Motorcycle tools every rider should have while on the go

We’ve all come across the unfortunate situation on the road where we ran a flat or had a fuse blown on our commute to work or while on a long ride. Fortunately, every motorcycle comes with a set of basic OEM bike tools kits to help you take a wheel off or replace a spark plug. However, these humble kits are far from sufficient from dealing with most issues. A few tools mean the difference between an expensive tow and an easy fix that can get you back on the road in minutes.

Lets first dig into the OEM bike tools that come with the motorcycle, these kits come equipped with the standard spark plug socket, tyre bolt spanners and sometimes an allen key or two for specific parts of your bike. But in our experience, these tools are far from sufficient and least to say they kind of suck. They might get you out of a few problems but not all. When you’re on the fly you need tools that are light, portable and  versatile, you can’t be lugging around a 25kg 150 bit ratchet set or an air compressor. Let’s dive into a few tools that can help you be prepared for all kinds of emergency situations.

Zip Ties

The first aspect we’re going to dive into isn’t exactly a tool, rather are nylon straps. These genius plastic zip ties are excellent for holding down cables, fairings, and even luggage in a worst case scenario. They’re super versatile and can get you out of a sticky situation in seconds. They’re an absolute life saver. You can pick up a pack of these from your nearby hardware store or from an online retailer for under ₹250 ($20) making them one of the most affordable bike tools on our list.

Puncture kit

In our experience, we’ve faced punctures in almost 50% of our rides, making it one of the most prone issues for motorcycles. But luckily, you can be prepared for this. If you’re running tubeless tyres then this bike tool is for you. A set of standard rope plugs work great for large holes or irregular holes. A few dyna plugs work much easier for smaller punctures. These plugs are great but frankly quite useless if you’ve lost pressure in your tyres already you’re in fact more likely to pick up another picture if you’re running under pressured tyres not to mention you’ll increase tyre wear. A set of Co2 cartridges for filling up your tyres would be ideal since they are compact and extremely convenient to use. The traditional bicycle pump works great too since they never run out of air, however, they are quite bulky.

Carrying a puncture kit is beneficial however, you also have to know how to use it to make it all practical. We suggest that you drive a nail into your tires and practice the plugging to perfect your skills. Of course we do not suggest driving multiple nails since it would weaken your tyre.

Pre arranged Tool Kit Sets

When time and space is a luxury, an alternative to carrying a series of bulky tools is available. Pre arranged bike tool kits make it much simpler to carry various tool kits in an easy to use pouch. In our experience, these pre-assembled tool kits are quite extensive. Kits like the Enduristan Lyndon and the Cruztools Sliding T- Driver with a socket set are designed as generic bike tool kits,  moreover they serve as a one size fits all kind of approach, which in theory is quite useful especially if you’re riding with a large group.

However, if you want to be well equipped for your bike specifically, Cruztools Roadtech toolkits make specific extensive tool kits for Harley Davidsons, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha.  Gone are the days of sitting helpless and stranded beside the road. 

Extras

• A few 6mm and 8mm bolts

It’s never a bad idea to be over prepared for a tricky situation and so we’ve come up with a few extra bike tools you might want to carry if space permits. In our riders’ experience, there’s always a few bots that rattle loose when on a long ride. 6 and 8mm bolts are the most common size bolts on your bike. Carrying a few of these bolts in a ziplock bag could make all the difference for you, whether it’s a fairing bolt, handlebar holder or a headlight foundation fastener.

• Extra Fuses

Another common issue we’ve faced especially in the monsoons are blown fuses. Although these are less prone issues they still do happen and do cause considerable mayhem if not prepared. Carrying a few extra fuses of varied sizes and ratings could mean the difference between riding home with your lights off in the dead of night or being stranded by the side of the road, either way not very pleasant experiences.

• Razor blades and Gloves

More often than not, a wire snaps and you need to rejoin it and so our next item is a razor blade. This versatile tool could come handy on multiple occasions when out on the road. You could also carry some rubber gloves so you don’t soil your hands when changing tyres. If you want a super extensive set then you could potentially include some safety wire should you need to tie some rattling bolts or parts down.

• Jerry Cans

In regions like Leh and Ladkah, fuel pumps are not situated in regular intervals as they are on national highways. Often they are spread 100 or more kilometers apart, carrying a Jerry can with extra Fuel would be a great and safe way to be prepared for rides like this. These cans can store as much as 5 liters each.

• Bungee cords

Incase of a luggage strap snaps, carrying a few extra bungee cords comes super handy. Good quality ones can last many years and more importantly, they’re elastic enough to hold down important elements like fairings in case of a crash or even strap down an extra helmet to the pillion seat.

• Insulation tape

Insulation tape is extremely important especially when riding in wet regions. An exposed wire could potentially lead you stranded by the road with a dead battery or in worst case could lead to a fire. Our experienced rides suggest that instead of carrying an entire roll of insulation tape, you could just roll up a few inches on a spanner from your tool kit. This would save a lot of space.

• Battery jump starter

1. If you really want to be prepared for anything that the road might throw at you then you might want to consider carrying a motorcycle battery jump starter. This nifty bike tools essentially a portable high voltage rechargeable battery bank that can assist you in starting a bike with a low or dead battery. Some models even come with inbuilt flashlights and power outputs so you can change your phone or run a tyre air compressor from it. This is especially useful for larger motorcycles.

Conclusion

We hope that some of these tips help you to be more prepared incase of a problem should occur on the road. And as they say, a man not prepared is a man set up for failure. Ride safe dear readers and stay tuned for the next set of exciting blogs coming up soon.

How to buy Bike Tool kits on Custom Elements?

If you’re looking to upgrade your OEM tool kit, it might be a good idea to buy a bike tool kit from a reputed online marketplace like Custom Elements. You can find top notch quality bike tool kits from Cruztools. There are also a couple of search filters on the website that you can use to narrow your search. Once you find the right kit, proceed to check out where you can pay for your set. Your product will then be shipped to you in a few days.

 

Disclaimer: The views & opinions put forward in this blog are purely from a personal perspective of the author & do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever.