Welcome to our Slow Opening! — Slowly, we're adding our curated collection of products to the website. LEARN MORE...

Skip to content
  • RIDERS REVIEW — Share your experience...

  • RIDERS REQUEST — We stock what you want...

  • My Wish List
  • Login / Register
  • RIDERS REVIEW — Share your experience...

RidingGearWarehouse.comRidingGearWarehouse.com
  • Menu
  • 0
    • Your cart is empty. So sad.

  • 0

    Cart

    Your cart is empty. So sad.

  • Motorcycle Gear
    • Gear Home…
      • Shop All Gear…
    • Armor
      • Dirt Gear
      • Eyewear
      • Footwear
      • Motorcycle Gloves
    • Motorcycle Headwear
      • Heated Motorcycle Gear
      • Helmets
      • Jackets
      • Pants
    • Race Suits
      • Rain Gear
      • Under Layers
      • Womens Gear
  • Motorcycle Accessories
    • Accessories Home…
      • Shop All Accessories…
    • Backpacks
      • Books & Videos
      • Cables & Adapters
      • Camping & Outdoor
      • Cargo Tie-Downs
    • Communication
      • Crash Protection
      • Fuel Canisters
      • Horns
      • Luggage
    • Mounts & Cases
      • Navigation & Maps
      • Photo & Video
      • Radar Detectors
      • Storage & Security
  • Maintenance Supplies
    • Supplies Home…
      • Shop All Supplies…
    • Batteries & Chargers
      • Care & Cleaning
      • Chain & Sprocket
      • Electrical Supplies
      • Everyday Supplies
    • Oil & Fluids
      • Repair Manuals
      • Tools & Workshop
      • Transport & Tie-Downs
      • Wheel & Tire
  • Fit to Ride
    • Fit to Ride home…
    • Eyecare
      • First Aid
      • Fitness
      • Food & Supplements
      • Hearing Protection
    • Hydration
      • Insect Repellent
      • Pain Relief
      • Personal Hygiene
      • Sun Protection
  • The Riders Blog
The Riders Blog logo | RidingGearWarehouse.com
  • Reviews
  • How-To's
  • Travel
  • More ...
The Riders Blog / How-To / HOW TO MAKE A CUSTOM TOOL KIT FOR YOUR MOTORCYCLE
How to Make A Custom Motorcycle Tool Kit | The Riders Blog | RidingGearWarehouse.com
13
Apr
How-To

HOW TO MAKE A CUSTOM TOOL KIT FOR YOUR MOTORCYCLE

Posted on April 13, 2018September 21, 2020 by RGW Staff Writer

Making a custom tool kit for your motorcycle is a simple thing to do and can save you a ton o’ money vs buying an off-the-shelf custom tool kit for your bike.

By design, motorcycles have minimum different sizes and types of fasteners (screws and bolts); meaning you don’t need to search through 24 different socket sizes when your bike only uses 6. Refining a tool kit to include only the specific wrenches, sockets, and other tools your particular motorcycle needs simplifies maintenance, keeps the size and weight of your tool roll to a minimum, and makes taking needed tools with you on the road that much easier. There’s also a great sense of pride that comes from having done the work and customized your tool kit yourself.

 

Great tool kits are built over time

Technically speaking it’s possible to read through the OEM owners manual for your motorcycle and make note of every tool needed for every maintenance task there is, then buy the whole lot of them at once. However — in our experience — the best, most efficient, and most complete tool kits are pieced together gradually, one maintenance task at a time, with their content constantly being refined as they are used.

Whether you already own every tool there is to own, or you own none at all and are starting completely from scratch, here’s our simple step-by-step guide for how to make a custom tool kit for your motorcycle.

 

 

How to make a custom tool kit for your motorcycle

 

Get a Haynes Manual

Motorcycle Haynes Manuals | The Riders Blog | RidingGearWarehouse.com
If you work on your own motorcycle you should own the Haynes Manual for the make, model, and year of your bike.

