Building a kit that pays for itself
You do not need a workshop. A modest set of tools covers most routine maintenance and pays for itself within a couple of jobs.
Start here
- A torque wrench. First purchase, and the reason is below
- A socket set covering the sizes your bike uses
- Combination spanners
- Hex and Torx keys, ideally in a driver form rather than L-shaped
- A tyre pressure gauge you trust
- A paddock stand or centre stand — transforms chain maintenance
- Chain cleaning brush and lubricant
- A funnel and a drain pan
- Cable ties, and a torch
Why the torque wrench first
The most common serious DIY mistake is not using the wrong part — it is over-tightening or under-tightening the right one.
Over-tightened: stripped threads in aluminium castings, snapped bolts, crushed components. Repairs that cost many times the price of the tool.
Under-tightened: fasteners that work loose while riding. On an axle, a caliper or a variator nut, that is a serious failure at the worst possible moment.
Torque figures come from your manual for your model. Do not take them from a forum post, another model, or a general chart.
Using it properly
- Clean, dry threads unless the manual specifies otherwise
- Approach the setting smoothly and stop at the click — do not keep pulling
- Wind a click-type wrench back to its lowest setting for storage, or the spring takes a set and accuracy drifts
- Get it calibrated occasionally if you use it a lot
Worth adding later
Trickle charger, multimeter, oil filter tool, and — for scooter owners — the holding tools needed for CVT work.
What is in your kit, and what do you wish you had bought sooner?