Tools you need in the garage

[McMurphy]

So my wife has blessed off on me acquiring the tools I'll need for regular maintenance on the bike, along with what I'll need for taking care of smaller issues. I've got about $2k worth to drop into them, so question now is what I NEED to buy. Unfortunately I have an open parking space, but it's pretty level and if need be she's even blessed off on my bringing the bike into the house. (God must like me lately)

I'm thinking of building or acquiring some sort of frame to put around my parking space so as to give me some shade while working, and give me something to ratchet strap the bike to when I have to leave it on the stands unattended (changing tires, etc)

Looking into Pitbull stands, the tools for fork work, brake work, and oil changes. So what else do I need to put on my list?

 

[07Bolt]

Most common tools,

Torx 27; Philips screwdriver; 9/16" & 1/2" wrench along with the following:

 

[Raze1287]

BFH everyone needs one[up]

axle nut allen
http://www.americansportbike.com/shoponline/ccp0-prodshow/9153.html

torque wrench

 

[anrkizm95]

multimeter
fusebuddy
noid light
power probe


or if you already have those im selling a snapon solus and otc lab scope master kit

 

[Baal]

I had to look to find the list, but here is where you should start on tools:


MECHANICS TOOL GUIDE

(Tools you need & their uses)

HYDRAULIC BIKE JACK/PLATFORM - ingeniously designed tool for flipping bikes onto their sides, usually when you're alone in the garage.

EIGHT-FOOT LONG DOUGLAS FIR 2X4 - used for levering a bike upright after using a hydraulic jack on the bike.

WIRE WHEEL/GRINDER - cleans rust off old bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingertips and hard-earned guitar calluses.

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands that smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly painted part carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

VICE-GRIPS - used to round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL - normally used for spinning steel Pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age, or drilling holes in a floor of a car just above the brake line that goes to the rear axle.

MECHANIC'S KNIFE - used to open and slice quickly and deeply through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on boxes containing leathers or bike covers.

HAMMER - originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive chrome parts not far from the object we are trying to hit.

E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR - a tool that snaps off in bolt holes and is ten times harder than any known drill bit.

TWO-TON HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOIST - a handy tool for testing the tensile strength of ground straps and hydraulic clutch lines you may have forgotten to disconnect. Almost capable of lifting a Gold Wing off the floor.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 X 16 INCH SCREWDRIVER - a large motor mount prying tool that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end without the handle.

BATTERY ELECTROLYTE TESTER - A handy tool for transferring sulphuric acid from the battery to the inside of your toolbox after determining that your battery is dead as a doornail, just as you thought.

HACKSAW - one of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

AVIATION SNIPS SEE "HACKSAW" above

AIR COMPRESSOR - a machine that takes energy produced in a coal-burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by hose to a pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty suspension bolts last tightened 40 years ago and rounds them off.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER - normally used to stab the lids of old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splash oil on your shirt; can also be used, as the name implies, to round off Phillips screw heads.

TIMING LIGHT - a stroboscopic instrument for illuminating grease buildup on crankshaft pulleys.

BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for setting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub you want the bearing race out of.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
---
Additions to the list are always welcome; be sure to include a complete description of the proper use.

 

[ReconLdr]

I had to look to find the list, but here is where you should start on tools:


MECHANICS TOOL GUIDE

(Tools you need & their uses)

HYDRAULIC BIKE JACK/PLATFORM - ingeniously designed tool for flipping bikes onto their sides, usually when you're alone in the garage.

EIGHT-FOOT LONG DOUGLAS FIR 2X4 - used for levering a bike upright after using a hydraulic jack on the bike.

WIRE WHEEL/GRINDER - cleans rust off old bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingertips and hard-earned guitar calluses.

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands that smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly
- painted part carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

VICE-GRIPS - used to round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL - normally used for spinning steel Pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age, or drilling holes in a floor of a car just above the brake line that goes to the rear axle.

MECHANIC'S KNIFE - used to open and slice quickly and deeply through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on boxes containing leathers or bike covers.

HAMMER - originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive chrome parts not far from the object we are trying to hit.

E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR - a tool that snaps off in bolt holes and is ten times harder than any known drill bit.

TWO-TON HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOIST - a handy tool for testing the tensile strength of ground straps and hydraulic clutch lines you may have forgotten to disconnect. Almost capable of lifting a Gold Wing off the floor.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 X 16 INCH SCREWDRIVER - a large motor mount prying tool that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end without the handle.

BATTERY ELECTROLYTE TESTER - A handy tool for transferring sulphuric acid from the battery to the inside of your toolbox after determining that your battery is dead as a doornail, just as you thought.

HACKSAW - one of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

AVIATION SNIPS SEE "HACKSAW" above

AIR COMPRESSOR - a machine that takes energy produced in a coal-burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by hose to a pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty suspension bolts last tightened 40 years ago and rounds them off.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER - normally used to stab the lids of old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splash oil on your shirt; can also be used, as the name implies, to round off Phillips screw heads.

TIMING LIGHT - a stroboscopic instrument for illuminating grease buildup on crankshaft pulleys.

BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for setting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub you want the bearing race out of.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
---
Additions to the list are always welcome; be sure to include a complete description of the proper use.

This ^^^^^ is funny.... I shamelessly stole this and posted it on a few other forums.

 

[jandj_davis]

Get a good set of English AND Metric sockets and wrenches, including torx and allen drivers for the ratchets.
Buy some professional grade screw drivers.
You will need at least two torque wrenches (1/4" and 3/8" ), three if you want to get inside the primary (add 1/2" for the BIG torque items).
A set of bike stands are a must (I use the T-Rex stands, and they work just as well as any other brand).
An oil drain pan and oil filter wrench.
Some red locktite, some blue locktite, some anti-seize, and some di-electric grease.
For electrical work, a soldering iron, wire stripper/crimper, and heat-shrink tubing.
An ECM-Spy cable. It is cheaper than ONE TPS reset at your local stealership.
GET A SERVICE MANUAL AND A PARTS MANUAL. The Buell ones are pretty good, and should still be available from the dealerships

That list will cover most anything you will need to do as regular maintenance. As you go, you will find other tools that are a must (anyone know what crowsfoot wrenches are? They are GREAT for torquing the primary tensioner locknut) and other tools that are "necessary."

ALWAYS BUY QUALITY, unless you promise to only use it once then throw it away. This is particulary important for things that turn bolts, nuts, or screws. CHEAP ALLEN WRENCHES WILL COST YOU MORE THAN YOU SPEND ON THEM.

Either get a nice set of stacked tool drawers, or go with peg-board on the wall (might be kind of tough with no garage). Nothing is more frustrating than digging through a cheap, over-stuffed toolbox looking for that small driver or wrench.

Find a local hardware store, and get to know the selection of stainless steel nuts, bolts, and screws. Get to know the hardware guy too if there is one. They are a good asset when an "alternative solution" is necessary.

I have done EVERYTHING on my bike in the 5 years that I have owned it, and did EVERYTHING on the bike I owned before that. I have found that I take WAY more pride in ownership when I do the work myself. I have also found there is pride in helping friends with their bikes as well. I change tires, spin wrenches, and shoot the breeze with as many friends as I can make. Owning the right tools is more than a way to work on your bike. It is a way to expand your motorcycling horizons. Good luck, and we look forward to the tales of triumph and defeat to follow.

 

[dmp0001]

The only tool I use for every job:

 

[rodimus prime]

You will find that ratchet wrenches (reversable) are worth their weigh in gold. Being said....DO NOT BUY THE GEAR WRENCH REVERSABLE RATCHET WRENCHES. You can only put them on the bolt through one side due to a stupid design they came up with. They also make them for Craftsman...but ommited the idiot design.

 

[ReconLdr]

I had to look to find the list, but here is where you should start on tools:


MECHANICS TOOL GUIDE

(Tools you need & their uses)

HYDRAULIC BIKE JACK/PLATFORM - ingeniously designed tool for flipping bikes onto their sides, usually when you're alone in the garage.

EIGHT-FOOT LONG DOUGLAS FIR 2X4 - used for levering a bike upright after using a hydraulic jack on the bike.

WIRE WHEEL/GRINDER - cleans rust off old bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingertips and hard-earned guitar calluses.

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands that smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly painted part carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

VICE-GRIPS - used to round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL - normally used for spinning steel Pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age, or drilling holes in a floor of a car just above the brake line that goes to the rear axle.

MECHANIC'S KNIFE - used to open and slice quickly and deeply through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on boxes containing leathers or bike covers.

HAMMER - originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive chrome parts not far from the object we are trying to hit.

E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR - a tool that snaps off in bolt holes and is ten times harder than any known drill bit.

TWO-TON HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOIST - a handy tool for testing the tensile strength of ground straps and hydraulic clutch lines you may have forgotten to disconnect. Almost capable of lifting a Gold Wing off the floor.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 X 16 INCH SCREWDRIVER - a large motor mount prying tool that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end without the handle.

BATTERY ELECTROLYTE TESTER - A handy tool for transferring sulphuric acid from the battery to the inside of your toolbox after determining that your battery is dead as a doornail, just as you thought.

HACKSAW - one of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

AVIATION SNIPS SEE "HACKSAW" above

AIR COMPRESSOR - a machine that takes energy produced in a coal-burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by hose to a pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty suspension bolts last tightened 40 years ago and rounds them off.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER - normally used to stab the lids of old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splash oil on your shirt; can also be used, as the name implies, to round off Phillips screw heads.

TIMING LIGHT - a stroboscopic instrument for illuminating grease buildup on crankshaft pulleys.

BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for setting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub you want the bearing race out of.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
---
Additions to the list are always welcome; be sure to include a complete description of the proper use.

Items to add to the list:

Duct Tape - For things aren't supposed to move, but do

WD40 - For things that are supposed to move, but won't

 

[Greerstyl]

HHahahahahh that's fracken hilarious

 

[Baal]

That's the wrong size beer glass for Buells. If you use that one you'll have parts left over when you're done.