My Motorcycle Tool Kit: Tools I take when I ride my shovelhead

Carrying a motorcycle tool kit on my bike when riding is a must. Especially if you are like me and riding an older bike.  My goal when I started riding was to learn as much as I could and start old-school. Crazy Cora is a 1974 HD Shovelhead and I still run points. You can learn more about Crazy Cora, here. Yes, I have heard it all. “If it is not leaking oil, it is out.” “It’s a Shovelhead, you will always be working on it.”. I don’t care. I want to experience and learn everything.

My 1st experience

It wasn’t long after I started riding that I realized the importance of a properly built motorcycle tool kit.  My husband and I were out riding with a group, about a 50-75 mile ride. He was riding behind me and the group in front. I was just trucking along when I looked in my mirrors and noticed that he wasn’t behind me anymore. My first thought, he had bike trouble, second, hopefully, he didn’t go down.

The group stopped and sent one of the guys to go check on him. About that time, we could see him coming over the hill. He caught up with us and we all noticed he was carrying something of substantial size in his hand/lap. Yeah, one side of my dual exhaust. I had thrown an exhaust pipe.

Yeah, She’s a new rider

Being new to riding, I had missed it completely. I just knew my bike was louder. Yeah, that is one of those, “She must be new at this whole riding thing,” moments.

Needless to say, hubby pulled out his lil’ tool kit and helped me get it back on. To this very day, he reminds me that I was throwing exhaust at him and he is not sure he will ever ride behind me again. Yeah, I am fine with that, I am supposed to be in the back of a group anyway.

This same day I think my horn cover came loose and my headlight just about fell off. Yeah, it was a day.

Good thing I packed a few specialty items.

I have a suicide shift and the linkage had come loose from the shifter and was making it hard to find the right gears. We pulled into a local park and I began to inspect the situation. Yeah, I decided what "tool" I needed to pull out of my bag. Realizing the nut had vibrated itself completely off, the tool of choice to get back home, a Zip Tie. Gotta love the Zip Tie. It wasn't a permanent fix, but it got me home. Sometimes that is all that matters.

So, what have I found to be essential in my motorcycle tool kit? The list below should be a good guide for you to start building your own tool kit. Take in mind that a kit for your bike may be a little different than mine based on the make and model of the bike you ride.

 

My Basic Tool Kit List

1. Feeler Guage
2. Standard Allen Wrenches
3. A Combo Screwdriver set with Bits and Attachments
4. Ratchet with appropriate Sockets for my bike. (I also have a set of Allen head Sockets that I use to replace the handheld set at times.)
5. I also carry my Torque Wrench.
6. Pair of Pliers
7. Electrical Tape
8. Tire Guage

Depending on how far we are riding from the house or how far we are from the Scooter Shed, I will also carry:

1. Small Flashlight
2. Tire Repair Kit
3. Assorted Nuts and Bolts of various sizes
4. Bulbs
5. Fuses
6. Engine Oil (it is a Shovelhead)

Now, there are always special items that are carried in my motorcycle tool kit.

1. Zip Ties
2. Always have Loctite in the appropriate colors
3. Duct Tape
4. And, of course, a Cell Phone when all else fails.

Having the tools and being able to use them are two different things. So, if you are not comfortable with making repairs yourself, there is no shame in making a phone call to get someone to come pick you up. If it is more than I can handle, I can always call my good friends at the Scooter Shed to come to get me if needed.

If you can’t fix the problem, have a well-stocked motorcycle tool kit, and riding with a group of experienced riders, hand them your tool kit and set back and learn.

As far as carrying all these tools, it really depends on your bike and your ability to carry stuff. Some of us have trunk space or saddle bags others can use one of the tool rolls.  You can always check out Amazon or JPCycles (not affiliate links) for ideas.

For a printable version of my motorcycle tool kit checklist that you can use for reference when building your own, please provide your email below.