The basic Tools you'll need to repair your Motorcycle

Here’s a handy checklist of essential tools and recommended products to have on hand when servicing your motorcycle. Lets start with the most important tool first... Your service manual!

❑ Quality wrenches: Both standard, and metric sizes. Especially Allen wrenches. Long shank ball Allens for hard to get into places, standard Allen bits, torque bits, and T-Handle Allens. Small style metric wrenches. A few large style deep sockets for clutch and primary areas. A spark plug socket, and a good assortment of standard and metric sockets, 12-point and 6-point.

❑ A strap wrench, and/or cap wrench for the oil filter.

❑ A tire gauge and inflator

❑ Blowgun

❑ An assortment of extensions with standard ends and wobble ends; this helps you get into tight areas.

❑ Tie wraps, longs, shorts. If you happen to remove any specialty style, whether they be double loop or frame strap style, always buy replacements and tie where you cut them free.

❑ A belt tension gauge, and a metal scale for primary chain adjustment (Mostly for Harleys).

❑ Injector tool for pushing brake fluid.

❑ Torque wrenches in both foot-pounds and inch- pounds. A palm ratchet for fork tube caps, an assortment of ratchets.

❑ Mityvac tool for drawing fuel and for vacuum purposes during service.

❑ A magnet to retrieve anything you drop.

❑ Needle nose, straight mechanic, and retaining clip pliers. A set of plastic pinch pliers for fuel lines. Locking pliers that you can grab stripped bolts with. A straight punch and a 90° pick.

❑ Clean towels. Paper towels on glass surfaces. Disposable shop towels for basic maintenance. Hand wipes are good for keeping fluids off your hands during service.

❑ Paper, a magic marker, and pens. Make notes of how you take things apart so you can put them back together the same way.

❑ Wheel seal tool used on older packed wheel bearings

❑ Set of screwdrivers, Phillips and straight. Also, a hand

impact driver in case you have a tight screw.

❑ Voltmeter for testing the charging system

❑ Hand file for roughening the edges of brake pads

❑ Hammers. Always use soft hammers. You shouldn’t really need anything too large.

❑ Chargers and testers: Aftermarket companies offer an array of chargers and testers.

❑ Lubricants: Loctite offers glues, silicones, gasket makers, blue and red threadlocker in stick form. Anti- Seize and gasket adhesive are also available in stick and in bulk form. Klean ‘N Prime to clean threads, ViperLube in tube and in aerosol form for all your lubrication needs.