BikeBrewers scoop ‘maiden ride’
The Tamarit team from Spain have their very own view on custom building. In a relatively short period of time the Alicante based workshop have managed to carve out a very special niche in the world of customization.
Their 81st build is yet again proof of their highly original way of thinking.
And BikeBrewers sat front row this time!

Our Spanish colleague Thierry Tronquit Prats is also responsible for MotoShare in Spain and Portugal. Having been involved with this build right from the start, he was also bestowed the honour to be the very first one in the world to push the ignition button on the result.

In celebration of this occasion he rode all the way from Madrid to the Tamarit workshop in Elche to launch this project and to try the bike. The results can be seen in the video.

Unique collaboration
MotoShare is Europe’s leading platform for motorcycle rentals. Launched in 2016 they initially made it possible for private motorcycle owners to rent out their bikes. More recently the services were expanded to also include rentals via official motorcycle dealerships.
This addition of services and MotoShare’s focus on international expansion has caused the business to explode in 2021. After a soft launch in Spain in 2019, the goal is to grow even more rapidly in 2021 on the entire Iberian peninsula.

MotoShare have commissioned Tamarit to produce a ‘one of a kind’ MotoShare Triumph. The official launch was held at ‘Irons Caferacer’ in Madrid. The coming months it will be displayed in the major cities around Spain as well as on the Balearic islands.

The best news is that this € 40.000 Triumph build will be available for rent and what’s even better is that this bike will be raffled off at the end of the 2021 riding season on October 31st!

500:1
No, we are not talking about the miles to the gallon here, but on the chances to win this unique piece of art. Only 500 lottery tickets will be sold in this campaign. Just 100 riders will have the opportunity to enjoy the bike for a day and participate in the draw. The remaining 400 participants can only hope that they will be the lucky owner of the Triumph after the draw.

We asked the CEO of MotoShare, Daan van der Wal, about the reasons behind this campaign. He explains: “MotoShare is all about offering memorable motorcycle experiences. Riding a machine like this is probably the epitome of a unique experience! We have already commissioned three builds in previous years offering magnificent riding memories while increasing brand awareness and gain market share in the Benelux. Magnificent bikes were built by Wrench Kings, Ironwood Motorcycles and Moto Adonis.

These bikes were also rented out and raffled off. Tickets sold like hot cakes and the campaigns have really boosted our growth. But this campaign is more elaborate and we are very proud to collaborate with the magicians at Tamarit on this project. We look forward to further expanding in Spain and Portugal in 2021.”

Introducing ‘The Gotham’
As soon as the bike started to take shape, it was clear that ‘the caped one’ would have been proud to ride it. José Antonio of Tamarit says: “We took a 2007 Triumph Bonneville and turned it into this ominous looking machine. It was during a video call that one of the guys from MotoShare mentioned it looked like it was made for Batman. It was ‘The Gotham’ from there on.”

Continuing: “At Tamarit we only work with Triumph as donor vehicles for the bikes we produce. Their reliability is second to none and this particular bike comes from a gentleman that hardly used it since he became the owner back in 2007.”

Inspiration
With the Batcave as the obvious shed for this machine now firmly planted in our heads we pried a bit further to unearth the source of inspiration for the Spanish team. They replied: “The idea was once more to push the boundaries of the Modern Classic bike concept. We wanted to include anything interesting from the Tamarit family book such has the hollow section under the seat, 16″ fat wheels or the Gullwing front fairing. On top of that, a new part was developed from scratch exclusively for this project : the rear fender.

We’re mostly our own source of inspiration, as we always try to keep the same style but without being repetitive. However, anything from 50 years ago may be used as inspiration. There are definitely beautiful things out there.

The guys at MotoShare were great to work with. They basically gave us ‘carte blanche’ to go wild and create our 81st dream bike. And we did!”

Shine versus friction
No build without challenges. You have to have some friction to get a bike to shine like this one does. “So what kept your fabricators awake at night on this project?” BikeBrewers asked.

José responded: “Adapting newly developed parts is always provoking, since handmade parts do not always fit as they should. The biggest challenge is always to make the most beautiful bike possible but being able to ride it comfortably for a bunch of miles. There are awesome and beautiful bikes out there but if it is something you can’t ride to the max, it becomes a ‘soulless’ bike at the end of the day. On top of that the rider’s back and bottom are bound to object going that extra mile!” he grins mischievously.

How it was done
In order to get Batman’s approval the bike had to go through some rigorous changes. The Triumph is heavily modified from top to bottom. Amongst the most significant changes: smaller (16”) but wider wheels, custom triple tee, frame mod, custom front fairing, custom seat, wiring relocation, empty area under the seat, custom rear fender, custom license plate holder.

Parts: The ‘usual’ Motogadget stuff, turning signals and speedometer, HAGON nitro shocks, KN filters topping it off with a magnificent ZARD exhaust.

José continues: “We absolutely love the overall feeling and looks of ‘The Gotham’. It is probably the finest we’ve ever done alongside the Gullwing models.

We are so happy to have Gotham as the bike for the Motoshare – Tamarit collab. It’s genuinely something out of the common that would help greatly both firms interests and aims. As every other classic-styled vehicle, you don’t want to pull a ‘Willy Fogg’ with this bike but it does ride awesome. You definitely can feel the pull while revving the engine. An all-round sports classic bike.”

Expert view
Normally we ask the builder about the handling of his machine. Having been the first one to ever ride ‘The Gotham’ it is BikeBrewer Thierry who has the final word this time: “The magicians from Tamarit have done an amazing job.” he says.

Continuing: “It took us over half a year to get everything together on this project. Not that there were many complications on the build, but putting all the pieces together on this cool marketing exercise was not easy. Especially the insurance bit.

With that all behind us, it was such a joy to have the honour to ride this dream on wheels! It handles perfectly and the mechanics have added an nice extra punch to this carburettor version. Riding ‘The Gotham’ makes you fantasize about being Batman in hot pursuit of the villains.
Pure unadulterated fun!

Interested in winning this bike? Check out: MotoShare-Tamarit

Builder details:
Builder
email: info@tamaritmotorcycles.com
Instagram
Facebook
phone: +34 966363832

other credits:
Rider: Thierry Tronquit Prats
Photographer: Gonzalo (Enigma) Martín
apparel: Sa1nt

The post ‘The Gotham’ by Tamarit & MotoShare appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

As proud “Dutchmen” it’s always cool to publish a cool story and pictures of a bike that comes from our home ground. And with an ever-growing custom motorcycle scene, the established workshops keep on delivering top-notch work. Regular readers already know that we have some really great pro builders here like Ironwood, Wrench Kings, Wimoto and of course Moto Adonis. All these builders have been featured all over the interwebs with their creations and most of the times we get a heads up first when a bike is finished (thanks for that guys!). Today we have the honor to feature the latest build from Daan Borsje, owner of Moto Adonis; a real “gentleman’s cafe racer” based on a BMW R100R.

The project started as a long-desired wish from one of Daan’s customers to have a real one-off gentlemen’s machine that was stuffed with high-end parts to combine the idea of a classic ride with modern day technology (and comfort). The heart of this customer lied with the Bavarian boxer bikes so R100R was an easy pick. He also was a sucker for laced wheels, which made the search for this bike a bit more difficult; not many R100R’s where sold with these wheels.

To upgrade the bike’s handling, they’ve ditched the original front fork and replaced it with a Suzuki S-RAD USD fork. The fork was refurbished and adonized in black so everything works and looks brand new. For the triple tree, they’ve asked Roel Scheffers of Scheffers Engineering. Daan: “Roel is a good guy who is, of course, Dutch and lives in the bush bush of Norway, and he made us a beautiful plate with an integrated Moto Gadget Tiny Speedo in it”. The original 2 piston brake caliper was replaced by a newer 3 piston model by Tokico. The rear shock was custom made by USS Suspension, also adonized black.

To get the desired line, the massive original gas tank was put on sale and they’ve sourced the gas tank of a Honda CM400 and made it fit the bike with and welded on a Monza gas cap. The subframe was modified to fit the custom-made seat which is upholstered by master upholsterer and fellow Dutchie Marcel Miller from Miller Kustom Upholstery. For the exhausts, they’ve used their alter ego MAD-exhausts to deliver a beautiful hand-made, stainless steel 2-in-1 exhaust with the muffler right in the center under the seat.

The engine was taken apart and got a refurbishment to ensure reliability since this is no show bike. All the wiring has been replaced and they’ve added a MotoGadget M-unit to make sure it all works for a decade. The front blinkers are also from MotoGadget and in the rear, they’ve used a Rizoma unit with blinkers and the rear light integrated.

To give a little wink to the BMW heritage, the color scheme and paint job a directly inspired by the R90S series. All and all, another exquisite machine from Dutch ground to be a little bit proud of. Well done Daan and we hope the new owner will enjoy it!

The post BMW R100R by Moto Adonis appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Oh, and we didn’t number them from 1 to 21, this was totally impossible for us and kept us arguing. And next to that: we didn’t want to place one custom bike above the other. So if you don’t mind: find the best one for yourself!

BMW R168 by Kacerwagen

[more info]

BMW “Alpha” by Mark Atkinson and Mehmet Doruk Erdem.

[more info]

Honda Rebel 300 by Zeus Custom

[more info]

BMW K100 by Retrorides

[more info]

Ducati 848 Evo Racer by NCT

[more info]

Moto Guzzi “Dustbin” by Craigh Rodsmith

[more info]

Yamaha XSR700 by Ironwood

[more info]

Yamaha XV920 by Ugly Motors

[more info]

Ducati 900SS by Deep Creek

[more info]

Yamaha TR1 by Moto Adonis

[more info]

Honda CR500 by C’s Garage

[more info]

“Fusqvarna” FX650 by Le Garage Felix

[more info]

Honda CB750 by Ace Custom Shop

[more info]

Moto Guzzi 950 by Stile Italiano

[more info]

Honda CBX1000 by Michael Kopec

[more info]

Yamaha XSR700 by Motomax Metz

[more info]

Honda CB750 by Wrench Kings

[more info]

Yamaha DT125 Scrambler by Ranger Korat

[more info]

Honda GL500 Silverwing by Motoism

[more info]

Yamaha WR400 by Meccanica Serrao d’Aquino

[more info]

Kawasaki Ninja 250 by Mr. Ride

[more info]

The post 21 Best Custom Motorcycles of 2017 appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Yes! Another cool build from our friends at Wrench Kings! And it’s another beautiful Moto Guzzi V7. It’s a project commissioned by Vanguard Jeans and the Kings worked closely together with Gannet Design from Germany. 

Ulfert Janssen from Gannet:

“In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Moto Guzzi V7 and new Vanguard jeans, we designed a one-off custom bike which bridges between the first V7 Guzzi model and the Guzzi bike from today. We changed the stance of the bike and created a slightly forward leaning angle for more sexy proportions and racer look.The design is a bit retro fitted and some details throw you back a couple of decades. Yet the overall design keeps the connection to the contemporary donor bike, which gives a feeling of a timeless mix.The custom cafe racer tail section and the “bikini fairing” underlines the racer style with a touch of vintage form language.

The custom cafe racer tail section and the “bikini fairing” underlines the racer style with a touch of vintage form language. Furthermore, we integrated key design elements of the new Vanguard V7 jeans into this exceptional bike, such as the special denim blue, quilted leather on the seat matching the leather patch on the jeans and V logo in the rear light, just to mention a few. As a special feature, we designed a custom 2-into-1 exhaust system with a solid roar and it announces the approach of the head turner even from a distance. The bike got built by the Wrench Kings with great attention to detail. In essence, the Vanguard Guzzi V7 has a super stylish and clean look with a mix of timeless classic and modern elements, and it fits perfectly to Vanguard Clothing.”

Wrench Kings about the project:

“After we agreed with the design in collaboration with Gannet Design and Vanguard Clothing we started the build. As usual, we start the build by cutting the rear sub frame, it gets disassembled, lowered and shortened. Then the fitting part starts with the new front fairing and the new rear end. The tank of the bike is original but, we needed to customize the tank so we could fit the Monza cap and place the type plates off the bike with the Vanguard logo and information.As seen in the design of Gannet the rear light with the Vanguard logo is cut out of the rear end, hand crafted.

As seen in the design of Gannet the rear light with the Vanguard logo is cut out of the rear end, hand crafted. Most of the bolts are blue anodized in the color of the buttons of the V7 Vanguard Jeans. The pattern of the seat is also processed in the jeans. There are many details and components used in the jeans, which can be found back in the bike.”

– Design by Gannet Design:
web: www.gannetdesign.com
facebook: gannetdesign/facebook
instagram: gannetdesign/instagram

– Built by Wrench Kings:
web: www.wrenchkings.com
facebook: wrenchkings/facebook
instagram: wrenchkings/instagram

– For Vanguard Clothing:
web: www.vanguard-clothing.com
facebook: vanguardclothing/facebook
instagram: vanguardclothing/instagram

Photo credit: Vanguard/Gannet Design

The post Moto Guzzi V7 Vanguard by Wrench Kings & Gannet Design appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Yet Another exclusive feature of my buddy’s at Wrench Kings. This time it’s a Yamaha XJR1300 from 1999 and with this build, they show their capability of creating custom motorcycles that look like they were meant to be like this. Owner Frits wanted something else with his bike and headed over to the Kings. It was 100% original and the assignment was even simple as complex: make a real one-off eye catcher. That looks pretty simple with that MASSIVE 1300cc engine, (knowing that a lot of cars have less cc’s these days of downsizing), but the stock XJR1300 is just another face in the crowd. A typical challenge for Wrench Kings.

