Building a Toolkit!

[TBC]

Hey guys! I've been ridding my ninjette around for a little while and I really want to start doing some of my own maintenance. Nothing drastic, just some of the basic stuff that I can wrap my non-mechanically inclined brain around . My biggest problem at this point is that I don't have any tools! More importantly, I don't know what I need!

I did a bit of searching on the forum, but most of the threads I found were about new-gen kits. So my question for you guys: what do I need and where do I get it? Off the top of my head I thought of this list:
-A toolbox (naturally)
-Phillips-head screwdrivers (sizes?)
-Ratchet (what heads?)
-Torque wrench (what tolerances?)

I'm not looking for an exhaustive list, just some stuff to get started. My second biggest problem is that I don't have any time, but that's its own issue.

[JLinde1339]

I started out with a ratchet set from lowes. Kobalt set, metric and sae, for about $40. That'll get you set for most small jobs. Socket ranges from 4mm to 14mm. For oil changes, you'll need a 17mm. If youre gonna start pulling off wheels and larger components, you'll also need 19, 22, & 24mm. I bought all those separate, plus adapters, since my ratchet is a quarter inch drive.

A decent hex wrench set.

Phillips head #2

Also got an assorted set of pliers for like $10.

Thats pretty much everything I have and was able to pull the bike apart and put it together without much else.

And for specialty tools, a chain and/or rivet press, and a spark plug socket. I'm sure others can offer some of the odd ones I might have forgotten

[jschatte]

Here is a good list for tools required to work on a ninja and most any small scale mechanical project, IMO
-Screwdriver set (phillips, standard, torx)
-Allen wrench set
-3/8" ratchet and metric sockets, you can go for a full set (1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and metric and SAE sockets if you find a deal)
-Metric wrench set
-3/8" torque wrench (cheaper than 1/2 which is overkill for a ninja). THe range is usually somewhere from 20-150 ft lbs
-Some pliers (normal and needle nose)
-Vice Grips
-Perhaps a soldering iron, solder, and wire strippers if you plan on doing electrical work
-And you got it right, a toolbox!

That is basically all I can think of what I have used on my ninja, and I have done a complete teardown on it (Minus rebuilding the engine but we will see). I would suggest looking for a tool kit set instead of buying everything separately, it will save you alot of money if you keep an eye out. I got a 419 piece kit for $200 around Christmas time, which I am particularly happy about, cause the regular price was $700! Now I have all the tools I need and more! SO I would definitely suggest this route, a much smaller kit will still get you a majority of the items you need.

[jschatte]

Originally Posted by JLinde1339

I started out with a ratchet set from lowes. Kobalt set, metric and sae, for about $40. That'll get you set for most small jobs. Socket ranges from 4mm to 14mm. For oil changes, you'll need a 17mm. If youre gonna start pulling off wheels and larger components, you'll also need 19, 22, & 24mm. I bought all those separate, plus adapters, since my ratchet is a quarter inch drive.

A decent hex wrench set.

Phillips head #2

Also got an assorted set of pliers for like $10.

Thats pretty much everything I have and was able to pull the bike apart and put it together without much else.

And for specialty tools, a chain and/or rivet press, and a spark plug socket. I'm sure others can offer some of the odd ones I might have forgotten

I would stongly suggest you get a larger ratchet, it is not a very good idea putting a 19-24mm socket on a 1/4 drive ratchet, you are being pretty hard on the ratchet as well as yourself. 3/8 and 1/2 drive ratchets have longer handles and you can get much better leverage.

[alex.s]

safety wire is good.
hacksaws come in handy.
rubber mallets, and BFHs come in handy for lots of things.
zipties are currently holding my bikes together, so cant have enough of them.
flashlights, especially ones that hold themselves.
some tire spoons and a valve core tool are good for changing tires.
chain press tool; useful if you want to change chains.
a blind bearing puller is good for changing wheel bearings.
a gear puller is useful for all kinds of things including taking the forks apart.

dont use ratchets on axles. use a breaker bar for those. youll break the ratchets if you try much.

[JLinde1339]

Originally Posted by jschatte

I would stongly suggest you get a larger ratchet, it is not a very good idea putting a 19-24mm socket on a 1/4 drive ratchet, you are being pretty hard on the ratchet as well as yourself. 3/8 and 1/2 drive ratchets have longer handles and you can get much better leverage.

