Motorcycle Tool Kit; What to Pack?

Carrying around a basic motorcycle kit is essential for all motorcycle riders. It helps avoid small and simple problems by fixing the issue immediately, thereby preventing it from turning into a larger one. As much as it is important to carry a motorcycle toolkit around, the biggest issue that would be faced would be in terms of space as you do not want to carry heavy tools, besides; the majority of the modern bikes have limited toolkits which are found under the motorcycle seat. Read: 10 important tips for your motorcycle road trip

If you find yourself stranded by the roadside, it is important to be prepared and know exactly what to do. This means you shall carry only the essential tools on your bike at all times. An important tip here isn’t just to carry essential tools, but also, to know how to use them properly and take good care of them after they have been used. We have suggested a list of important tools a biker must always carry at all times. These tools include;

Wrench or Spanner

Since all motorcycles are bolted together, adjustable wrenches are needed to dismantle them. Although there are several types of adjustable wrenches on the market today, look for the one that would give you most ability at a relatively low cost. Adjustable wrenches must be used carefully so the nuts won’t be damaged. The jaws must be as tight as possible to hinder the wrench from slipping over the bit corners. There are three types of wrenches- the ring and open wrench, the socket wrench and the ratcheting wrench, flank-drive wrench and the adjustable wrench. Check with your motorcycle repairer to find the wrench that suits perfectly into your motorcycle kit. They are all made of metal; however, they come chrome-plated to prevent them from rusting.

Allen Keys

Just like the wrench, this tool comes in different sizes. Most modern café racers make use of it as it is utilized for stripping bodywork, even the most accessible of them. It doesn’t take so much space in the motorcycle toolkit but it’s better to save space by using just the sizes your bike would use. A ten piece set is more than enough to cover your repair needs. Just ensure you find a design that can be easily organized, and of course, a set design that is ergonomic. One other use of Allen Keys is that it allows the engine cover of your motorcycle to be mounted on to the engine case without necessarily protruding the bolt heads. Fortunately, Allen bolts can be removed, as long as the right size for the job is available.

Wires

It’s always a good idea to put the desired length of electrical wire in your café racer kit. It’s worth having as it barely takes space and it’s extremely useful for the roadside bodges. Also, wires are used to bypass blown fuses. Knowing this could prevent damage to something more expensive, and it would reduce additional costs too. They can also be used to bind things in the motorcycle kit together. Wires could be utilized to bind things together as well. Hence, it’s important to always have something to cut the wire, which brings us to our next point.

Multipurpose Pocket Knife

Pocket knives need no introduction as they are ideal to carry around in any motorcycle tool kit. They are needed to cut hoses, wires or lines that could get brittle as time goes by. It could even be used to cut the end of the hose to ensure a tight fit before reclamping it. They could also be used to tighten screws in the motorcycle. The best type of pocket knife to get is the Swiss Army knife as it is an excellent brand of motorcycle tool. It’s so light and portable so you could easily strap them somewhere on your motorcycle.

Screwdrivers

It is important to have a screwdriver in your motorcycle toolkit because almost every part of the motorcycle requires removing one panel of the case or the other. Unfortunately, wear and tear might prove a tad bit frustrating with a screwdriver. Regardless, screwdrivers are the most common tools found in every motorcycle kit. Although it comes in many shapes and sizes, the concept is always constant as there is always a handle attached to the steel shaft which is eventually flattened to make a wedge shape around the tip area.

Pliers

A plier must be kept in every motorcycle kit. They are used to hold, clamp or cut, but it all depends on the type of pliers you get. Luckily, pliers are a one size fits all, so you don’t need to get many different types. You’re good to go with the standard pair of pliers, cutter, long nose pliers, and an adjustable pipe wrench. If your motorcycle kit has enough space it in, you can include the different types and categories of pliers that would be useful. Each of them has their added advantage. You’ll probably be restricted by space so it’s good to get a compact one of good quality. They would give you a good grip why straightening, tightening or holding parts and fasteners.

Before packing all these tools up, ensure you look for an extremely compact but durable tool pack or tool roll that could be easily strapped to your bike. It’s better to pack a few but important tools as it isn’t ideal to pack loads of unnecessary tools. It would just make the bike unnecessarily heavy. Most importantly, before packing the motorcycle kit, ensure you know how to use all the tools with a little assistant. You should be able to make common repairs unaided. Read the tool manually and know how to use all the tools effectively. In essence, get familiar with all these simple repair procedures. Finally, practice good maintenance culture by caring for your tools properly to make your roadside motorcycle repairs less.

Guest Post by Mitch Wilson

Author Bio- My name is Mitch and I am Head Content Manager at Bike Brewers Café Racers. Our site is all about custom motorcycles with a focus on cafe racers, scramblers, brat style & classic custom bikes. Our main goal is to give a view on the great world around custom bikes and their builders (we call them “Brewers” ;)) and inspire to make your own (at a certain day) or just enjoy watching bikes, Our Main goal is to feed all of our users with awesome designs, great stories and handy how-to’s to get inspired for your own project ;).

Siddharth Sharma
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Siddharth Sharma

Siddharth has always been passionate about Cars and Bikes. He was the kind of kid that always had the latest Auto magazine in his school bag. He had this dream- to become a professional racecar driver. Finally, in 2012 he found himself racing as a rookie driver in the Polo R Cup national racing championship. Over time he had to readjust the sail and get into automotive journalism to continue enjoying machines on wheels.