The Top 5 Most Essential Tools for Motorcycle Riders

There are two occasions when you need tools for your motorcycle when you have an unexpected breakdown and when you want to do maintenance.

It doesn’t matter which situation you find yourself in; having the right tool to hand will make a big difference to the time it takes you to complete the repair. Of course, you also need a little knowledge and the right KTM spare parts from online stores such as procycles.com.au or other parts if you have a different bike!

Motorcycles are generally very easy to work on. Although, if you have a sports bike, you may have to remove the fairing to get to the engine and other parts. But, regardless of the type of bike you have, you should be aware of how to perform the basic maintenance tasks. It’s also important to know when you’re better off using a local motorcycle specialist to resolve the issue.

The most important thing is to get your bike safely back on the road as quickly as possible. It is worth noting that the tire pressure gauge and tread depth checker are not on the list because it is hard to describe them as tools in the traditional sense of the word.

But, they are both essential to ensuring your tires are properly inflated and have enough tread depth to give you grip, even on a wet day. As such, you should be using these ‘tools’ every time you ride, to endure your bike is safe.

Now it’s time to take a look at your workshop and make sure you have the top 5 most essential tools for motorcycle riders:

Screwdriver Set

Most motorcycles use standard Philips head screws. That means a standard screwdriver set should be good enough to help you undo anything on your motorcycle.

However, some bikes use Torx heads, and this means you need to check to ensure you have the right type of screwdrivers for your bike.

You’ll also need to consider whether you can take them with you, not usually a simple task if you have a complete set of screwdrivers.

But, if you purchase a screwdriver that allows you to change the heads, you’ll find you have a very discrete tool with enough heads to cover any type of Philips, Torx, or other screw head.

You can carry this on your bike or your person, and it will always be where you need it to be if you have an issue.

Wrenches

The screwdrivers are essential for the smaller details on your bike. But, once you start having to remove engine parts or getting into more complex maintenance and repair jobs, you’ll need to have a set of wrenches handy.

It’s a good idea to invest in two sets. One will be the big set that has a huge array of sizes, allowing you to handle virtually any issue. The other set should be much smaller and lighter, focused on the basic wrenches you’ll need for roadside repairs. This set can be carried with you, increasing the chances of you getting home on your bike after a breakdown.

It’s worth noting that most bikes use metric, but you should check before you buy to ensure you have the right wrench set.

Socket Set

Wrenches are great, but there is only so much leverage you can obtain with them. They are also generally more complicated to use than a socket set, which allows you to keep undoing, or tightening something, without removing the socket.

Again, you’ll want a larger high-quality set for your garage, and you should consider a smaller socket set for when you’re on the road. This will need to be the most commonly used size n your bike to help you get home or to a garage.

Using a toolbox will also help as you’ll be able to purchase additional sockets as needed for your bike and keep them safe for future reference.

Impact Driver

You’ve probably already been there, and you have all the bolts off except one that stubbornly refuses to move. You put the pressure on and still nothing. Instead, you round off the bolt or snap your tool in frustration.

In these instances, the best approach is to have an impact driver available. These are designed to shock the joint, loosening the nut before you apply all the force you can muster. This increases the likelihood of the bolt undoing before you shear it or strip the threads.

In short, an impact driver can save you tie doing the job and a lot of hassle resolving issues. This isn’t generally something you’ll carry with you on rides, but you should keep it in your workshop, you’ll be surprised at how many times you use it.

Torque Wrench

You can’t complete any job on your motorcycle without one of these. When you’re riding your bike is under extreme force. This places immense strain on all the components. To ensure they don’t simply undo or fall apart when you ride, all nuts and bolts are tightened to a specific torque. This is set by the manufacturer.

Having a torque wrench means you can tighten any bolt up to the specified torque setting and be confident that the bike will perform correctly on the road.

You’ll need to check the manual for your bike to establish the right torque setting.

It’s also important that you never store this tool torque under pressure, it will reduce its accuracy. Instead, release the pressure and keep the torque wrench in its original case. This will ensure it’s where you need it to be when you need it.

Final Thoughts

Having the right tools will make the job easier. It can even be the only way to ensure you actually get the job done. But, it’s not enough just to have the tools; you also need to know how to use them properly. If you don’t, then your motorcycle will need to be maintained by your local specialist, which is less convenient and more expensive.