Yeah, thats what the breaker bar is for. LOL. Actually, for the big stuff, I use an old 3/8, cheap ratchet that seized up years ago, but didn't think that would be appropriate as a must-have item for this list. LOL

[jschatte]

Originally Posted by JLinde1339

Yeah, thats what the breaker bar is for. LOL. Actually, for the big stuff, I use an old 3/8, cheap ratchet that seized up years ago, but didn't think that would be appropriate as a must-have item for this list. LOL

Haha ok good, and that should be added to the list, a breaker bar!

[Cab305]

Safety wire pliers! You don't need them unless your racing..... but they are just fun to use!

[zzrguy]

buy tools on sale! I get my tools onsale and ive spent well over 1500 bucks so far woulda been around 3000 regular so look for sales

[jjb84]

duct tape. always need duct tape.

[ryanG19]

I got this 227 piece ratchet set from Lowe's on sale for $99. It has 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 drive with a screwdriver set, allen keys, and hand wrenches. The only other thing I've had to buy to work on my Ninja was two sockets, the 24mm and ??. It's an awesome starter set and the best part is, if you break anything, take it back to Lowes and they hand you a new one for free. Also, the bottom drawer is empty, so it's nice to throw some pliers, extra sockets, tape, etc. in it.

You can get a decent torque wrench at O'reilly's for like $20 when they are on sale, but I can't vouch for the value of it as my financees parents got me a Gearwrench one.

But pliers and such on sale for like $2 a tool. You'll probably want a regular pair, needle nose, nips, and a large one.

Duct tape and WD-40 and you are set for just about any job.

[Kygirl]

As far as a torque wrench goes I would recommend a beam type torque wrench as opposed to a "click" type. They are generally a little cheaper and the beam type wrenches don't need calibration (as often, if ever) like the other types do. In fact, they can be used to tell you if a fancier click type wrench is in need of calibration. Also, they seem (to me) to be sturdier. A craftsman beam type torque wrench with a max torque of around 75 ft-lbs should serve you well for most ninja maintenance. You will need a bigger wrench to torque the sprocket nuts etc (I think front sprocket nut is 94 ft -lbs?) but remember that the smaller wrenches will be more accurate for smaller torque specifications. So I would buy a smaller one for now and borrow/ buy a larger one when you need it. Also, a better sparkplug wrench and jis screwdriver for the carbs than the ones in the toolkit, might not be a bad upgrade.

[Skippii]

Toolkit usually refers to the small pack you carry on the bike (or which comes with the bike), but I guess you mean tools for the garage.

Screwdrivers:
Don't skimp on screwdrivers. CHROME-VANADIUM metal is a must. They're like $3 or $4 per driver, but if you come across a tight screw, those $1 or those multi-bit screwdrivers will either strip the screw or the end of the screwdriver will snap off. I've done it many times.
Kawasaki doesn't use Philips screws on their bikes. They use JIS screws, which are more similar to POZI-drive screws in the USA. Short version: Philip screws were designed to prevent overtorquing. JIS were designed to prevent stripping the screws. Using a philips driver to remove a JIS screw makes it much more likely to strip.

Autozone sells a shiny chrome-vanadium folding metric allen wrench set that goes up to 8mm. I've used quite a few, and this is still my favorite.

And of course, no tool set is complete without a strong "universal tool"

[TBC]

Thanks for all of the help, guys! Here's what I have so far:

-Toolbox
-Duct tape (how did I forget that?)
-WD-40
-Zipties
-Flashlight
-Torque Wrench (0-75 lbs or so, either click or deflection arm type)
-Ratchet set (4mm to 17mm or so)
-Breaker bar
-Needle nose and regular pliers
-JIS Screwdriver set (are there any sizes?)
-Allen wrench set

Originally Posted by Skippii

Toolkit usually refers to the small pack you carry on the bike (or which comes with the bike), but I guess you mean tools for the garage.

Is there another term for that which I'm missing? I thought "toolkit" fit okay.

Originally Posted by Skippii

Kawasaki doesn't use Philips screws on their bikes. They use JIS screws, which are more similar to POZI-drive screws in the USA. Short version: Philip screws were designed to prevent overtorquing. JIS were designed to prevent stripping the screws. Using a philips driver to remove a JIS screw makes it much more likely to strip.

Yeah...I tried removing the lower fairing with a cheap Phillips head screwdriver and it didn't go so well.

[JLinde1339]

Yeah, its not hard to mangle those screws if you aren't careful. JIS is the way to go, but if not, make sure you have a good quality screw driver and are very careful. If not, plan to spend some quality time at your local hardware store sizing screws. Lol

[jjb84]

so apparently when searching for JIS type screwdrivers, i only found the tiny ones on amazon...

anyone have any links or suggestions on where to buy a good set?

