Recommendations needed for must-have tools in motorcycle maintenance

Like the title says, I'm looking for recommendations on must-have tools for working on my motorcycle. Currently, I have a Pittsburgh motorcycle lift that I bought, oil filter wrench, a Craftsman 118-piece Mechanics Tool Set that was a Christmas gift, and a smaller socket wrench set with 30-something bits and interchangeable screwdriver set with bits for everything from flathead to philips to torx in about 36 different sizes altogether. That's it so far.

Aside from that, I'm looking for any useful tools you might consider a "must-have" or "gonna-need-eventually" for someone who's still learning to take apart a bike on his own. I've pretty much been teaching myself how to do my own maintenance (fluid changes and air filter maintenance are about as far as I've mastered for right now and Florida weather has been shitty for riding/maintenance lately because of all the rain and no garage to work in). So far, my list is the above tools and then three more listed below that I want to get:

  • Impact screw retractor/impact wrench
  • Torque wrench
  • Spark plug gap
  • Open wrenches (I currently exclusively have socket wrenches and the location of some of these bolts make a socket wrench impossible to use)

If anyone have a recommendation for a good one, I'd love to hear it. Can't exactly afford Snap-On brand for my tools, as much as I'd love it, but I don't want to get some cheap Wal-Mart generic brand that will probably break within a few months.

Thanks for the help!

EDIT: I took everyone's recommendations and copy/pasted them into this list below for easier viewing. Thanks for the help!

  1. Impact Screw retractor/Impact Wrench

  2. Torque Wrench

  3. Spark Plug Gap

  4. Open Wrenches

  5. Crescent Wrench

  6. Battery Charger

  7. Multimeter

  8. Zip ties

  9. Chain breaker tool

  10. T-handle Allen wrenches

  11. T-handle Allen sockets

  12. Cable lure

  13. First aid kit

  14. Hot glue gun

  15. Heat gun

  16. Cable oiler

  17. Sidecutters and tongs (Knippex brand recommended)

  18. Kneepad

  19. Adjustable wrench/Pliers Wrench (Knipex 86 05 180 is really good at replacing various open wrenches)

  20. Hammer

  21. Soldering iron (nothing under 40 watts)

  22. Duct tape (or self-welding electrical tape if you’re fancy)

  23. Brushes (varying sizes and hardness)

  24. Magnet on a stick

  25. Headlamp

  26. LUBRICANTS:

    1. WD-40
    2. Silicone lube
    3. Locktite (get the stick one, don’t argue)
    4. Anti-seize
    5. Copper paste
    6. Nail polish (to mark screw rotation)
    7. Cooking oil (for getting the black stuff off your hands)
    8. Rust Converter (and sandpaper)

Posted Feb 25, 2016, 12:42 AM UTC · edited

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