Hello everyone.
On a tour, you sometimes stop to tighten a bolt on your bike. With a good-quality tool, even a small job like that becomes enjoyable.
For riders, an on-board tool kit is more than a lucky charm.
I want it to be a reliable partner for dealing with small problems on the road. This time I'm introducing the kit I carry on my bike, the FACOM R.NANO (there are now several models in the range).
A precise 1/4-inch-drive ratchet and a well-designed case.
What peace of mind does this tool set give you when you carry it under the seat? Here is what I found from using it.
1. Packing what you need into the limited space on a bike
Compromising on tools makes touring more worrying
Trouble on tour always comes at an unexpected place and time.
At times like that, a cheap, sloppy on-board tool kit can round off bolts or fail to reach where you need it.
Knowing you carry tools you can trust gives you peace of mind, and the confidence to try fixing problems yourself.
Why I chose the FACOM R.NANO
There are many compact tool sets on the market, but of them, the R.NANO from FACOM, the long-established French brand, is my favourite.
Well thought-out layout, the small size made possible by 1/4-inch drive, and a design that gives you the pleasure of owning it.
As an on-board kit, I find it satisfying in both function and design.
2. A palm-sized tool set: the features of the FACOM R.NANO
Compact size and the feel of the R.161 ratchet
The R.161 ratchet handle at the heart of the set is precisely made. It has a fine 5-degree swing (72 teeth), so even in tight spaces around the engine or inside the cowling, you can keep turning bolts with a positive click.
It fits in the palm of your hand, yet you feel the torque directly through your fingers.
A palm-sized toolbox, from 1/4-inch sockets to bits
This small case holds sockets from 5.5 mm to 14 mm, the main Phillips and flat-blade bits, and hex and Torx bits, all neatly lined up.
What's especially handy is that, by combining it with the supplied extension bar, you can use it vertically like a screwdriver or like a T-handle wrench. It really is a palm-sized toolbox.
It is compact enough to hold in one hand.
The tools are packed into a small case.
A well-thought-out case where you can see everything at a glance
Typical of FACOM is the case with its distinctive hinge.
When you open the lid, the bit holders tilt up, so the tools are easy to take out and you can see at once where everything is.
The case is also made of tough plastic, and looks tough enough to protect the contents well.
Even if you turn the whole case upside down, most of the tools don't fall out. When you deal with trouble on tour, you often work in a cramped spot. If you kick the case over, it helps that the tools don't scatter everywhere.
These are the tools that fell out when I turned the case upside down. Here, the 10 mm and 12 mm sockets have fallen out; I'll explain why later.
By the way, I think the photo above shows why the sockets don't fall out.
Each socket slot has two ridges (the white arrows in the photo) that hold the socket.
3. What I found using it as an on-board tool kit
Easy to do small jobs at the roadside
For example, adjusting a lever position, or removing a cowl to change a fuse.
With the R.NANO, even small jobs like these go smoothly, from taking out the case to finishing the job.
Changing bits is easy, so there's less hunting through several tools, and you can finish the job quickly even at an unsettling roadside.
You can easily take off the side cover of my Honda XR250 BAJA (the Japan-market XR250 / MD30) with it too.
4. Swapping the contents to suit your bike
Swap the standard bits to make your own set
The fun of the R.NANO is that you can swap the contents.
For example, if your bike has hardly any Phillips screws, replace those slots with hex bits you use often.
Starting from the standard set, by packing in only the sizes your bike needs, you get an on-board tool kit made for your own bike.
Earlier, when I turned the case upside down, only the 10 mm and 12 mm sockets fell out. That's because I replaced them with Koken nut grip sockets.
Nut grip sockets firmly hold the bolt or nut fitted in them.
This is Koken's page for the nut grip sockets (in Japanese).
When I was working with the R.NANO before, small 10 mm and 12 mm bolts and nuts kept dropping out of the sockets, so I bought nut grip sockets.
I really wanted to change all the sockets to nut grip ones, but they are expensive, so I only replaced the ones I use most.
Nut grip sockets have a spring near the tip.
The spring presses on a steel ball, which holds the bolt or nut.
Hex, Torx and other sizes your bike needs
Recent European bikes (BMW, KTM and others) use a lot of Torx bolts, while older Japanese bikes mostly use Phillips screws.
With the R.NANO, you can handle both just by swapping bits.
1/4-inch bits are available even at DIY stores, so you can replace just the worn bits and keep using the set for a long time.
Extra items worth carrying (open-ended spanners, extension bars and so on)
The R.NANO is a reliable tool for turning things, but to deal with trouble on the road, it helps to carry a few other tools too.
The first thing to have is a tool for places where a socket can't be used, such as adjusting the mirrors.
To adjust the mirror position, you need an open-ended spanner (wrench). Again, carry the sizes you use most, or an adjustable spanner where it will do the job.
Also, to make up for the weak point of 1/4-inch drive, reaching deep into recesses, I recommend adding an extension bar of about 100 mm to 150 mm, and a small breaker bar that makes it easier to apply high torque.
If you put these in a small tool pouch and carry them with the R.NANO, small problems on forest tracks or long tours become easier to deal with.
5. Summary: an on-board tool kit that is a pleasure to use
The pleasure of owning it, which cheap sets don't give you
At a DIY store, you can buy a compact tool set with similar contents for a few thousand yen.
Even so, I chose FACOM because, as well as being practical, it gives me the pleasure of owning it.
The click as you open and close the case, the soft shine of the satin-finished tools, and the fine clicks as you turn the ratchet: these are hard to find in cheap tools.
The moment you open the case in the garage while looking at your bike, or tighten a bolt at a campsite on tour.
With the FACOM R.NANO, small maintenance jobs like these become an enjoyable time.
Why I can recommend it to beginners and experienced riders alike
The FACOM R.NANO is not a cheap tool. Even so, you can keep using it when you change bikes, so I think it is a tool you can keep for a long time.
Good tools make maintenance more enjoyable and give you peace of mind on the road. Why not consider it when you next review your on-board tool kit?