Wrenching Considerations / Motorcycle Toolkit, Part 2: the Winners

There are several tool companies that see kits for motorcycles as a niche worth entering, either by designing one-off specific tools or by making sets of tools.

I am sent a lot of tools to be tested in real-world situations, and I’m asked for feedback. Some of these tools are good, and some are not. Here are a few of the good ideas, tools that are functional and work exactly as you would want them to.

Motion Pro is a great name in tools and innovation.

I was chatting with Chris Carter at a KTM rally a few years back and asked him, “Of all the tools that have come from the design room at Motion Pro ,which are you proudest of?”

He told me that the Metric Trail Side Tool Kit is his personal favorite and the favorite of a lot of riders. Packing down to the size of your palm, with a 1/4 inch and a 3/8 drive, and a few bits as standard, it’s a great design that you can make a great addition to your tank bag by adding a few extra bits and sockets.

Photo: rtwPaul

Do you want the capability of the MP tool but not the weight? Look at Engduro, an inmate-owned company that designs and makes tools with which you can do about 75 percent of bike jobs (I have one of these on every bike I own).

A little more functional out of the box than the MP, the Double Trak (top tool) combined with their soon-to-be-released Tow Wrench stripped a KTM 1290 down this far. It obviously could have gone a lot further, but is there more than this you’d take off your bike on a dirt trail?

If you haven’t seen or heard about Engduro it might be worth a few minutes of your time to check out their website, especially if you are looking to reduce the size and weight of your tools.

Photo: rtwPaul

Photo: rtwPaul

Mosko Moto, better known for luggage and riding wear, decided not to design tools but to join forces with Cruz Tools and offer their Fatty and Pinner tool rolls prepacked with a good assortment of tools to use as your base kit and to build onto.

Their two tool roll sizes are good for middleweight and heavyweight adventure bikes and like everything Mosko, are designed to last a lifetime.

Photo: rtwPaul

Photo: rtwPaul

Photo: rtwPaul

Another inmate designing a toolkit is Gordon at RRR Tools, again designed and built from scratch. His tool roll is a modular unique design, compact, and replaces over 100 tools.

Photo: rtwPaul

Closes to around the size of your hand, 6″x 4″x 2″.

Photo: rtwPaul

The only potential issue with the RRR Toolkit is the wrenches mount in the handles in a straight line, so if you have recessed fasteners this kit might not work on your bike.

Wrenches: straight, angled, and stepped – which is right for you? Photo: rtwPaul

If you are riding a lightweight bike and looking to reduce your kit to the absolute minimum, you might find it worthwhile spending some time reading a few threads and asking questions before spending your money.

The initial area to look into is the Toolkit Thread. Here you’ll find plenty of ideas, and it’s a good place to ask questions: this vs that, does anyone have a toolkit already listed for your bike? It’s potentially a money-saver for sure.

Another area to look at is the thread “Art of Packing Light,” and if those guys still seem to pack too heavy there is some good chatter about lightweight tool options in the ”Art of packing UltraLight” thread. And in case you think they don’t know what they are talking about, here is a complete toolkit one of the inmates put together.

image – rtwPaul

Take away my tire and chain tools, and we are not far away from what I carry for RTW riding, though my kit is up for revision once I get my bike back from the shipping company.

Photo: rtwPaul

Another one of my toolkits from a different bike. Engduro is becoming a key factor in making a much smaller and lighter toolkit.

Photo: rtwPaul

If making your toolkit is more your thing and you prefer sockets over wrenches, a simple way to reduce size is to find a 6″ extension and a range of 3/8 sockets with through holes; use the extension and a 1/4″ 6/7/8 mm as a cap, and nest them all together with the 1/4″ socket holding them tight.

Photo: rtwPaul

Photo: rtwPaul

A Motion Pro axle wrench with the 3/8 adaptor and an Engduro Single Trak or Double Trak loaded with bits and a 1/4″ drive for smaller jobs and you have yourself a very small tool kit.