A garage is many things: a work shop, a storage facility, and of course, a motorcycle shop. When you are out in the garage working on your chopper or just fixing things around the house, there are some must-have items that make the job easy. There is an old saying that to do the job right, you need the right tools. We wanted to point out some of the most commonly used tools in home shops, along with the must-haves for the quick fix. Every garage needs an assortment of handtools along with powertools to make any job go faster. We wanted to also show you things that you might overlook when out at the parts store.
1. Screwdrivers -- A good set of screwdrivers with different sizes for both Phillips and slotted-head are important tools to have. Did you know the tips are numbered to match screw sizes?
2. Pliers -- A must-have, they are offered in many designs, including needle-nose, diagonal, duckbill, and linesman. They all come in different sizes. Better units will have rubber grips to make their use easier and protect your hand when working with electronics.
3. Channel-lock pliers -- They grip the same as standard pliers but have an arc-joint to help when biting down on bolts and other things. You can use these to hold parts, or as small calipers, and about a million other things.
4. Torque wrench -- This is the most accurate and consistent way to ensure that every bolt meets its tightening requirements. If you don't have one, go to the store now.
5. Combination wrenches -- A combination of a box wrench and an open-end wrench, the standard set starts at 3/8 and goes up to 15/16. If you are working on a V-twin, it is all you really need. In a few rare instances, you may need a bigger wrench or even a metric one, but as you need them, you can buy each one individually.
6. Sockets and ratchets -- Ratchets come in 1/4-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inch drives. There are 6- and 12-point sockets; you will need both and they come in short and deep.
7. A good multimeter -- This a must for checking your battery power and verifying if your bike is charging.
8. Torx bits -- If you have a newer Harley, you will find that there are Torx-head bolts on your bike. You can get Torx bits in driver handles, socket-style, or ready-bits so that you can put them in your interchangeable driver.
9. Feeler gauges or a spark plug gauge -- These are needed to check the gap on your plugs and points on older bikes.
10. Thread locker -- This is used to lock and seal the threads of nuts, bolts, and studs, and is offered in a wide variety of applications and strengths. Get both red and blue; you will need them to be sure you are covered.
11. Impact driver -- This is helpful when you have to remove an old bolt or just need some strength and speed when putting the driveline together.
12. Solder gun -- To make sure that all the electrical connections stay together, a little solder goes a long way.
13. A set of gas torches -- Used when you need to heat some metal up for annealing, bending, welding, or even for cutting. They are well worth the investment, but be sure to use them away from fuel or chemicals.
14. Anti-seize -- This makes repair jobs go faster by not having to fight with old nuts and bolts. When used on bolts that you know will need to come out at some time, anti-seize helps seal threads and keeps the moisture out.
15. WD-40 -- This is a multi-purpose lubricant, helping to prevent rust, and quieting down squeaks, as well as lubing cables and parts.
16. Duct-tape -- Do we really need to explain how important duct tape is?
17. A blunt hammer or a dead blow hammer -- This will help protect the chrome and will not mark or scar the metal when hitting it (even if you just need to beat the hell out of your broken-down bike).
18. Electric tape, heat shrink, and wire -- Heat shrink covers and seals the wires where you may have exposed wire to seal out any moisture that can corrode and make wires fail. Electric tape protects bare wire from the elements and from touching other wires, shorting electrical components out.
19. Air compressor -- This is a must for every garage. You can use it for filling the air tank on your lift, inflating your tires, powering your air tools, and if needed, cleaning the floor and the dust off your bike.
20. Rags -- Different rags are good for different things, like cleaning spilled fluids off the floor or cleaning your hands. A handful of clean towels are needed for washing and drying your bike.
21. Zip-ties -- It's good to have these when you have a bundle of wires to organize and then need to mount them on the frame. They can also help you with temporarily holding things in place, like a kickstand with a broken spring.
22. A bench vice -- The Jaws of Life in any garage, a bench vice has many purposes. Safely secured to a permanent surface, a bench vice can be used for bending, cutting, or grinding. This can be your third hand to hold something while you are working on it.
23. Tire gauge -- It is important to check your tire pressure regularly. This is not only for safety but because the right pressure can help with gas mileage and a more comfortable ride.
24. A bike lift -- You will want a lift to save your back. Working on your bike on a lift can make a huge difference in fatigue rate and will make working on your bike easier.
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25. Tap & Die set -- You never know when you will need to repair some threads on a bolt or tap some new threads in a stripped hole. They are a lifesaver during a build because you should chase all the threads before assembly and protect your parts.