[Skippii]

Originally Posted by jjb84

so apparently when searching for JIS type screwdrivers, i only found the tiny ones on amazon...

anyone have any links or suggestions on where to buy a good set?

http://www.ikaswebshop.com/hojisscset4d.html

[geeker]

Another useful tool to have that hasn't been mentioned yet is a magnetic pickup tool. I picked one up at Lowe's that has a LED light in the tip. It works great for pulling the screws w/ washers up from the carberetur caps - or the 10mm gas tank bolts that fall in to the frame.

Sockets - look for kits that have 6 point sockets. I never use my 12 point sockets. A good set of metric combination wrenches will last you a lifetime.

As mentioned about sets, try to purchase your tools in sets instead of individually. It's the most economical way to score good tools for less money. Of course there will always be a need to buy one-off sockets and wrenches as needed, but the majority can be purchased in a kit.

I also picked up a set of Kobalt metric ratchet wrenches when I bought the magnetic pick up tool. I've had them for about a month and I love them. Very useful on the bike. I haven't had the opportunity to use them on the cars yet.

I started acquiring tools when I bought my first car in 10th grade. I still have a set of wrenches from 1997. I have Craftsman wrenches that were handed down to me from my in-laws from the 70's and 80's. Good tools will last a lifetime and you have a lifetime to acquire them.

[SafetyPaws]

What size sockets are all around the bike? They should be all in metric right? SO far I have used a 10mm for an oil change. What other ones out there for what they range from? My dad had every socket but 10mm.

[JLinde1339]

IIRC, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 22, 24 will pretty much see you thru any project.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by JLinde1339

IIRC, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 22, 24 will pretty much see you thru any project.

Except a front sprocket change. 27mm, IIRC.

[JLinde1339]

Originally Posted by CZroe

Except a front sprocket change. 27mm, IIRC.

I've changed both sprockets, and I don't own a 27mm... 24 is the largest I've run across, and that covers the rear axle and triple tree.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by JLinde1339

I've changed both sprockets, and I don't own a 27mm... 24 is the largest I've run across, and that covers the rear axle and triple tree.

Yeah. I was thinking about the newgen. My pregen has a much better design IMO. The only drawback is that you can't use a washer to shim it if you are using a newgen swingarm on a pregen (pregen front sprocket requires a shim for perfect alignment on a newgen).

[SafetyPaws]

Originally Posted by JLinde1339

IIRC, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 22, 24 will pretty much see you thru any project.

thanks!

Originally Posted by CZroe

Except a front sprocket change. 27mm, IIRC.

as well here, i have new-gen 2012.

[TBC]

Updating this: I'm getting ready to do my 6k maintenance, and therefore filling the biggest gap in my tool repertoire: torque wrenches.

I went to Sears last week and found an inch-pounds wrench and a ft-pounds wrench that fit the bill, but here's my problem: the Craftsman torque wrenches (at least not the digital ones) are no longer sold in their own cases. They're sold in small plastic tubs with a thin plastic veneer They used to have their own plastic cases, but no more. Unfortunately the larger ft-pounds one does not fit in my tool chest, and customer support was (as expected) less than helpful. Couple that with the nasty reviews I've been reading for the latest iteration of Craftsman wrenches, and I'm not so sure I want to spring the money on something without a case and without a warranty.

So: where the heck should I buy torque wrenches from? There's a Harbor Freight shop nearby, but I'm a bit skeptical of buying a "precision tool" from a company known for selling the cheapest of the cheap. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[csmith12]

hmmm.... I got the crappy plastic tube as well a few years ago when I took mine in for a rebuild. "Rebuild or new"? she asked. I asked for new hoping for a case to no avail. Interestingly enough, I didn't use the case I had before. lol It went in the large tool box drawer on the pad beside the air pressure gauge, which I don't use the case on that either.

hahahahaha Does this make me a bad tool owner?

[csmith12]

oh....

1st choice - snap-on (case included with all torque wrenches)
2nd choice - craftsman

[k-os]

Originally Posted by TBC

Updating this: I'm getting ready to do my 6k maintenance, and therefore filling the biggest gap in my tool repertoire: torque wrenches.

I went to Sears last week and found an inch-pounds wrench and a ft-pounds wrench that fit the bill, but here's my problem: the Craftsman torque wrenches (at least not the digital ones) are no longer sold in their own cases. They're sold in small plastic tubs with a thin plastic veneer They used to have their own plastic cases, but no more. Unfortunately the larger ft-pounds one does not fit in my tool chest, and customer support was (as expected) less than helpful. Couple that with the nasty reviews I've been reading for the latest iteration of Craftsman wrenches, and I'm not so sure I want to spring the money on something without a case and without a warranty.

