Motorcycle Tools, Tool Kits and Repair Kits

Here is a brainstorm I had once. I contacted Snap-On Tools and asked if I could buy tools in bulk wholesale and resell them in kits through motorcycle magazines and on the Internet. The idea was that I would assemble kits of Snap-On tools to replace the dinky factory tool kits found on most motorcycles. The sales manager at Snap-On understood, as he was a motorcyclist himself. There was only one problem.

Snap-On sells only through their franchised route sales reps, so that left me out. Not only that, he informed me that individuals can buy tools directly from the Snap-On web site. Also, the sales manager volunteered that he had ridden his Gold Wing more than 40,000 miles and had never needed the tool kit. But to show that I was not completely off the mark, he also related that Snap-On had made a special 95th anniversary tool kit for Harley-Davidson. H-D dealers bought them from their Snap-On route drivers.

So did I order some Snap-On tools for my own motorcycle? Heck no. They were too expensive for me. But it is important to have good tools. Recently, I discovered that Sears has added a Craftsman motorcycle tool kit to their extensive line of tools. I will be adding more tools here later, but in the meantime allow me one more story.

One day on a Texas Farm to Market road in the middle of nowhere, I was passing a slow mover and swooped into a curve at about.. the speed limit, if you know what I mean. All the sudden a nauseating, yawing motion set in from the rear end. I kept some power on and carefully slowed down and pulled over into a dirt driveway to the only farmhouse for miles.

As I was trying to dig a hole with my heel to stick the kickstand in and prop the bike up on the flat rear tire, the farmer stuck his head out from behind his house, assessed the situation and told me to bring it around back. In a matter of minutes, he had plugged the flat and aired it up with a flat repair kit from the toolbox on the back of his pickup. The moral to the story is if you don't carry anything else, carry some kind of flat repair kit.

Motorcycle Tools

Thread Insert Kits Stripped threads are not unusual on a motorcycle but don't panic. A thread insert kit can get you riding again. You can do it.

Motorcycle Lifts If you get serious about doing a lot of motorcycle repairs and maintenance, another useful tool to have in a well-equipped garage is a lift.

Build your own electrical connectors

Tame all those electrical accessories with your own standardized, weather proof, electrical connectors from MSD Ignition.