In the design stadium, they’ve decided that the bike should be a real single seated performance bike with a short seat and a gas tank with knee dents in it. Lights should be integrated into the design and some real classic racer elements like custom rear sets, clip ons, a half fairing and a custom seat cowl that suited flawless in the design of the gas tank. Getting the right color palette for this bike was based on trail and error, while they were looking for a retro touch. Looking at the result I may conclude that they succeeded. Very well. That’s also what their client thought and he gave the Kings a -GO-.

Just like with all builds from Wrench Kings, no part was skipped and got a complete overhaul. The frame got some necessary modifications to make it a bit shorter and keep hold on all the new handcrafted aluminum bodywork parts. The seat/tank combo and both fenders come from The Custom Factory/Stewin BV. All original parts of the bike got a new (powder) coating and/or refurbishment to make sure the “Wrench King Quality” is assured. This makes the end result look as if it’s a completely new bike. The bike also got a new wiring loom, built from the ground up. Of course with a Motogadget M-Unit in the center. This simplified the wiring setup which made it easier to fit in the clean look of the machine.

A little summary of the modifications: DNA filters, DNA carter vent, Tarozzie rear-sets & clip ons, Motone 3-way switch, Hell brake/clutch levers, Highsider bar end mirrors, 7″Rhino headlight, seat and grips by Silvermachine, Daytona Velona speedo, LED indicators, Monza gas cap, LED integrated tail light, M8 licence plate light, Öhlins rear shocks, Cobra SP exhaust system. 

The Kings about the result:

Due to the complete new aluminum bodywork, there’s nothing much left of the original bike. We’re absolutely happy with the result and quality of the machine. The combination of the colors and the bodywork give the bike a beautiful retro look with a modern touch since the motorcycle kept all of his original handlings. With the massive engine between your legs and the powerband of a V2 rocket, this bikes makes you smile every time you open up the throttle!

For those guys who are in the neighborhood or traveling trough Holland, feel free to visit the Wrench Kings shop in Utrecht. They have regular BBQ’s and they organize a bunch of cool things. And the shop is always open for likeminded people:

More info:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Photo’s by Bas Duijs.

The post Yamaha XJR1300 Cafe Racer by Wrench Kings appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

A couple of weeks ago I’ve visited our friends at Wrench Kings and owner Joost Dingemans told me everything about his journey with his workshop and his ambitious future plans. It was great to feel the awesome vibe of a proud guy standing with two feet on the ground (in his own workshop). Of course, we’ve talked A LOT about custom bikes and he shared me some of his latest builds he didn’t publish yet. Around two weeks ago I’ve published this cool BMW R100 Classic Racer, today it’s a beautiful Honda CB750K7 from 1979 that gets a spotlight view.

This CB750 was a commissioned build for Stijn Bauland and the Kings were asked to give this bike a complete overhaul. Stijn did some optical works on the bike himself, but he wanted to turn it into a more cleaner and tighter machine which he can use on a regular basis. They got one special assignment: the bike shouldn’t take his self too serious, or like Stijn says: “a cool, not to perfect looking CB750 with a rough edge”.

Of course, that was a cool challenge. But how do you build a clean, overhauled bike that can’t look brand new or fully restored? So the Kings started sketching and designing. After a couple of drafts, they decided to sandblast everything to get rid of the rust and grease and then give it a clear coating. With this approach, all dents and holes are kept “in tact”. After getting the “GO” of their client, they started working on the bike.

Like most of their builds, the bike was completely stripped down to the last piece. They started working on the frame. The rear of the frame was shortened but kept its original seat pan. So they’ve reused this and shortened the entire rear end of the frame for an original, but more compact look. In order to keep the original look of the CB750 in tact, they’ve spent a lot of time in refurbishing original parts.