OK, this isn’t for in your tool kit per se, but everyone who works on their own motorcycle should own the Haynes Manual for the make, model, and year of their bike. These how-to maintenance guides are written by pros, contain some great bike specific maintenance tips, and for the purpose of assembling your tool kit they list the OEM specified size and type of every nut, bolt, and screw there is on your motorcycle (along with their torque specification) as well as every specialty tool and other supply you may need while working. In short, all the information you need to help make sure your selection of tools is correct.

 

Get a tool roll

Motorcycle Tool Rolls | The Riders Blog | RidingGearWarehouse.com
A tool roll, such as this one from Givi, is a small, inexpensive, and easy way to take your tool kit with you on any motorcycle.

If you’re going to build a custom tool kit you’re going to need somewhere to keep your tools. Something compact and easy to take on the road: a motorcycle tool roll.

Toll rolls are small, inexpensive, easy to use, and can be carried on any motorcycle. They easily fit in a pannier, top case, tail bag, or other luggage, can be strapped to your fender, your seat, or even worn around your waist.

As your tool kit grows more specialized and complete you might find your tool roll becomes a source of great pride (not to mention peace of mind), and that it’s you who your fellow riders always turn to when something goes sideways and needs fixing out on the road.

 

Make your tools and tool roll identifiable

Use duct tape to identify your motorcycle tools | The Riders Blog | RidingGearWarehouse.com
Tools can all look the same when you’re working at the side of the road. Use some duct tape to identify which tools are yours.

A great habit to get in to right from the start is marking your tools and tool roll in a unique way to make them easily identifiable.

When working at the side of the road among other riders each with their own assortment of tools, every wrench and socket can start to look the same. It’s easy for tools to get mixed up or disappear. You are well advised to mark your tools in a unique and easily identifiable way.

One simple way to identify your tools is to wrap a strip of colored duct tape around them. Seeing a bright band of red, green, or whatever color tape you prefer, immediately identifies that tool as belonging to you. It also makes a convenient way to carry your supply of duct tape.

Another option is to use a dab of paint or nail polish to identify your tools. Put a colored dot or some other recognizable mark on every item in your tool kit. This method often works better than duct tape on smaller items.

 

A quick note about tool weight

Tools can get heavy. Unfortunately the lighter a tool is often the more expensive it is too — titanium wrenches vs steel wrenches for example. But as your budget affords, pay attention to the weight of what you buy. Ounces quickly add up to pounds, grams to kilograms.

As a general target, you should be able to keep a very complete budget tool kit, including tool roll, under 8 lbs (3.6kg). Less if you can afford titanium.

 

 

Start with the basic hand tools

Motorcycle Hand Tools | The Riders Blog | RidingGearWarehouse.com
Check your service manual for the specific tools you need. After that the tools can be purchased one at a time as each job requires, or as a convenient starter set.

Every motorcycle requires the same basic tools — a set of wrenches (metric or SAE), a socket set (metric or SAE), and most often various extensions. What varies from motorcycle to motorcycle is the particular sizes of these things they use. Also, in the case of sockets, the type of sockets (Hex, Torx, etc).

Check your OEM Service Manual or your Haynes Manual to learn the specific tool types your brand of motorcycle requires.

 

Always work from your tool roll

Whatever motorcycle maintenance you do, always work from you tool roll. This is the best way to confirm that your tool kit includes every tool your motorcycle requires, or learn exactly what it is missing so you can add, subtract, and otherwise refine as needed.

 

Add whatever you use to your tool roll

Start with an empty tool roll and build your tool kit one maintenance task at a time. Adjusting your chain slack? Add the tools you used for that job to your tool roll. Removing your plastics and gas tank? Add the tools you need for that job to your tool roll. Every tool you use while working on your motorcycle — basic tools, specialty tools, supplies — it all goes in your tool roll after it is used.

After you’ve done a few jobs you’ll find that many if not all of the tools needed for other jobs are already part of your tool kit.

 

Keep adding what you need

Any time you need something not already part of your tool kit, grab it, put your identifying mark on it, and add it to your tool roll so you have it for the next time. Keep repeating this process until eventually your tool roll holds everything you need. Eventually only the most infrequently used items will remain outside of your tool roll.

 

 

Specialty Items

Many specialty items that are an indispensable part of motorcycle maintenance should also have a home in your tool roll. This list is by no means complete and will vary from mechanic to mechanic and bike to bike, but here are a few common ones to ponder:

Everyday Items:

  • Nitrile Gloves
  • Hand Cleaner
  • Loctite
  • Shop Rags

Emergency Repair items:

  • Zip Ties
  • Bailing Wire
  • Epoxy
  • JB Weld
  • Fiberglass Repair Kit
  • Spare Cables and/or Cable Repair Kit

Oil Change items:

  • Crush Washers
  • Oil Filter Wrench or Socket
  • Funnel

Tire Repair items:

  • Tire Repair Kit (tube or tubeless)
  • Spare Tube(s)
  • Tire Spoons / Levers 
  • Air Pump
  • Axle Nut Wrench or Socket 
  • Axle Grease

Chain Service items:

  • Chain Tool & Spare Links
  • Chain Brush
  • Chain Cleaner
  • Chain Lube

 

 

Tools too big or too heavy

Some tools or other maintenance items might be too big or heavy for your tool roll (a breaker bar and torque wrench come to mind). Or perhaps they are only used infrequently. You’ll have to decide whether they warrant traveling with you (stow as needed) or if they can be left in the garage.

 

 

Share the load

If you are traveling with friends a great way to lighten the load and have less to pack is to share tool carrying duties. For example, there’s no need to carry multiple sets of wrenches or sockets. So for tools such as these that the group has in common create one communal tool kit to be divided up and carried among the group members. This leaves only those specialty tools needed for each of the various motorcycle brands in the group to be carried in addition.

 

 

Enjoy the process

Making a custom tool kit for your motorcycle is a hugely rewarding project. All more so after it’s saved your butt out on the road! So enjoy the process. When the time comes you’ll enjoy using it that much more.

Ride safe. Have fun.

 

 

Related Posts

You may also like

  • HOW TO CARRY CARGO ON YOUR MOTORCYCLE. CORRECTLY.
    HOW TO CARRY CARGO ON YOUR MOTORCYCLE. CORRECTLY.
  • HOW TO LUBRICATE YOUR MOTORCYCLE IGNITION AND LOCKS
    HOW TO LUBRICATE YOUR MOTORCYCLE IGNITION AND LOCKS
  • HOW TO GET STARTED MAINTAINING YOUR OWN MOTORCYCLE
    HOW TO GET STARTED MAINTAINING YOUR OWN MOTORCYCLE

Products mentioned in this article

  • Haynes Manual
  • microfiber towels
  • nitrile gloves
  • hand cleaner
  • headlamp or flashlight

Tools

  • screwdrivers or screwdriver bits
  • metric or SAE wrench set
  • metric or SAE socket set
  • HEX socket set
  • Torx socket set
  • torque wrench

Tire repair

  • tire repair kit
  • spare tube
  • tire spoons
  • compressed air canisters
  • portable air pump
  • air pressure gauge

Oil & Fluids

  • motorcycle oil
  • chain cleaner
  • chain lube
  • brake fluid
  • all purpose lubricant
  • grease
  • loctite
This entry was posted in How-To and tagged motorcycle accessories, motorcycle luggage, motorcycle supplies, motorcycle tools.

Riders Comments Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

What's New'sletter Icon | RidingGearWarehouse.com

What's New'sletter

Subscribe now to keep up to speed with what's new at RGW.

Sign Up Now
RidingGearWarehouse.com typelogo

What's New'sletter

Sign up now and we'll keep you up to speed.



    Privacy Policy ...