So: where the heck should I buy torque wrenches from? There's a Harbor Freight shop nearby, but I'm a bit skeptical of buying a "precision tool" from a company known for selling the cheapest of the cheap. Does anyone have any suggestions?

The Harbor Freight wrenches have been tested to be pretty damn accurate for a $10 torque wrench. I'm not away of any long-term accuracy tests with them however.

I would suggest looking at CDI (brand of Snap-On) or Gearwrench (clicker) torque wrenches. Both of these are made in the US, and I've been really happy with my 3/8" CDI. I would suggest buying these from Amazon.

[alex.s]

random-- I recently came to love my harbor freight mechanics stethoscope

[geeker]

Originally Posted by alex.s

random-- I recently came to love my harbor freight mechanics stethoscope

I've thought about buying one of those. Just haven't done it. I do have a set of HF torque wrenches and have had no issues with them. They even come with blow molded cases. The 1/2" get the most use on lug nut duty.

[TBC]

Okay! Back with another question. At this point I've built a somewhat considerable toolkit and I'm starting to do more advanced maintenance. Back to the simpler stuff: I need to take the rear wheel off, and I'm missing a 24mm socket.

From what I can tell, Sears does not sell a 24mm socket in 6 point. Hence the question: should I get a 6 point impact socket, or is it alright to get the 12 point normal socket?

I'm sure either would probably get the job done, but I figure if I'm going to spend the money I may as well do it right.

[crazymadbastard]

Get the inpact- should you ever get air tools- the chrome socket will probably shatter and the fragments will kill you(well maybe it wont and just crack)

[adouglas]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the single most important tool in my whole shop:

The factory maintenance manual.

Just spend the money. It will pay for itself the very first time it gets you out of a tough spot.

I confess I didn't plow through all the posts, so I'll just list my "must haves."

- Decent ratchet and metric sockets PLUS a good way to organize and store them (not just "throw them in the toolbox"). Sears Craftsman aren't the best, but they work well and if you break something, they'll give you a new one for free. Just walk into the store.
- GOOD Allen wrenches... my favorites came from Performance Bike, a bicycle supplier. I like them because they have one very long leg.
- At least one torque wrench, 3/8... don't bother with the beam type. Get a clicker wrench. My Sears DigiTork is now going on 30 years old and works like a champ. Recently I supplemented it with a smaller one that does inch-pounds.
- At least one magnetic parts tray. Super-useful.
- A stool, preferably rolling with a tray. You spend a lot of time squatted down. Makes a big difference.
- A selection of spare fasteners... all the special little hex bolts, rubber well nuts and plastic rivets. You WILL lose/destroy these things. Better to have some spares on hand.
- Spare consumables. Drain plug washers, filters.... don't make yourself go buy something every time you want to work on the bike.
- Box o' heavy paper shop towels.


Stuff you think you need but don't

- Screwdrivers don't actually get used much aside from the few big fairing fasteners. One of these days I'm going to get the proper JIS ones.
- Open-end (box) wrenches don't get used much... I just use sockets.
- I have yet to need pliers of any type.

The "use the right tool" attitude

- I have learned the hard way that if you don't have the exact right tool for any given job, the fastest, cheapest and least frustrating thing to do is STOP and go buy it. Yes, you can get by in all kinds of creative ways. You can McGyver til the cows come home. Most of these solutions won't work well, may cause damage, and at the very least will use up valuable time.

[fishdip]

I started with the repair manual for the bike. Then as I worked on each project I got the tools it listed you need for the job.

[alex.s]

hey guys. add a tire patch kit to your on-bike tool kits. i didn't have mine in the pack. wish i did. learn from my mistake. carry a tire plug kit.

[dino74]

I fine having various tools for the hex bolts makes wrenching so much easier.

My toolbox has

Short Hex Sockets
Long Hex Sockets (Mostly need the 6mm for the bottom fork bolt)
T-Handle Allen
Allen Keys

[TBC]

Originally Posted by dino74

I fine having various tools for the hex bolts makes wrenching so much easier.

I use allen keys for everything, though I just recently bought a 6mm hex socket for the rear sets and caliper. Makes everything so much easier...

Originally Posted by crazymadbastard

Get the inpact- should you ever get air tools- the chrome socket will probably shatter and the fragments will kill you(well maybe it wont and just crack)

Well we wouldn't want that now, would we? Okay, problem solved. Thanks!