what to do and have if you want to work on your bike.

[Jamathi]

Thought of throwing it up as I have been about trying to help a few people in need of getting their bike going again.
I seem to run into the same obsticals over and over again;...

First of all you are going to need a manual for your bike.
Secondly you need tools and I mean tools that are in good working order and are usefull.
Not a bag or box full of rusty shitty useless crap mixed liberaly with rainwater/garden leavesgrass clippings etc.
Without the correct tools and knowing what to do to get to the problem one is at a distict disadvantage.
If you do not want to invest in and look after your tools then PAY a mechanic the $$ he wants to do the job for you!
a clean tool bag/box with the propper tools in it stored in a clean envoirment will $ave serious $$ if you want do your own bassic servicing. Over the years will be a top investment if you keep looking after them.
The other thing that will happen is that you will get to know your bike well and can ,by servicing it reguarly prevent small issues become BIG expen$ive ones.
You also will gain confidence and pride in your ride.
Please feel free to put up your own view esp. if you do not agree with the above points, so more people will be able to make the step of looking after their own bike

We could try to create a list of gear/tools/gadgets that can help you build a propper toolbox and maybe some supplier could do a special deal with PSB, who knows what where it might lead to?

[Captain Starfish]

I like "metatools", tools which can be used to make the special purpose tools for things like suspension nut removers and so on rather than buying the manufacturer ones.

But the things you need most, I reckon, are:
1. Another form of transport; and
2. Somewhere you can set up your bike and tools and leave them in half built condition.

ESPECIALLY when you're starting out, or if you're doing something new (hunting down an intermittent issue or getting into parts of the bike you've not worked on before), the thing that will kill you is rushing the job. You need to be able to do a little bit at a time as time allows without a sense of urgency that will cause you to make mistakes.

Also - a compact camera, notebook, and big packet of ziplock bags so you can take photos of where bolts are, how bits fit before you remove them, cable routing, etc; take notes on placement issues and bolt lengths; and put sets of bolts together in labelled bags.

This way if it takes 2 months to get parts or time to finish a job, you will still be able to put it back together afterwards and know that it's going to run!!

[vbroom]

floodlights or worklamps also help

if you are working away busily and notice the sun going down, you don't want to be hurrying what you're doing to beat the setting sun.

[apples]

A clean work area!! Also put a drop cloth or something similar down. You will drop things and having a clean open area makes them so much easier to find. The floor of the gagage is painted white and alwasy gets a quick sweep before I begin.

... also an assortment of screw drivers, they're not one size fits all.

I would also reccomend a good trourque wrench and get into the habbit of tightening to the correct tension. With time this will become less important as you start to get a feel for it.

I know a lot of people will disagree with this but put all your shifters away. Where possible use the correct sized spanner for the job you're working on.

I always break stuff when I'm being lazy or trying to take shortcuts which results in the jobs taking sooo much longer.

Also - a compact camera, notebook, and big packet of ziplock bags so you can take photos of where bolts are, how bits fit before you remove them, cable routing, etc; take notes on placement issues and bolt lengths; and put sets of bolts together in labelled bags.

This is good advice too!

[Jamathi]

Manual.
Dry clean place well lit to work on.
propper bike stand/worktable so bike is secure.
set of spanners, socket set, srewdrivers and pliers of different variety.
cleaning rags and degreaser.
oilcatch tray, funnel and oilfilter spanner.
Measuring bowl.
(Cheap) multimeter.

help me please to mke list better.
and for once do not take the piss or tread bomb it.
Mods feel free to DELETE!

[g0zer]

a set of drifts and punches, quality screwdrivers and a gympie hammer.

240, 600 and 1200 grades of wet and dry, gasket stock and gasket goo.

miscellaneous collection of metric nuts, bolts, screws, hex heads and washers.

[smeghead]

if working on older bikes in particular an impact driver is worth its weight in beer

patience

phone a friend #'s if ya come unstuck

[stig]

Decent set of tools (you really do get what you pay for) i.e. no Bunnings shit or the like

Rear stand

Collection of bolts, nuts, loctite, inox or WD40

Manual

Hex socket set (or allen key set if you dont mind taking forever getting fairing bolts out)

[stig]

if working on older bikes in particular an impact driver is worth its weight in beer

patience

phone a friend #'s if ya come unstuck

THIS!

Knowing a mechanic or someone who is cluey with bikes, even for simple shit like changing oil or brake pads. Having someone to guide you for the first time is very valuable.

[darkfibre]

Hanging fuel container/tank with hook fitted with a long hose and a tap.

Great for running the bike with the tank out of the way.

[duffman]

ThreeBond sealant
Loctite thread lock
Rags

Not sure what they are called, but one of my favourite "tools" are the hex-to-square adaptors so you can use a drill to turn a socket. Really convenient when removing/installing engine covers, cam caps, head etc.

[Shortfuse]

Rubber or better still a Copper mallet and soft drifts.
Good quality allen keys
Flexible magnet, flexible light, flexible grab claw
Circlip pliers

[rharris]

tools as above but the number 1 thing to have is a psb acc

[xanthian]

2. Somewhere you can set up your bike and tools and leave them in half built condition.

This. A thousand times this.

I've spent more time disassembling and reassembling the bike to do piddly shit that took 30-45 minutes to do than I can count, and due to having time constraints, quite frequently, two very similar jobs that should have been done at the same time have required two completely separate disassemblies.

Only time I was left hanging so far was when I broke my clutch plate thingy, but even that was just a factor of trying to work quicker versus diminishing daylight.

[Jamathi]

Lets keep it in first instance by bassic maintenance and maybe a small breakdown if there is such a thing?
And the tools needed to fix this

[Rocket]

A set of ring/open end spanners, a medium and a large shifter, a 3/8" drive socket set, both long nose and std pliers, side (wire) cutters, a set of allen keys, a screwdriver set.

I started out 20 odd years back with a cheap Kmart tool set that came in a plastic case and that did me for years.

Building up your own nice tool box is one of the pleasures in life and why many go weak at the knee's at the sight of the Snap-On truck and why we love a tool catalogue in the letter box.

If you have nothing. Buy a cheap tool set and a tool box.
Then upgrade the things you use most with quality versions.
Using a quality tool can be a real pleasure.

Never underestimate the value of keeping your tools neat and organised. My whole world changed the day I bought a repco tool chest.

[potato]

tools as above but the number 1 thing to have is a psb acc

good answer

[MattyA]

I have everything for rebuilding almost anything. and if i dont have it at home then i can bring it home or have access to it at work.
Also i dont mind helping people doing mechanical stuff

[Rizzo]

Chain breaker/crimper, will be a tool you will use over and over again!

[Retro]

Multimeter...