    Browse By Category
    Recent posts
    • WELCOME TO OUR SLOW OPENING!
    • PART 4. BEAR SAFETY GEAR / MOTORCYCLE CAMPING IN BEAR COUNTRY
    • PART 3. PREPARATION / MOTORCYCLE CAMPING IN BEAR COUNTRY
    • PART 2. BEAR BEHAVIOR / MOTORCYCLE CAMPING IN BEAR COUNTRY
    • PART 1. INTRODUCTION / MOTORCYCLE CAMPING IN BEAR COUNTRY
    Riders Review Icon | RidingGearWarehouse.com

    Riders Review

    Share your experience.

    Learn More ...
    Riders Request Icon | RidingGearWarehouse.com

    Riders Request

    Need something we don't have?

    Let Us Know...

    Not everything

    Only the best of everything

    RidingGearWarehouse.com typelogo

    Fit To Ride

    Care & Maintenance For Your Body

    Fit to Ride | Health & Fitness for Motorcyclists | RidingGearWarehouse.com
    Riders Review Icon | RidingGearWarehouse.com

    Riders Review

    Share your experience.

    What's New'sletter Icon | RidingGearWarehouse.com

    What's New'sletter

    Keep up to speed with everything new at RGW.

    Sign Up Now

    RidingGearWarehouse.com typelogo

    What's New'sletter

    Sign up now and we'll keep you up to speed.



      Privacy Policy ...

      The Sizing Center

      Motorcycle Gear Sizing Information

      Motorcycle Gear Sizing Information | The Sizing Center | RidingGearWarehouse.com
      Riders Request Icon | RidingGearWarehouse.com

      Riders Request

      We stock what you want.

      RGW is your warehouse. If you like what you see please tell your friends. Help us get this ride off to a good start. Thx!

      Your Orders
      • Account / Login
      • My Wish List
      • Shopping Cart
      Shopping
      • The Riders Blog
      • The Sizing Center
      • Riders Request
      • Riders Review
      About RGW
      • About RGW
      • RGW & Amazon
      • Policies & Terms
      • Contact Us

      RidingGearWarehouse.com is an Amazon Associate. As such we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through our website. This adds no cost to your orders and is how we support the website. We hope you find RidingGearWarehouse.com informative and helpful. Thank you for visiting. Come back often.

      All trademarks are property of their respective owner. — Ride safe. Have fun.™
      © 2023  RidingGearWarehouse.com   |   Policies & Terms of Use...
      • Motorcycle Gear
        • Gear Home…
          • Shop All Gear…
        • Armor
          • Dirt Gear
          • Eyewear
          • Footwear
          • Motorcycle Gloves
        • Motorcycle Headwear
          • Heated Motorcycle Gear
          • Helmets
          • Jackets
          • Pants
        • Race Suits
          • Rain Gear
          • Under Layers
          • Womens Gear
      • Motorcycle Accessories
        • Accessories Home…
          • Shop All Accessories…
        • Backpacks
          • Books & Videos
          • Cables & Adapters
          • Camping & Outdoor
          • Cargo Tie-Downs
        • Communication
          • Crash Protection
          • Fuel Canisters
          • Horns
          • Luggage
        • Mounts & Cases
          • Navigation & Maps
          • Photo & Video
          • Radar Detectors
          • Storage & Security
      • Maintenance Supplies
        • Supplies Home…
          • Shop All Supplies…
        • Batteries & Chargers
          • Care & Cleaning
          • Chain & Sprocket
          • Electrical Supplies
          • Everyday Supplies
        • Oil & Fluids
          • Repair Manuals
          • Tools & Workshop
          • Transport & Tie-Downs
          • Wheel & Tire
      • Fit to Ride
        • Fit to Ride home…
        • Eyecare
          • First Aid
          • Fitness
          • Food & Supplements
          • Hearing Protection
        • Hydration
          • Insect Repellent
          • Pain Relief
          • Personal Hygiene
          • Sun Protection
      • The Riders Blog
      • Login
      RGW uses cookies to enhance website functionality and create the best user experience we can for you. Please let us know you're ok with that.
      Learn More ... It's All Good