The wheels were powder coated and got a set of new laces. The engine got a necessary overhaul and a couple of selected parts got a new coating. But with their plan in mind, they’ve also left some parts alone to get some more “oldness” back on the bike. The overall result of this approach led to a bike with a complete new coating, which makes it shine like a new one, but if you take a closer look, you can see clearly that this bike already has a history of almost 40 years.

The bike also got a complete new wiring loom with a few simplifications like a CDI regulator/rectifier in one and mBlaze LED indicators. They removed the control lights between the gauges, but kept the original gauges in place (a bit closer together if you take a good look). The ignition is relocated and they’ve reused the aftermarket heated grip system. The rather bulky original headlight was replaced by a black 7″ Rhino headlight. Just like the headlight, the taillight and rear indicators are replaced by a smaller, but original looking models. A little gimmick was the placement of a single fog light on the crash protectors.

Other modifications include steel brake lines, DNA pod filters, wide handlebar, 340 shocks, Dunlop Trailsmart tires, a TomTom adapter on the handlebar, and a set of retro rubbers on the front fork. The original exhaust pipes were used, but the bike got a big fat, modern looking Sebring muffler (there’s the “not-to-serious”-part!). Another cool gimmick is the laser-cut side-panel with the Japanese “Rising Sun”, a wink to the birthplace of the motorcycle. The beautiful leather seat is created by Silvermachine.

The result is a totally custom bike that still looks like it’s original. If you wouldn’t know better (and don’t see that big fat muffler), you would believe it came from the factory like this. Great machine, great job!

For those guys who are in the neighborhood or traveling trough Holland, feel free to visit the Wrench Kings shop in Utrecht. They have regular BBQ’s and they organize a bunch of cool things. And the shop is always open for likeminded people:

More info:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Photo’s by Bas Duijs.

The post Honda CB750 Restomod by Wrench Kings appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

It was a commissioned build for a lady with style, Karin van Kuijk, and she was looking for a real “old school cafe racer”. Since she wanted a real old school bike and no modern classic, the BMW R-series seemed a logical choice. While the R-series are known for their incredibly reliable engines, the bike also got a complete overhaul to ensure that Karin can enjoy their ride to the fullest. Since the new owner was not able to get both feet on the ground on the original R100RT, they’ve customized the frame to get a lowered seating position. This resulted in a unique frame setup with a straight line from the back to the front, something we don’t see that often on BMW R-series. On the original bike, the subframe is substantially higher than the bottom of the gas tanks on these machines but the original lumpy banana-seats cover this up. The custom made mudguard and cool half-fairing fits flawless in the design and the professional paint job (2k) and striping accentuates this perfect setup.

To get the desired old school cafe racer look, some details were needed. So they’ve teamed up with Silver Machine to create some really nice leather details. The bike got a beautiful (and comfortable!) diamond stitched leather with a vintage/used look. The “frame triangle” got a set of leather bags of the same leather, just as the beautifully wrapped grips.

They’ve ditched the original wiring loom and fabricated a completely new one built around the Motogadget M-unit Blue, the latest electronic control unit from Germany. The bike got a set of M-blaze bar-end indicators and Motone buttons on a set of Tarozzi clip ons and a custom triple tree for a clean look in the dash. The ignition lock is removed towards the airbox. Other parts used on this machine are: 7″ Rhino headlight, Acewell 2853 digital speedo, Domino throttle, Brembo PS-16 brake and clutch levers, Melvin steel brake lines, HighsiderBullit taillight and rear indicators, Highsider mirrors (mounted on the original crash bars), M8 licence plate light, Monza gas cap, and Dunlop K70 rubber. To make sure that other road users here Karin coming, they’ve fitted a set of Megaton mufflers.

If you see this bike for real, you might think that’s 100% original and that it came right from the factory like this… Great job by Wrench Kings and I’m sure Karin has the ride of their life on this Bavarian Beauty.

More info:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Photo’s by Bas Duijs.

The post Bavarian Beauty: BMW R100RT Classic Racer by Wrench Kings appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Beautiful classic BMW K75 Cafe Racer by Moto Adonis. Personally, I’m very happy to see that the quality of builds from Holland is constantly growing. Maybe a bit biased, but I’ve featured a lot of bikes from our small country lately. We have some real great pro-builders like Ironwood, Wimoto, and Wrench Kings. All delivering high quality and unique machines that get noticed all over the web. Another well-known name here in Holland and the rest of the (custom) world is Moto Adonis, from Daan Borsje.

