Topic: toolbox?

[PeWe]

Chain link can be a life saver.

+1
many of my biker friends back in the 80's had an extra link with clip.
Today riveted chain that has the opposite problem, cannot open it without good tools, only lift it from the sprockets.

[auro]

does anybody bring along one of these very (very very) small batteries that could help in case the main one fails you?

[RAFster122s]

Another battery gets to be overkill unless you are having trouble and a cellphone is a better solution. If you know you have an electrical problem stressing the battery, better to not ride very far until fixed unless you have a trailer and friend to pick you up...or another person with ramps and pickup...  New batteries get expensive and deep discharging a lead acid can cause them to fail and the lithium batteries die if discharged below a certain voltage per cell. They require a power management system to control charging and discharging to protect the battery, unless you like insurance claims for fires or other nastiness...
 
At least these bikes don't use the battery as a component of regulating the charging system and a dead battery or no battery if it get started without it and you rev the motor you start popping the filaments in your headlight and all the other bulbs you activate (turns) including your instrument bulbs (tend to be expensive)  This gets really costly when a new headlamp is a sealed design and runs $40-60. 
The small Honda horizontal engine designs and many in the 60s had this kind of charging system.  Their electrical system was pretty under designed in power output as well as power needs.  In a 6v bike the bulb resistance plays a role as well for the current consumed and the signal flasher as well and a few other points...

David

[PeWe]

The battery in my CB750 K6 went bad in Italy 2500km from home. I noticed it in the evening on a curvy coastal road in the evening when it was rather dark. My headlight suddenly stopped working when I slowed down into a corner. Nice surprise!!

It came back when giving more throttle. I think it was when the regulator switched to the higher mode 4000-4500 rpm.
When headight stopped work all blinkers started to glow constantly.

No problem to drive another hour to a camping, 1 week later headed to Kitzbuhel, Austria  for some days and finally going home. On Autobahn the rpm was never too low, mostly 6000-9500. Changed battery when home and it worked. It was 1 cell that had a layer of grey slime at the bottom.
The cheap batteries for over 35 years ago were not good

[auro]

thanks guys

I ask because in my CB550 times I was told that you can't start the bike without a tiny bit of electricity in the system, as the kick start relies on that too. Hence the thought of having a super small battery in case, at least to get home... it's faster than calling somebody to pick you up 

[grcamna2]

thanks guys

I ask because in my CB550 times I was told that you can't start the bike without a tiny bit of electricity in the system, as the kick start relies on that too. Hence the thought of having a super small battery in case, at least to get home... it's faster than calling somebody to pick you up 

You can pick up a replacement stock size battery at any auto chain(Autozone,Advance,etc.)or big box store if you're close to even a small town.