo for more information and pricing





Road Captain's Items

These are great high visibility lights ... perfect for road captains

This item has brilliant LED warning lights in a lighthead that is 16 3/8" wide by a mere 1 5/8" perfect for installing on front or rear windshield, rear deck, dash or headliner of a vehicle. The standard swivel bracket can be mounted directly onto the headliner or windshield with the two standard suction cups.

On/Off switch and selection switch for 20 available patterns is located on the back of the lighthead. Cord and cigar plug is standard.

80 individual L.E.D. bulbs on each side for a total of 160 L.E.D.'s.

Comes in many light combos and colors.

Click on photo for more information and pricing



Please be aware that Red and Blue lights are for police vehicles only!

The next item is Whelen’s new Avenger Dash Light with Whelen’s "Linear LED” technology, which dramatically increases the off-axis (side) visibility. The Linear Super-LED from Whelen is the brightest LED available.

This dual dash/deck LED light includes removable windshield hood (prevents flashback), swivel bracket for permanent or suction cup mounting, lighter plug with an on/off switch and selection switch for 20 available patterns is located on the back of the lighthead.

Comes in many light combos and colors.

Click on photo for more information and pricing



Red lights are not allowed on the front of a vehicle unless it is a emergency vehicle. Road Captains are not considered an Emergency vehicle.

Make Your Light Bars Flash With Your Stop Lights

Here's a nifty way to make your stop lights activate your light bars.

With just a flick of your high low beams you can activate all the extra warning lights on your bike.

Thanks to Paul Blount for this super mod for your bike.

Click Here to Download the PDF Schematic Drawing