The tools you need: Building the ultimate workshop

By
Zac Kurylyk
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You’ll need at least one proper motorcycle manual for in-depth repairs; along with the factory manual, there’s usually a decent one available from Clymer or Haynes.

The Proper Shop

If you’ve got more space and money, and you’re feeling more comfortable wrenching on your bike yourself, then it makes sense to build up your tool collection. My dad used to say that the first time you use a tool instead of paying someone to do something for you, the tool pays for itself. After that, every time you use the tool it’s almost like it’s paying you.

Whether that makes sense or not, it’s true that the more tools you have, the more you can do for yourself. If you want to do the majority of your motorcycle mechanical work yourself, here are the tools I’d consider.

First off, get a shop manual. You can find lots of information on how to work on your bike on the Internet, but nothing beats a shop manual. It should have detailed photos and tear-down/rebuild instructions for almost every part of your bike, along with torque specs and hints on how to get around buying the special-use tools that manufacturers love to require for projects.

As for hand tools, a bit wrench set (a good example here) is a very useful addition to a screwdriver. Add in a set of socket bits and you’re much more capable of loosening recalcitrant nuts and bolts. A set of torque wrenches is a necessity if you’re planning on taking apart anything in the engine (both 1/2-inch and 3/8-inch drive, and click-type is best). A breaker bar can also make life easier. A set of punches or drifts and a mallet are necessary for knocking out bearings.

Bit wrenches are highly useful.
A breaker bar is cheap and useful, although a piece of pipe on the end of a ratchet can do in a pinch.
You’ll want torque wrenches in 3/8 and 1/2-inch sizes.

Feeler gauges are necessary if you’re doing valve adjustments, and if you want to replace your chain, you’ll want a chain breaker and a chain press to go with it. If you have tube-type tires and want to change them yourself, buy a valve core tool, tire levers, tube repair kit, and bead breaker. Keep a pair of spare tubes around as well, as it’s easy to accidentally pinch one while changing a tire.

A cable luber allows you to perform preventative maintenance on clutch and throttle cables.

An electric impact gun has a lot of uses (not a bad idea to buy impact-rated sockets to go with it). An electric angle grinder is extremely useful if you want to remove rust, cut metal, or grind down a bolt. A cordless drill can also be handy, but I find myself using mine less and less.

A set of C-clamps and a bench vise have their uses occasionally, but you won’t use them often. Same goes for snap-ring pliers.

You should have wire-stripping electrical pliers if you’re planning to do much work on your wiring, along with a soldering gun and multimeter.

The angle grinder is the unsung hero of the power tool world. When all else fails, an angle grinder works well at stripping rust or paint, cutting out a chewed-up bolt, and many other tasks.
An impact gun comes in handy for suspension, chassis and even clutch work (but be careful!).
A multimeter is extremely useful for chasing electrical glitches.

It’s also worthwhile having a selection of nuts, bolts and washers on hand. Canadian Tire and Princess Auto sell low-quality fasteners in bulk packaging, but you can also find them from supply houses or (if you’re really cheap) stripping them off derelict motorcycles.

With these tools, you’re capable of doing almost any mechanical work on your motorcycle, including chassis work or an engine rebuild. You’re going to need a lot more space to store this equipment; a corner of your basement, at least, if not a separate shed.

Next page: the Pro Shop!

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5 COMMENTS

  1. A good tip I have heard (but rarely put into practice!) is to actually use the tool kit that you carry on the bike.. reason being is so you know what is there, how useful the tool is and that it is serviceable. Anyone ever have to (or be with someone who had to) fix a fault on the side of the road only to find that much of the stock tool kit belongs at the bottom of a swamp!? Also, while you are carrying out maintenance, lay your tools out as you do the job… you see what is needed and what is most frequently used. With that information, build a useful tool kit with quality tools to carry on the bike!

  2. I think it is worth mentioning in the interest of consuming and owning less (and saving money), many cities at this point have tool libraries or co-working shops where you can use shared tools and the knowledge of other people around you. Since moving to Vancouver and going from owning a 1,000 sqft shop to renting a 600sqft apartment, I have had to get a little creative with doing my own wrenching, but it has saved me money and made me friends! I changed my oil last night while outside watching the sunset.

    • Yeah, that is a big help IF you live in the city. However, they can also come with a cost, and it’s best to be self-sufficient. But you’re right, that’s a good way to access rarely-used tools.

      Screwdrivers, a socket set and a wrench set shouldn’t set you back too far, though, and you have more uses than just motorcycles.

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