Daan, who sees his self as a “designer-builder” easily can be called a perfectionist: if he sets his mind to something, he want’s to do it the right way and commits his self for 200%. So his work is not a matter of tearing down an old machine, put some new parts on in, give finish it wit a paint job. No, Daan goes all the way from a complete engine overhaul to fabricating his own parts. So when Philip van Gelder, a local customer, broke his piggy bank for buying a custom bike, he knew that Moto Adonis was the right place.

Next to an old sock stuffed with some cash, Philip also had an old ’87 BMW K75. A base bike that’s maybe not as cool as the air-cooled boxers, but sure has a great engine. The stock model doesn’t have a name for being beautiful, the technique of the so-called Flying Bricks are rock solid. It’s no surprise that the K-series become a very popular for building a cafe racer (make sure to check out this awesome K100 Cafe Racer).

The conversion started with the wheels because the stock wheels didn’t suit Philips mindset of a classic cafe racer. In the front, Daan sourced a wheel of a BMW R1200C, which is fitted in a black Suzuki GSXR1100 USD fork to upgrade brakes and suspension at the same time. The real wheel including rear drive comes from a R1100GS, which also upgrades the brake drum with a disc. In order to get that desired classic look, Daan fitted a beautiful small headlight fairing, modified the gas tank and of course chopped up the rear end to mount a classic leather seat.

The electronic system got upgraded with the complete catalog of Motogadget. Indicators, controls, wireless switch, and grips are sticking and operating together around the M-Unit. In front, they’ve fitted an aftermarket LED headlight unit and Daytona instruments. The bike is finished in a “classic-meets-aggressive” color scheme: matt black with a yellow striping. Great job!

Follow Moto Adonis:

Web | Facebook | Instagram

The post BMW K75 Cafe Racer by Moto Adonis appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

I’m always happy to see creations from The Netherlands, and with all the talent lined up, we can expect some real cool machines the coming time. We’ve seen some amazing bikes from workshops like Wimoto, Ironwood Custom Motorcycles and Wrench Kings. This Honda CB750 Super Sport Café Racer comes from the last named shop:

Modifications: 

• Everything is powder coated, even the brackets for the teller and the blinkers
• Cool Firestone tires
• RFID tag wireless key
• Custom seat with oil reservoir by Marcel van der Stelt
• Custom water proof leather upholstery by Toni’s Custom Works
• Custom oil lines
• Hidden blinkers in front
• Modern, electronic Daytona speedo
• Stylish tail lights with integrated brake lights and blinkers
• A custom made license plate bracket (which we took in production!)
• A big yellow head light
• Polished cylinder heads
• Overhauled engine
• Rear shocks
• Brake and clutch levers
• Double brake discs in front
• Extended foot peg mounts with Tarozzi foot pegs
• DNA power filters
• Stainless steel brake lines

The post Honda CB750 Super Sport Café Racer appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Guest post by Matt McLeod of Krank Engineering.

Also check out my article about what you should pack in a small motorcycle tool kit.

Motorcycling is an amazing pastime. Maybe it’s your favorite motorsport. Or maybe you just ride a motorcycle to work. But if you’re reading BikeBrewers.com, you’ve got passion for custom motorcycles. If you’re considering building your own custom motorcycle, BikeBrewers.com will work right alongside you with the best information to help you finish your build.

In this article, we’ll take a look at hand tools. Hand tools are the basis for any maintenance and customizing tasks, and we’ll cover the primary motorcycle tools you need to get started.

What sort of tasks need hand tools?

If you are interested in customizing your bike, you’re the sort of person who wants to know more about the inner workings of your bike. Hopefully you have found a workshop manual for your bike, because this is the foundation for maintenance you might do yourself.

Just keeping your bike on the road with basic maintenance is a source of great satisfaction, and some basic hand tools will help. Once you start customizing, you might build on this tool kit to include other specialty tools.

This sounds expensive!

Prices for hand tools can vary dramatically. There are premium brands used by professional technicians, and some very cheap imported tools that you can find in your local discount store. For the casual motorcycle mechanic, I would suggest you aim somewhere in the middle, for the following reasons:

Quality  – obviously better quality steel is more expensive. “Better” steel comes from the mix of metals used in the steel (the “alloy”) and means a couple of things. “Better” means “stronger”, so you might be able to use more force on the tool without it bending. And a “better” alloy will also mean the surface can be heat treated to make it harder. This means you won’t damage the tool when using them on high strength nuts and bolts and screws. Do you think the global motorcycle companies use cheap nuts and bolts on their bikes? No way! They rely on quality nuts and bolts to hold their bikes together. So they use high quality parts, and you should consider respecting their motorcycles with quality hand tools.

