The toolbox of the mechanic
Are you too tired of emptying your bank account for a simple review of the bike? Would you like to be able to do even basic maintenance on your bike instead of wasting time making appointments for relatively simple things that would save you time and money? So start by bringing you the RTM of your vehicle and invest sustainably in adapted equipment and get into the mechanics of motorcycles .You will learn more about your craft and know exactly what you did and how it was done with a real personal satisfaction, even more the day when you will share your experience of mechanic with friends!
Tools to start the mechanics
Which tool for which use?Keys and screwdrivers
On some motorcycles, a simple control of the level of brake fluid or oil or even cooling, sometimes requires to dismantle a section of the fairings. These are mostly maintained by allen or torx screws , ... see bolts . So you have two options:
the first and the simplest, will be to get a kit with a screwdriver bit holder and its set of bits allen, torx, philips, pozidrive, dish, sockets ... It is compact and practical to use, the small models will accompany you easily in your top-case or tank bag.
the second is more cumbersome, since it will buy a lot of screwdriver , a lot of allen keys , a lot of torx keys etc ... but it is also more qualitative in terms of wear resistance generally.
To go further in the maintenance and disassembly of your bike, you will fall on bolts of larger diameter. It will therefore be necessary to have on hand the sockets of suitable size which generally pass in 1/2 "whereas the smaller ones are in 1/4", simple question of resistance. Example, the nut of the axle of your rear wheel that you will have to loosen to be able to carry out the tension your chain of transmission. So you also have boxes in 1/2 " with longer sleeves and robust to withstand big tightening.
Some nuts or bolts may not be easily accessible with angled wrenches like these, so we often need a lot of mixed keys (flat on one side, eye on the other), it's part of the essentials for use. From 6 mm to 19 mm, you will cover most of your needs, the rest is bought by the unit if necessary. The pipe wrenches generally will duplicate a lot of socket wrenches as I mentioned earlier, you can forget your basic list.
Then come the clamps: the best known is undoubtedly the multi-tap , it's the one that sneaks pretty well everywhere and is multitasking. In fact, you will be able to hold a piece firmly in position, help loosen a tight oil plug, hold a bolt when loosening the nut on the other side, pinch gasket circlips or coolant, remove a safety pin and so on ... The other most commonly used clamp is the cutting pliers; you can close a serflex and cut the excess length, cut a replacement hose to the correct length, cut an electric wire when installing a new accessory on the bike etc ... if I had to choose that one to start, it would be the Russian pincer model that I use most often because it offers more strength and is more versatile while remaining sufficiently compact. Finally, to speak only of the most commonly used pliers for standard maintenance, I would add the bent nose pliers which will go into narrower places and with greater precision of work, for example to handle cables, carburetor parts ...
On occasion, a mechanic's hammer (30mm to 35mm) can be handy, to chase an ax, hit a pin hunt or a recalcitrant bolt to unstick the nets, etc. also the most versatile model because of medium size, halfway between the carpenter's hammer and the mallet . When you do not want to risk damaging your room, use a wooden block or a rubber mallet to do it right.
Good and bad toolsGood idea or bad idea?
Before you talk about the right tools, let's eliminate from your head the horrors you will find at a small price and that will make you spend a lot of money and time in the end ... not to mention the risks of real injury! Indeed, a tool that ripe because poorly machined and therefore not quite the right size (it is very common on a low-end product) may remind you hand - arm against all kinds of things ... usually salient parts so much to do. If the tool rips, your screw will take a hit ... and it will not be long before it is impossible to unscrew conventionally, and this is where we'll resort to tricky methods including Would have liked to happen ... so waste of time as I said.
Specifically, if you want to minimize your investment in hand tools because you are not handyman in your soul and you will use every 31 of the month, at least ensure that it is written " Vanadium Chrome"On your metal hand tools, it is a guarantee of the quality of the steel and therefore the resistance of the tool (and then they will resist corrosion much better over time), even if that said, it does not does not prove all its general quality as machining precision and therefore the risk of shifting for some noname products anyway.A good quality tool is also a tool that has a good design ergonomics point of view, if it is well studied you will have more grip in hand and more strength, I speak mainly screwdrivers and pliers.Where possible, take it in hand and judge the approval of the coating, trust your senses.
