Help with Tools

I need help acquiring the proper tools to work on my 2 bikes. I have a 02 1150 rt and a 99 k1200rs. I want to start doing maintenance on my own and hopefully be able to maintain everything like many owners do. My current tools are, at best, not worthy. I need help in assembling all the necessary tools for the job. Can someone please help me put together a list of what I'll need? I noticed Craftsman has some tool kits already put together that have an assortment of 75 plus items.

Thanks

What's In Your Tool Kit? Thread

I remember this thread from a few months ago -- there are some photos and lists of tools from several of the resident forum tech mentors. Try the DIY forums, too -- the articles include a list of recommended/necessary tools to complete that task.

Basics:

A decent set of metric combination wrenches. 19mm down through 8mm. BMW seldom uses an 18mm or 16mm fastener but has used a few.

3/8" drive socket set - same sizes. Ratchet handle and a 2" and 6" extension.

A decent set of long-arm ball-end allen wrenches.

I also have Allen head sockets and ball-end allen head sockets. They make some things easier but aren't essential until you turn semi-pro and get a big signing bonus.

You will encounter several Torx fasteners. A set of Torx bits to fit a 1/4" drive ratchet would be good. You can get that ratchet and a couple of extensions, 2" and 6" say, or get an adaptor to downsize from your 3/8" drive ratchet. A 1/4" drive driver handle to use with the Torx bits as a screwdriver would be very handy.

Some pliers - slip joint, needle nose, and small Vice Grips probably.

Get a screwdriver set with two or three each of Phillips and straight head drivers.

Then you will encounter things that need a different tool, but you can buy those as the need arises.

Well, since for so many motorcyclists it's more than just riding and we add to the fun by doing our own wrenching and of course by owning BMWs--which are more motorcycles than any of us really need ...

Suggest you explore thoroughly the concept of owning German tools, i.e. Hazet, Stahlwille, Heyco, etc. They really are pretty cool tools, and in terms of torque wrenches, nothing touches Stahlwille. But for the rest none of these are really any better than SnapOn, but then again if we're really going to be "enthusiasts" about all this, our fine German machines sure deserve better than (I cringe to write ...) "Craftsman." Yuk

If money is no object, call Snap-On and order "one of each".

I'd love to do that someday but I'm pretty sure I'll never have the cash.

If all my tools had to be Snap-On I wouldn't be able to afford to ride.

Pro's need the best, serious hobbyists can get by with something a bit less.

Paul's article in Nov 2009's ON illustrates quite well what you might want to pack for the road. It is quite complete.
Page 24.

Good piece, Paul!

wezul said:

Paul's article in this Nov 2009's ON illustrates quite well what you might want to pack for the road. It is quite complete.
Page 24.

Good piece, Paul!

Click to expand...

+1. Almost a Ride Report!

A Snap-on discussion can quickly resemble an oil thread! I buy tools on eBay(at my age I have most tools and they are old too!). Look hard @ Kobalt as you can take back to Lowes just like Craftsman stuff. I find many Sears tools to be crappy-I have traded in some common size sockets too many times to count!!! eBay will save you big-IF- you know a bargain and have computer time to play with. I have bought high dollar tools there as gifts for adult sons and self many times. Items such as Dewalt , Bosch & Milwaukee power tools, you can score huge savings and get new stuff or hardly used high end tools. Same for air tools if you move that direction.

A 3 mm bit to fit in your cordless screwdriver or drill is very helpfull in removeing all your plastic. I think I paid $5.00 for a 3 pack.

PGlaves said:

If all my tools had to be Snap-On I wouldn't be able to afford to ride.

Pro's need the best, serious hobbyists can get by with something a bit less.

Click to expand...

Very true, but also true is that riding a BMW as opposed to a Honda is hardly "getting by." It's a near-perfect analogy, as BMWs perform much like "professional" equipment.

I once broke 3 torx bits-all MIC- trying to remove a fender screw from a 2007 Audi. I was then out of that size(and handily being in a friends frame shop) and borrowed his Snap-on bit which easily removed that small fastener-without breaking- which had defeated all my bits. My bits all came with "life time free replacement". The Snap-on bit came with quality @ a price. The point Paul was making, is, that a professional doesn't have time to take back a tool to finish earning his/her beans! They need a tool that performs here and now! Obviously, any shadetree can wait until they have time to exchange at their local Sears, Autozone or whatever. I have two ,life time free replacement, Craftsman sockets in my vehicle waiting for the next time I get near a Sears store(nearest is 65k! one way) so I can then have a 1/2 & 9/16" that isn't stripped out. Pretty handy, huh?
I have seen that some Snap-on stuff is MIC and not as good as other tools. My small cordless Bosch screw driver is an example-cheaper and better than Snap-on!

lkchris said:

Very true, but also true is that riding a BMW as opposed to a Honda is hardly "getting by." It's a near-perfect analogy, as BMWs perform much like "professional" equipment.

Click to expand...

I have some KD, some Thoreson, some SK, some Craftsman, some ACE Pro, and a whole bunch without any names at all. I have nothing from "Buffalo" (they broke) and only a handful of odds and ends specialty stuff from China Freight.

All in all it works pretty well. It has been a long time since I've broken a tool. Now that I've quit using common chrome sockets with my 1/2" drive impact wrench. With wrenches and sockets I find brute strength less important than precise fit. That creates a lot less wear and tear on fasteners.

Like Paul, my tools are a collection of this and that. I do separate wrenches into SAE and Metric. I carry the tools on the motorcycle to handle the likely on-the-road tasks, but since I rarely use them, they don't have to be the best, just the right size.

My suggestion is to buy tools as you need them. Yes, you can go out and buy a 200 piece set of tools, but you'll never use some of them, and you'll always need one you don't have. And, may I also note, when working on motorcycles it frequently seems you need a tool that isn't available, so you take a tool that's close and grind or weld to make what you need.

Over the years, I've noticed that buying even the very best tools to accomplish a task is always cheaper than paying a shop to do the labor for you. And the advantage is that once you've purchased a tool, you have it for future jobs.

So, go ahead and buy some nice tools, but get to know a dealer where you can buy what you need.

And, when you're out riding, watch for garage sales at an older house with a multi-door garage--the sort of place where an old geezer might have maintained a hundred vehicles in his lifetime. He couldn't take his tools with him when he departed. Maybe you'll find something you can adopt.

pmdave

Here is a link to an article over on the BMW South Africa DIY site that may help give some perspective on purchasing tools.

http://www.bmwmotorrad.co.za/Web/InfoLibrary/TechnicalDIYIndex.aspx?techid=10

I have a mix of tools from Ace Hardware to SnapOn a lot of Craftsman in between and even a couple BMW tools. The right tool for the job is the first concern, the right fit for my hands the second and my wallet/time/need dictates brand if more than one fills the first criteria.

PGlaves said:

I also have Allen head sockets and ball-end allen head sockets. They make some things easier but aren't essential until you turn semi-pro and get a big signing bonus.

Click to expand...

personally, i use my allen sockets almost more than anything else in my tool box (more so with the oilhead than the airhead). my allen keys have become rusty from lack of use.