One of the best ways to get the most out of the joy of having a motorcycle and saving some money down the road is regularly maintaining it . However, unless you’re a mechanic or has some experience on this matter, chance are you won’t know which tools you’ll need. For that very reason, I’ve put together a comprehensive list of the most essential tools for motorbikes that every rider should have in their garage, to help you make the best investments possible!

Pliers

You can’t be really sure what you will need to your motorbike, but you can definitely assume that you’ll eventually need a pair of pliers to get the job done. I am not just talking about having a pair of regular pliers laying around. As with most tools for motorbikes, versatility is important, meaning that you need to have different types of pliers in case things get more complicated than twisting a cap.

Ratchet & Socket Set

For any serious work that you will need to perform on your motorcycle, a ratchet and socket set will be some of your most used tools. It’s best that you get a set of sockets between a range from 4mm to 20mm or if you are not fond of having a whole collection, go from 6mm to 9mm sockets. But remember, as with most tools for motorbikes, the more options you have the easier it will be to find the right one for the job.

Stand

A bike stand may not be the most essential tool to have in your garage, but it will definitely help you access your bike’s underparts easier. There are a few kinds of stands, so you can choose which one suits your needs best. For street bikes, you can go with a front wheel chock-type stand, which will hold your bike upright but won’t allow wheel removal. You can get a paddock stand if you have a sport bike as this one will allow you to hold the bike up by the swingarm and forks and remove the wheels. If you have a dirt bike, you’ll use a dirt bike stand, which holds the bike up from the center by the engine case instead.

Chain Breaker & Riveter

Although changing your chain may not be as easy as tightening fasteners it is still a process which with enough guidance you’ll be able to do on your own. In order to do so, you’ll definitely need a quality chain breaker and riveter – they are used to press the master link with ease. However, if you have a bike that makes use of either a drive shaft or a belt, you won’t need this.

Torque Wrench

At first sight, a torque wrench might seem like an advanced tool to have, however, that’s far from the truth. Every fastener you remove will need to be put back on, so if you’re not using a torque wrench to determine how tight to fasten it, you’ll be just guessing. And guesswork doesn’t go well with fasteners. Leave them too loose and they could rattle off during a ride, and too tight and they could strip. Neither is a scenario you want to be a part of!