In addition to the revisions recommended by the manufacturer, a motorcycle, like all vehicles, requires some care for its proper functioning and its optimal state of maintenance, which will allow us to save costly problems and guarantee greater driving safety. In this article we will talk about basic motorcycle tools and how to use them.
The motorcycle maintenance specified by the manufacturer is an issue important enough to leave him in the hands of professionals. But there are some elements that can be reviewed more frequently and that do not require very advanced knowledge and that can be done with a basic tool kit .
Basic motorcycle maintenance
There are certain maintenance operations that we can carry out ourselves without having to go to our trusted motorcycle mechanic. Even if we decide not to do them ourselves, it is important to do the checks to know the condition of the motorcycle.
Check fluids: Such as oil, coolant fluid, brake fluid, transmission oil, etc.
Check the tire pressure: this point is important to keep the tires in optimal working order and avoid premature tire wear.
Verify the status of the entire electrical system: including the status of the battery .
Check the condition of the transmission chain : We must ensure its perfect condition and lubrication.
It would also be convenient to check the elements to be tensioned and greased , both the clutch and the drum braking systems.
Tools to perform basic motorcycle maintenance
In order to carry out these operations, it is not necessary to have all the tools of a motorcycle workshop . In many establishments they sell very complete tool kits, in briefcase format. With which it will be enough to have the basic motorcycle tools. In addition, this is a good starting point, especially since they usually carry the most normal measures and types of tools and because they tend to be quite inexpensive.
Fundamentally, you will need:
A set of wrenches: flat, together with a set of angled wrenches, pliers of various sizes and shapes such as universal ones, clip tips, etc.
A set of screwdrivers : of various sizes, flat with a star tip (very practical if they are magnetized.
If we look at the motorcycle, we can find several screws with a round head and a hexagon-shaped interior called Allen . Look at the most common measurements and if there are any exceptionally large ones, for example for the front wheel bolt or for the oil drain bolt.
There are other screws that we are finding recently in many motorcycles, which have the same shape as the Allen ones, but the tips of their housings are sharper and star-shaped. They are Torx screws and it is also recommended that you include these keys (or screwdriver bits) in a basic tool kit.
With all these keys we can check all the hardware of the motorcycle, at least the one that is most accessible. We can carry out these checks every time we decide to wash the motorcycle and especially before and during the shooting season, which is when the screws tend to loosen and fall off.
Other tools to have a small workshop at home
If you are going to get into a little more complicated operations, you will need other workshop tools.
A spark plug wrench : make sure it is suitable for your motorcycle, especially since there are different spark plug diameters (16,18,21) taking into account that almost no motorcycle already uses the largest diameter. Besides, we must also check the shape of the cylinder head, because depending on the shape the key must have more or less neck, there are motorcycles that have really deep or inaccessible spark plugs.
If you are going to change the oil in your motorcycle , you will need a wrench to loosen the oil filter . The best is a "cinch" type, although there are also specific tools for the type of oil filter on our motorcycle. Remember that you will only need this tool to loosen the filter, because to tighten it it is better to do it by hand. You will also need for the oil change an approved container that collects the used oil and does not leave the garage floor a mess, remember that used oil is very polluting and cannot be disposed of anywhere, only in authorized points.
Another tool that could be of great help would be an electronic battery charger , which will serve as a maintainer for this critical element at the same time. It is also recommended especially if your motorcycle or scooter remains stationary for long periods of time.
Another recommendation would be the tightening torque of the screws , in case of doubt it is better, tighten the screws of your motorcycle a little less and check them assiduously, than to go overboard with the tightening. The best thing to be sure is to use a torque wrench that will allow you to always use the correct torque for each screw. To know these values, it is best to have a workshop book, the owner's book of your motorcycle or consult a workshop of the brand of your motorcycle.
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