Motorcycle Tune Up Tools

• A tool set will allow you to perform your own motorcycle maintenance. motorcycle image by Bionic Media from Fotolia.com

  Performing your own motorcycle maintenance can save you hundreds of dollars in mechanics fees in addition to helping you learn more about your bike. Although you will save money in the long term, you must purchase tools to get started. You can use these basic tools with just about any project. For certain jobs you may need more specialized tools, but you can purchase them when needed.

Wrench and Socket Set

• A socket set should contain various sizes. Drive socket set image by Elzbieta Sekowska from Fotolia.com

  You can complete most jobs with a wrench set and a socket set. A wrench set helps you avoid the headache of stripped or snapped nuts and bolts. Properly-sized wrenches grip nuts and bolts tightly leading to a direct transfer of energy and no damage to your bike. In addition to a wrench set, your tool set should include a socket set for hard to reach nuts and bolts. Your wrench and socket sets should span from approximately 6 to 14 mm in half-millimeter increments, along with 17- and 19-mm wrenches. If you need more specific sizes, you can buy them individually later. Most modern bike's use metric bolts, but check whether your bike uses metric or SAE before purchasing a wrench or socket set. A tool kit should also contain at least two adjustable crescent wrenches for odd-sized bolts.

Drivers

• Some screwdrivers feature one body with interchangeable heads. screwdrivers image by rafalwit from Fotolia.com

  Drivers come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the jobs for which they are intended. Screwdrivers fit into a shaped groove on the head of a screw or bolt, and bit-drivers grab the entire head of a bolt to turn it. Impact drivers are used with hammers to free stuck screws. A driver set should consist of multiple screwdrivers, bit-drivers and an impact driver. Bit-drivers aren't critical if you have a socket set, but sometimes they allow you to access hard-to-reach nuts or bolts. Your screwdriver set should include Phillips-head, flat-head, Allen and Torx screwdrivers of various sizes. You should also have at least one large long flat-head screwdriver for prying. You'll need a hammer to use with your impact driver for maximum effect. Look at your bike and identify screw or bolt heads and buy tools accordingly.

Pliers

• Vice grip pliers increase your gripping power. vice grips, plier image by JoLin from Fotolia.com

  Perhaps the most versatile and useful tool in any set is a pair of pliers. Pliers are used to hold objects in place and are capable of exerting large amounts force. A tool set should always include at least one pair of vice-grip pliers, which physically lock in place. Channel-locks are used for a similar purpose, but are faster and easier to use than vice-grip pliers because they do not have a locking mechanism. Diagonal pliers, or wire cutters, can be used for cutting thin metal objects. Needle-nose pliers allow you to reach into narrow spaces or hold small objects with precision.