Basic tools for the motorbike

[Lupine Lacuna]

they are...??

[Ichy]

Gaffer tape and a hammer.
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[nowhere.elysium]

Being in possession of a clue is usually a good start.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[Ichy]

Are we talking emergency roadside repairs or general servicing tools?
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[MarJay]

[Lupine Lacuna]

Marki - both

And also any good, dvds youtube vids or bikes while you're at it

[nowhere.elysium]

General tools: socket set, spanner set, screwdrivers, allen keys, pliers and wire cutters. These are the things that will do most basic jobs.
Side-of-the-road: A multitool (knockoff leathermans sort of thing) and a sparkplug spanner has usually done for me.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[EazyDuz]

One of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-282488-Mini-Tool/dp/B000LFTG2W/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1345035411&sr=8-12

and some tape is all you need for the roadside, fuck all else you can do really without being at a garage.
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[Dazbo666]

On the bike for roadside repairs, OEM toolkit, a foldable allen key set, a couple of fuses, headlight bulb

At home, in the garage, socket sets, torque wrench, screwdriver sets, oils, filters, etc etc


(Or for old school bodges, WD40 and gaffer tape)
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1st bike (Sept'06 - May'10) : 1991 GPZ500S / Current bike (since Nov 2009) : 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600N
Word of the day : DILLIGAF

[map]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the AA relay card
Essential bit of kit and there are other emergency breakdown recovery companies as well.

On topic as said are you looking to carry on bike or have at home for servicing/repairs/mods/etc?

For on the bike have a look at what size nuts you generally will need to take off (fairings, battery terminals, etc.) then supply sockets, allen sockets phillips, whatever, to match. Generally gets me by. Bits of wire and gaffer tape can also help as a get you home.

Actually if you have it the supplied toolkit is usually up to the job as it's designed to do what I suggested above and fits most of the bike bits. I use mine even at home as getting the plugs out is a pain without the articulated plug socket provided.

Unless you're doing some serious touring unlikely to need to adjust a chain while on your travels so no need for the bigger stuff. If you do then you'll probably have other issues so be using the recovery option (snapped chain being one I can think of).

For at home same principle just better kit and more of it. Breaker bars, torque wrenches, multiple sockets and drivers for example
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[moppy]

For at home, I bought the Halfords Professional range 90kit socket set. A lot of it imperial sockets which are of limited use, but it has every sized socket I need, 3 different ratchets, screw driver, torx and hex bits, combination spanners in all the necessary sizes and some bits and pieces to boot.

£90, and lifetime guarantee. Doing me well.

[LockyUK]

[Howling Terror]

[tahrey]

The default toolkit that came with my honda and lives in a cubby behind the battery is of some reasonable utility ... you can at least change the sparkplug, swap bulbs and do some other basic bits of maintenance with it. Though, oddly, not undo either the oil drain or rear axle bolts, even though you can slacken and retighten the chain/alignment adjusters (pointless if you can't also slacken and retighten the axle).

Besides the AA card, funny no-one seems to have mentioned a small hand pump and a one-shot canister of that foamy tyre aerosol stuff. The former covering you for small or slow punctures so you can limp home or so a garage with one or two additional stops on the way, the latter for when the problem's bad enough you're stopping every hundred yards to top it off and going slower than if you just walked.

Garages hate the foamy stuff, but it's worth the aggro and their probably jacking the price by 10% when you limp in to get the tyre changed to not end up both late for the thing you were going to and frozen/soaked at the side of the road waiting for the AA guy. Still nothing it can do against huge punctures, tears, splits or blowouts, but it at least covers the smaller emergencies and doesn't take up much space in the backpack.

edit: Also, for pity's sake, people - CABLE TIES.

Jesus, they're the fourth fundamental bodge repair element after gaffer, wd40 and hammer. I've got through half a tub of the things in the last couple years, between car and bike.

[Rogerborg]

Opposable thumbs help. The extra fingers don't.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike