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The "make your own silicone gaskets" reminded me of this:
Anytime you have to buy a gasket for your bike, lay it on a sheet of typing paper. If it fits on the paper, carefully trace the gasket onto the paper. If I'm getting several gaskets, I go down to the local Kinko's and Xerox them. Sometimes the gaskets are legal letter size and Xeroxing is just easier. After you've made your transfer, put the copy in a safe place (I use sheet protectors and a three-ring binder) after carefully labeling the year, make, model and size of the bike and what the gasket is for on the tracing. Now you have an exact copy that you can use to make a new gasket out of gasket material when you need the bike the next day and don't have a new gasket. I've even traced the outline onto thin cardboard (cereal boxes and the cardboard undershirts are wrapped around are great for this) then cut out the tracing, giving me a perfect template that is much easier to trace onto gasket material. I just toss the template in with the paper tracing to keep track of it.
And for those of us who actively enjoy our amendment rights and go to a firing range (especially outdoor ones), pick up a handful of various caliber spent shells the next time you're there. They are great for punching out gasket bolt holes. Plus, you're cleaning up the range, double bonus! I've got a baggie full of shell casings in my toolbox for just this purpose.
I've even used posterboard for larger gasket tracings/templates, and just carefully folded it for storage. Plus, in a pinch, coating posterboard, cereal boxes or, in my case (literally) a beer case box with a thin layer of gasket sealer will make a temporary gasket that's great for clutch covers, etc. Seals enough to get you home, and I'm talking from experience here!
Anytime you have to buy a gasket for your bike, lay it on a sheet of typing paper. If it fits on the paper, carefully trace the gasket onto the paper. If I'm getting several gaskets, I go down to the local Kinko's and Xerox them. Sometimes the gaskets are legal letter size and Xeroxing is just easier. After you've made your transfer, put the copy in a safe place (I use sheet protectors and a three-ring binder) after carefully labeling the year, make, model and size of the bike and what the gasket is for on the tracing. Now you have an exact copy that you can use to make a new gasket out of gasket material when you need the bike the next day and don't have a new gasket. I've even traced the outline onto thin cardboard (cereal boxes and the cardboard undershirts are wrapped around are great for this) then cut out the tracing, giving me a perfect template that is much easier to trace onto gasket material. I just toss the template in with the paper tracing to keep track of it.
And for those of us who actively enjoy our amendment rights and go to a firing range (especially outdoor ones), pick up a handful of various caliber spent shells the next time you're there. They are great for punching out gasket bolt holes. Plus, you're cleaning up the range, double bonus! I've got a baggie full of shell casings in my toolbox for just this purpose.
I've even used posterboard for larger gasket tracings/templates, and just carefully folded it for storage. Plus, in a pinch, coating posterboard, cereal boxes or, in my case (literally) a beer case box with a thin layer of gasket sealer will make a temporary gasket that's great for clutch covers, etc. Seals enough to get you home, and I'm talking from experience here!
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