Durability – if the quality is better, then these tools are likely to last longer. Quality hand tools will last a lifetime. So you are making an investment for life when you purchase quality tools.  Lets face it – if you are crazy about motorcycles, you’re not going to quit this passion any time soon.

Reliability – Once you are familiar with your tools, you start to rely on them. Eventually you learn how much you can push your tools in certain situations. Higher quality tools can be pushed much harder. Its very reassuring to know your hand tools are up to the job.

You can buy your tools at a hardware store, or an auto supplier, or online. You will probably find a better quality range at an auto supplier who sells to professional technicians. Ask around, and look at the tools professional technicians use.

Of course, you might be able to buy higher quality tools second-hand online. Remember, these tools last a lifetime. If you find them at a reasonable price (compared to new prices), then buy them!

What Sort of Motorcycle Tools do I Really Need?

For your basic maintenance tasks, let’s look at three categories of motorcycle tools that you will use virtually every time you work on your bike:

1. Wrenches
2. Screwdrivers
3. Pliers

1. Wrenches

Since our motorcycles are mostly bolted together, various wrenches are needed to disassemble them. There are many different types, but we’ll only discuss those wrenches that give you the most ability at the lowest cost.

1a. Ring and Open End Wrenches

The Ring and Open End wrench is probably the most used tool in my kit. Lets look at it in more detail:

This wrench has a “Ring” end, and an “Open” end. You need to select the wrench that fits over the bolt or nut snugly. Nuts and bolt sizes are all standardized, so you will find there is one wrench that fits best. Lets look at how the wrench drives a nut or bolt head:

The ring end should be your first choice. The ring fits over the nut and contacts all six corners. This gives you the safest way of loosening or tightening the nut.

The flat jaws of the open end contacts only two corners of the nut. The head is offset by a small amount. This allows you to use the open end in a restricted space where the ring end won’t fit, turn the nut a small amount, then flip the wrench over, put it back on the nut and turn it a small amount, and so on.

If you are working on European, British or Japanese bikes, you will generally find the nuts and bolts are metric sizes. If you are working on American bikes, you will generally find the nuts and bolts are imperial sizes. Often you can purchase a combined set of metric and imperial wrenches. Having both gives you the most flexibility.

1b. Socket Wrenches

A socket wrench works just like the ring end of a wrench, but the ratchet handle makes the operation much faster. The obvious question might be “can’t I just buy socket wrenches?”.  Well, yes, but if you can’t fit the socket into the space where the nut is located, you still need an open end wrench. My suggestion is ring-and-open-end wrenches should be first priority.  After you have the basic screwdrivers and pliers, then worry about socket wrenches.

This photo shows 12mm sockets on three different size ratchet handles: ¼” drive, ⅜” drive and ½” drive. These drive sizes refer to the size of the square drive plug fixed to the ratchet handle.

You can see the physical size difference. For motorcycles, I would recommend purchasing a socket wrench kit with ⅜” drive.  I find this to be most useful. The 12mm socket is the biggest socket I have for my ¼” socket handle, and one of the smallest on my ½” socket handle. Sometimes the ½” drive sockets are too large to fit around the restricted spaces on motorcycles. They are great for working on cars, but too large for motorcycles. If you want to purchase a socket wrench kit, have a look for a ⅜” drive set that has both metric and imperial sockets.

1c. Adjustable wrench

An adjustable wrench is not a tool I would recommend for maintenance, but it has one specific use when you are building your tool kit. Generally the ring and open end wrenches, and the socket wrenches in ⅜” drive, will not provide tools large enough for axle nuts on a motorcycle.

Adjustable wrenches have to be used carefully to avoid damaging the nuts. The jaws must be done up as tight as possible on the nut to prevent the wrench from slipping and “rounding” over the corners of the nut.

Adjustable wrenches are normally sized based on their nominal length: 6”, 10” 12” and so on.  I find the 12” the best compromise. Axle nuts are normally very tight and the longer handle on the 12” wrench has enough leverage to loosen the nuts. After purchasing ring-and-open-end wrenches, add an adjustable wrench to your kit.  You will probably use this very infrequently, so just purchase a low to middle cost adjustable wrench.

2. Screwdrivers

Often smaller fasteners on motorcycles will have screw heads, rather than hexagon heads.  You’ll need a set of screwdrivers to remove these fasteners.

