Hand tools are the basis for any maintenance and customising tasks, and we’ll talk about them in detail in later articles, but first I just wanted to talk quickly about price and quality.

Since our motorcycles are mostly bolted together, various wrenches are needed to disassemble them. There are many different types, but we’ll only discuss those wrenches that give you the most ability at the lowest cost.

Often smaller fasteners on motorcycles will have screw heads, rather than hexagon heads. You’ll need a set of screwdrivers to remove these fasteners.

There are a great number of different screw heads, but we’ll focus on the most common...

Pliers are multipurpose tools that let you apply great force at the tip due to leverage when you squeeze the handles. Pliers are generally considered a first class lever. The longer the handles, the more leverage you have.

Quality of pliers is important. Cheaper versions will be softer and prone to damage when used on harder items. Again, this is dependent on the steel alloy and heat treatment used by the manufacturer. You might find a kit containing the four common types mentioned below. These will be used many times, so purchase the best ones you an afford.

There are a few different styles that are useful for motorcycle maintenance.