A basic tool kit popped under your seat, or in your rucksack, can save time and keep you on the road for longer. You can’t take your full tool box on a bike, so what are the best essential tools to take?

Cable ties and electrical tape

Cable ties and tape can help to temporarily hold together broken indicators, mirrors and panels (within reason) and fix wiring issues.

Multi-tool

A comprehensive multi-tool is a vital space saving solution. Get one with a knife, pliers, wire cutter and a screwdriver at least.

C spanner

If your bike has a single sided swingarm, a C spanner will be needed for any chain adjustments.

Flash light

When you are riding in the night, no tool can help you without a source of light. Using your motorcycle’s headlight is not a good option as you can’t move in the required direction all the time and it also consumes the bike’s battery power. So, a flashlight becomes equally important like any other tool in your kit. If possible, you should keep such a flashlight that can be tied on your head, so you don’t need to hold it while repairing. Also, you should keep an extra pair of batteries for the flashlight.

Spare fuses

A blown fuse is usually an easy fix (depending where it is) and they hardly take up any space at all.

Puncture repair kit

Any useful kit should include a flat tyre repair system – whether that’s sealant, patches, or plugs – and the tools to utilize them.

Simply plugging the hole isn’t going to do you a lot of good if you can’t inflate the tyre. We recommend including a small electric pump, or – if you don’t have reliable auxiliary power on your bike – a hand pump or portable CO2 system will get you back up and rolling to the nearest town.

You may also need to consider adding whatever tools you need to get your tyre off your rim – which means getting your rim off your bike, too. That can include everything from a wrench or socket that matches your rear axle, wrenches to back out your chain tensioners, and tyre irons to get a tyre off a rim to address a leaking tube or major puncture.

Allen keys

Take a set of allen keys that fit your bike. On longer rides and with general use, bolts can become loose, and it’ll only take a minute to tighten it up.

Multi-bit screwdriver

A multi-bit screwdriver can be used on any type and size of screw including cross head, straight head and Torx. So, you can do multitasking with this kind of a tool and its bit mount can also be used as an extender for the Allen keys for a little extra leverage.

Wrenches

Ratcheting combo wrenches can be a lifesaver with small spaces, so a set of these is worth checking out. Alternatively take 3-4 wrenches that fit your bike.

Manual

It’s handy to have a copy of your bike’s repair manual on your phone.