Again, there is a great number of different screws heads, but we’ll focus on the two most common.

2a. Slotted head

The first screw was developed back in the Middle Ages. The first mass-produced screws had a “common” blade, “flat-blade”, “slot-head”, “straight”, “flat”, “flat-tip” or “flat-head”. These names all refer to the same screw head shape and requires a flat blade screwdriver:

This screw head is becoming less common as modern screw heads can be assembled quicker and tightened more accurately with automated assembly tools on production lines.  You might still find them around on older bikes, so a set that includes a range of slotted screwdrivers will be useful.

2b. Phillips head

The most common screw head found is the Phillips head screw. These were developed in the 1930’s for auto manufacture and are still very common. They have a cross-shaped recess in the screw head, and the driver has a matching shape.

Phillips head screws and screwdrivers are classified by a number size. Numbers #2 and #3 are often found on motorcycles. The matching screwdriver will likely be marked on the handle with the size. These screwdrivers are essential and you will use them frequently.  Typical sets will contain #0, #1, #2 and #3.  The quality of the steel and heat treatment of the tip will determine how long these last.  Purchase the best ones you can afford.

3. Pliers

Pliers are multipurpose tools that let you apply great force at the tip due to leverage when you squeeze the handles. There are a few different styles that are useful for motorcycle maintenance.

Quality of pliers is important. Cheaper versions will be softer and prone to damage when used on harder items. Again, this is dependent on the steel alloy and heat treatment used by the manufacturer. You might find a kit containing the four common types mentioned below.  These will be used many times, so purchase the best ones you an afford.

3a. Linesman’s (or Combination) Pliers

Combination pliers earned their name due to their dual gripping and cutting capability. The “linesman” term refers to their extensive use by electrical linesmen. These pliers have serrated jaws at their stubby tip, and wire cutting jaws closer to the pivot.

They are most useful for a whole range of tasks where items need to be gripped very tightly. They will cut wire of some sizes, depending on the quality of the jaws, and the length of the handles (which determines how much leverage you can apply to the jaws).

3b. Needle Nose Pliers

Needle nose pliers also have dual gripping and cutting capability. However, on a motorcycle, they have the ability to reach into small spaces, which is handy, for example, when you have dropped a screw or nut in under the carburetors.

3c. Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Tongue-and-groove, “multi-grips”, or “Channel-lock” pliers, have an adjustable jaw that allows smaller or larger items to be gripped without affecting the handle opening, meaning you can maintain lots of leverage. Additionally, the jaws of the pliers remain parallel, which is helpful when gripping or clamping material. Handles are also quite long, which increases leverage and therefore gripping force at the jaws.

3d. Diagonal (Side Cutting) Pliers

Diagonal pliers are generally intended for cutting wire. They are useful for electrical work on motorcycles, but also for cutting cotter pins (as used to secure axle nuts).

Care

All of these tools are made of some sort of metal. Wrenches and sockets will generally be plated so prevent rust, but screwdrivers and pliers may not have this protection.

WD40 is an excellent cleaner and protective agent. If you are maintaining and modifying motorcycles, you might find you use a lot of WD40. It is cheaper to purchase it in a bulk pack and decant it into a spray bottle. Put your oily tools on a rag, spray them with WD40 and wipe them clean. If they happen to be wet from outdoor maintenance or a breakdown by the side of the road, wipe them down with WD40 as soon as you can.

Storage

Many tool kits you see might be sold with a storage case. Your wrenches might come in a tool roll, socket set in a box and screwdrivers in their own molded case. These storage solutions are perfectly acceptable for protecting and organizing your tools.

For those among us with some degree of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, tool storage becomes a serious issue. If you plan to grow your tool collection over time, you might find growing annoyance at having to retrieve and store multiple storage cases for your different tools.

You also might consider how and where you use your tools. If you have a dedicated work space at home and can bring your bike to the tools, then a rolling tool cabinet or a large cabinet bolted to the wall might be perfect. If you have to bring the tools out to your bike, you need some sort of storage on wheels, or in a case you can pick up. There is no perfect solution, just the one that works best for you. Purchasing a large cabinet might cost hundreds of dollars, so use and build your tool collection for some time before you make a decision.

Summary

If you start with some wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers, you will have the basis for motorcycle maintenance and customizing. You can extend your range of motorcycle tools along the way, keeping my general tips about quality in mind!

In addition, you’ll have that sense of satisfaction that you “did it yourself”, learnt something about your motorcycle, and are on the journey to your own custom ride!

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