Another clarification, you should know that there are hex sockets and other 12-sided . The 12-shank has the advantage of being able to place the socket in 12 different positions, which is convenient in some inaccessible places to orient the key as one wants. The disadvantage is that the risk of damaging the head of a nut (excessively tight or rusty over time) is a little larger than with a hexagonal socket only. The latter perfectly matches the imprint of your bolt / nut, so it is safe to damage it. You will tell me, the ratchet is there for that, to resume more easily at the desired angle ... and I would say yes and no (see below the chapter "Each his role").
Regarding the recommendable brands, they are numerous and each will have a more or less objective opinion on it, sometimes by experience, but unfortunately often by "on-said" of the net by some people who come to judge a product severely even when they used it anyhow ... I've noticed it all too often (like hitting like a brute on a screwdriver or levering with it, using an extension on a ratchet handle, etc ... and complaining) that it breaks ...). Here is a non-exhaustive list of brands +/- general public that will be found easily in supermarkets French DIY or on well-known online tooling sites: Magnusson (Brico Depot), Dexter (Leroy Merlin),Stanley , Bost , Facom , KS Tools , Knipex , Wiha, Beta , Sam and more ...
A good hand tool is the majority of the time guaranteed many years, 10 years and more ... Some brands even offer lifetime guarantees and they are more numerous. For this to work, preferably keep your receipt (not essential that said, find out beforehand) and most importantly, use your tools in a conventional way because the repair or exchange could be refused for the reason of misuse I'll come back to it right after. The first three brands mentioned above are trademarks of specialized superstores and therefore, only those who sell them with a service valid throughout the French network. C ' is an advantage because you can go to the nearest store and they are rarely reluctant to exchange the product directly unless again there is a strong suspicion of misuse. Other well-known brands require rather the return of the product in a service center for an inspection before repair or exchange, it can take weeks and nothing is guaranteed ... that's why I would rather direct the individuals towards brands available in store ; the professionals have in turn contacts and lead times with brands in case of concern. this is why I would rather refer individuals to brands available in stores; the professionals have in turn contacts and lead times with brands in case of concern. this is why I would rather refer individuals to brands available in stores; the professionals have in turn contacts and lead times with brands in case of concern.
Some tips for useEach his role
One thing to know and few people generally respect: avoid loosening or tightening a large nut with the best ratcheting wrench set of your cabinet, it is essentially used to accelerate the screwing / unscrewing when you can not do a complete turn with the handle. A ratchet of great brand will not worry most of the time, but beyond about 18 mm use your standard key insteadto first unlock the nut and then go to the ratchet; ditto for the final tightening, take the standard key. Especially since using the ratchet and going back and forth, your arm gets used to the clamping resistor and you will more likely to tighten your nut to an excessive torque without you realizing it count, sometimes to the point of breakage.
Also, if you have to use a handle - an extension to increase your force on the tool, do it on the standard key of your box and not on the ratchet, for the same reason as previously to know a risk of breakage of the mechanism ratchet. In the same spirit, a screwdriver is not a lever or a pin hunt! If you use it as such you risk a breakage with the risk of getting hurt if you do not show a minimum of common sense on the resistance of the tool. Prefer any thick steel bar to leverage (can be found in any good DIY area) or a lot of pin punchdedicated if you have to push an axis for example by hammering. It will be much stronger and no loss of warranty in case of concern because the tool is designed for that.
Everything is in the movement
If you have to exert a lot of effort on the key, be it constant or punctual by hitting it, always think before the movement you are going to have to make and where you might hit if your gesture is not precise or if your tool skids for a reason X ... We get hurt too often for stupid things that could have been avoided by better protecting the area or by positioning his tool otherwise.
Before you start to force, always make sure you have the right size of socket or screwdriver bit. You enter your tool thoroughly by quickly checking if there is play or not when it is in place before starting the effort. The most common mistake is the use of a wrong size cruciform bit and it is the one with which the screw head is damaged most quickly if one is wrong, so no precipitation. Once the right tip is found, the principle is to press firmly on the screwdriver making sure to keep it in the axis while turning, help with both hands if necessary.
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