Posted on December 7, 2011 by John. There have been comments

If you own a dirt bike, you ought to own some tools. It's as simple as that. While you may not want to take on extensive services, valve adjustments or top ends, at least with a few hand tools you can do simple things like clean your air filter, add fluids and check your spark plugs. Tasks that you don't want to pay a shop $75-$150 per hour for.

General Took Kit Suggestions

For most of my suggestions below you'll be able to get by with a very basic starter set which you can find at Sears, Harbor Freight or Craigslist. You shouldn't have to spend more than a couple hundred bucks for everything unless you want to.

1. Ratchet and sockets

Although most bikes predominately use hex/allen bolts, you'll still find regular bolts being used whether it's for the bars, seats, brakes or engine components. I suggest buying a 3/8" ratchet and metric sockets sizes 8mm to 17mm, as well as a few extensions. If you want to spend the extra money, I recommend buying hex (allen) head sockets too.

2. Wrenches

Same as above. A spoke wrench is also worth buying.

3. Screwdrivers

You'll need screwdrivers for tasks like removing air filters, carb work, seats, engine covers and plastics. I'd buy both slotted and phillips screwdrivers.

4. Hex keys, t-handles or sockets

Dirt bikes use mostly hex/allen head bolts. T-handles will be the cheapest, but sockets are better if you can afford them. You'll have more leverage with a 3/8" ratchet which will help with rusty or over tightened bolts.

5. Dead blow hammer

A dead blow hammer is made up of polyurethane or rubber so that you'll still have the force necessary to break things lose, but without having to worry about marring the surface. An example that comes to mind is engine covers. Driving rusted or stuck axles is another.

6. Pliers and dikes

Pliers are handy for when you're dealing with parts that want to move on you or maybe when you're trying to tighten a clamp or mess with springs. Dikes will come in handy if you're doing any electrical work or if you're installing pull ties when attaching lines/cables to your bars or repairing your plastics.

7. Stand or crate

A bike that is on a stand or crate is much easier to work on than a bike that is leaning on the factory stand or against a wall or tree. For $90 the OGIO stand is solid.

8. Magnet

I suggest keeping a magnet around because sometimes a nut or bolt can fall into your cylinder or carburetor and you'll never get them out by hand. Telescopic magnets are really cheap, and they make them so you can clip them into your shirt or pants pocket. I'd also recommend picking up sockets, t-handles and screwdrivers that have magnetic ends on them.

9. Flashlight

Whether you're out in the dark or dealing with bad light in your shop, a flashlight is always handy. Penlights are the most convenient, as you can clip them to your shirt or pants pocket when you're not using them.

 

All riders should have these tools (at least) in a mobile tool box that they carry with them everywhere they ride. However, if you want to do more than just basic maintenance on your bike, then there are a few other tools you might consider investing in.

10. Compression gauge

A compression gauge will tell you how much compression your cylinder has so you can determine whether you need a new top end or not. Compression gauges will come in two parts. One part that houses the actual gauge, and the other being the attachment that goes into the gauge on one end, and the other into the spark plug hole. Most kits will come with a handful of attachments that will fit a variety of spark plug holes.

11. Chain breaker and press

A chain breaker and press will help you remove and install chains. From personal experience, you can get by without these tools, but it's not easy. These are definitely worth the investment if you plan on removing more than a chain or two.

12. Hex/allen axle tool

This tool from Motion Pro will provide you with 4 hex socket sizes, 17, 19, 22 and 24, all of which need to be special ordered in my experience, not to mention are expensive individually.

13. Air tools

An air compressor and tools will cost you several hundred dollars, but if you do plenty of work on your bike it's totally worthwhile. You can use air to quickly remove nuts and bolts, remove stubborn axles and to easily remove bolts on countershaft sprockets and clutches (they're a pain without air).

14. Tire spoons

Tire spoons will help you to remove the tires from your rims so you don't have to use a screwdriver. I suggest picking up a smaller 11" set of spoons and a larger spoon that has a rounded end so you don't pinch your tubes or scratch your rims.

15. Torque wrench

A torque wrench is a wrench that has settings of inch or foot pounds. It's so you can tighten bolts down to a specific setting given by the factory. If you're doing engine work these are good to use, or if you're new to using tools you can use a torque wrench to get a feel for how tight/loose different size nuts and bolts should be. If you've been known to strip bolts, investing in a good torque wrench will save you lots of headaches.

16. Tap and die set

A tap and die set is a thread repairing kit, either for the bolt or the hole it goes into. These are great to have. Not so much because you intend on damaging bolts or bolt holes, but because it happens by accident due to a bolt being seized or brittle, which can happen from installation, rust and/or heat.

Conclusion

I can easily go on forever, listing all kinds of tools that you could use. But what I have listed above is more than enough for your DIY or part time mechanic. Most other tools will be bike and/or task specific anyway, such as tools that'll remove clutches, bleed brakes or test electrical components. If you do choose to buy these, it'll be on a case-by-case basis.