When owning a motorcycle you will end up working on it to some degree. Some people put more blood, sweat, and tears into their motorcycle than others. Since my motorcycle is from the 80’s, most motorcycle shops will not work on it because it is to old. So when anything has to be fixed, it has to be me or someone I know personally. Below I will list the top 5 tools that I own that help me work on my motorcycle.
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1 – Motorcycle Front and Rear Stands
These stands make working on the motorcycle easier and safer. There is one stand for the front wheel and another one for the rear wheel. You can buy these as a set or individually. It keeps the bike upright and suspends the motorcycle off the ground. This Venom Motorcycle Stand allows you to do things like clean your wheels or oil your chain. I also use these to store my motorcycle over the winter. It keeps the tires off the ground and prevents flat spots on my tires.
These can come with different mounting points and you will need to do a little research to find out which system works best for your bike. For example, most newer sport bikes can have spools installed on the swing arm near the rear tire. If you can install spools, a lift stand can lift the bike from those spools and it is really simple and easy to do.
2 – Auxiliary Gas Fuel Tank
This tool is very useful when you are working on your bike and you need to start it up. This tool will allow you to connect a small fuel source to your fuel pump or carburetors. I use this when I need to sync my carbs. (see that tool below) It is very hard to get to my adjustment screws when I have my tank installed. Instead I use this tool to feed gas into the bike without having a huge tank in the way.
Auxiliary Motorcycle Fuel Tank on Amazon.com
Its a pretty simple tool that you might even be able to make with a aluminum water bottle and a extra fuel valve. This one is just nice and simple and you will not believe how easy it makes some jobs.
3 – Carburetor Synchronizer Tool
This tool will not be for everybody, but if you have carburetors, this tool will make working on them easier. This tool allows you to sync all your carbs using vacuum gauges. When the carburetors are synced the motorcycle will perform better and you will get a power output. You might also have problems idling if they are really out of sync.
The ALPHA MOTO Vacuum Carburetor Synchronizer Tool comes with everything you need to hook it up to your motorcycle. Most kits come with the probes that screw into each carburetor and rubber hoses to connect the probes to the vacuum gauges. There will be small screws on the engine side of the carbs for these probes to be connected too. The goal is for all the carburetors to pull the same amount of vacuum while idling and when under throttle.
Having this tool when working on carburetors will save you time and get the best possible performance out of your motorcycle.
4 – Chain Alignment Tool
This is a simple too that allows you to visually check that your chain is straight when adjusting it. Overtime the chain will stretch and you will have to move the position of your rear tire. A chain that is not lined up will cause premature wear on the chain and will have to be replaced sooner than usual.
This Motion Pro Chain Alignment Tool works by clamping the tool to your rear sprocket and having the metal guide rod pointing towards the front tire. This will run next to the chain and will allow you to see if the chain is in line with the guide rod or not. If the chain and guide rod are lined up perfectly, then you know the chain and sprockets are lined up. If not, you need to adjust the rear tire until they do line up.
5 – Bike Chain Cleaner Brush
This is one of those must have tools if your motorcycle has a chain. Cleaning your chain every 500 miles (or what your maintenance manual says) will help you get the proper lifespan from the chain and help keep it from failing. This brush has three sides to get most of the chain with ease. This will help shave some time off maintaining the bike and allow you to spend more time on it.
You can pick these brushes up almost any place that sells anything motorcycle related. I even found them being sold at my local Wal-Mart. Or if you do not want to leave the house, you can buy this Chain tool on Amazon.com.
This could even make a good cheap gift to a fellow motorcyclist. It never hurts to have a extra one of these laying around in the even that your first one gets to worn.
If you are interested in what Motorcycle and gear I own, you can check it all out on the Bike and Gear page!