First of all, stop shopping at Harbor Freight! You can buy tools that are
much better for not a whole lot more money. For mechanics tools, I'd look at Craftsman (Sears, Orchard Supply/OSH), Husky (Home Depot), and Kobalt (Lowe's). This stuff isn't Snap-On quality but it's perfectly fine for any home mechanic who isn't an idiot. I think all of these brands still offer lifetime warranties on their hand tools, though I could be wrong about that. I own Craftsman stuff, but that's mostly because I live very close to an OSH.
Your Shopping List
1) 3/8-inch drive, 6-point metric sockets. Get a set that goes from 8mm up to at least 16mm. I like Craftsman's "Easy Read" sockets, but socket sets are all pretty similar. I like 6-point sockets (as opposed to 12-point) because they're less likely to round-off aluminum bolt heads
2) 3/8-inch ratchet handle
3) 3-inch and 6-inch socket extensions. Not an absolute must-have, but owning these can make removing or installing difficult-to-reach fasteners much easier. If you buy a decent
socket set you'll end up with everything you need
4) Bondhus metric Allen wrenches. Get the 9-piece set that goes from 1.5mm up to 10mm. There are two options for Allen/hex wrenches:
standard end or
ball end. Ball-end wrenches can be used at an angle, which is useful for some difficult-to-reach applications. The downside is that they're more likely to round-off the corners of the bolt. I own both types, but use the standard end tools most often
5) Torx wrenches... if your bike needs them. My KTM SuperDuke has Torx-head bolts all over the place, but none of my Japanese bikes ever used them. If your bike has any Torx-head fasteners then you'll need Torx wrenches. There are two options:
L-wrenches which look like Allen wrenches or
Torx sockets. I use my Torx sockets more than the L-wrenches; nobody seems to make Torx L-wrenches with handles that provide enough leverage to loosen the larger fasteners
6) An adjustable wrench. An ivory tower mechanic would never own one of these... but then they probably have hundreds of dollars invested in 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch drive sockets and ratchets that rarely get used. If you're
careful an adjustable wrench can be used to work on bolts and nuts that are too large for your 3/8-inch sockets (ex: the rear axle nut). A 10-inch adjustable wrench is a good general purpose size
7) Screwdrivers. You won't need these often, but it's a good idea to own Philips #0, #1, and #2 as well as 1/8" and 3/16" flat blade screwdrivers. Don't buy a ratcheting screwdriver or one with replaceable bits. The ratcheting ones are all junk and replaceable-bit screwdrivers won't fit into some tight spots as well as a dedicated screwdriver
8) No fucking pliers! If you're tempted to use pliers on a motorcycle, chances are you're desperate and about to **** something up.
9) A dead-blow hammer. Occasionally useful for coaxing an axle into or out of place. Never use a hammer for anything motorcycle-related! This is the
one tool you're allowed to purchase from Harbor Freight
10) A 3/8-inch drive torque wrench. I have to admit I don't use a torque wrench too often these days, but as a n00b you should probably own one. Buy a "clicker" type torque wrench rather than a "beam" type. The clicker-type wrenches are much easier to use and they're accurate enough, provided you take care of them (ex: set the torque to 0 before storing). I recently bought a cheap
Tekton 1/2-inch drive torque wrench and was really impressed with the quality! If I needed to buy a 3/8-inch drive torque wrench on a budget I'd be tempted to try their
3/8-inch drive model.
11) A small oil drain pan. Many drain pans designed for cars are too tall to fit under a motorcycle. Your bike probably only holds 4-5 quarts of oil, so you don't need a 16- or 20-quart drain pan anyway. Ideally you want something that will catch the oil and store it until you can recycle it. Bonus points if it has a screen to catch the drain bolt. I bought one
similar to this locally for around $10 and it works well.
12) An oil filter wrench. There are at least three different options here: a
strap wrench,
oil filter pliers, and
cap wrenches. Strap wrenches seem to require quite a bit of space; they've never really worked on any of the motorcycles I've owned. Cap-style filter wrenches, which are like a big socket you use with your ratchet handle, have worked well for me but there are different sizes for different oil filters; finding a size that fits can be a pain. You could always cross your fingers and buy
a huge set but even then there's no guarantee since the sets are generally focused on automotive usage rather than motorcycle usage.
13) Buy other tools as needed. Don't buy a huge tool set that has a ton of crap you'll never use. This stuff should cover the basics. Add other tools when you have projects that require them.
