6 Harbor Freight Tools For DIY Motorcycle Mechanics
Fixing a motorcycle at home is often cheaper than taking it to the mechanic since you cut the labor costs. However, it means you might have to read tips on motorcycle maintenance and build up a collection of tools. This can be an expensive endeavor, so it helps to find a place that sells tools for cheap. Harbor Freight is a fine option for this, and not only are the tools available for low prices, but you can even find good products under $25. Of course, you'll need to shop for the right tools and grab quite a few of them.
Harbor Freight carries a wide assortment of motorcycle mechanic tools, and many of them are backed up by strong user scores. The store doesn't carry household names like Milwaukee, a solid brand for motorcycle mechanic tools, but that doesn't mean you won't find solid picks. A more in-depth explanation of how these six tools were chosen can be found at the end of the list.
Pittsburgh Automotive 1500-pound Aluminum ATV / Motorcycle Lift
For a better look at your work area, you'll want to invest in a motorcycle lift. This will do as the name suggests — lift your bike off the ground and give you more room to work with. The Pittsburgh Automotive Lift is available at Harbor Freight for $219.99, and it'll get the job down for you. It can support up to 1,500 pounds, which is more than enough since motorcycles aren't typically coming anywhere close to that weight. It can raise the bike up to 17 inches, so it's a great option for routine maintenance, and you can pick up extensions to raise the height an additional 2 inches.
This lift can also support ATVs, which is where you'll be cutting it closer weight-wise, so you get extra value with the purchase. With more than 1,300 user scores on Harbor Freight's website, the Pittsburgh Automotive lift comes in with a 4.7 out of five score. Buyers note it works perfectly out of the box and does exactly what they need. The lift is low-profile enough that you can tuck it away once you're done using it without having it take up too much space.
Pittsburgh 1/2-inch Drive 10-150 ft. lb. Click Torque Wrench
A torque wrench is a very important tool to have in any mechanic's arsenal — motorcycle or not. If you're ever working with engines or even tires, you'll need to make sure the bolts you take off are secured at the correct torque, or you run the risk of them loosening and potentially coming off while driving. A tire popping off while riding a motorcycle would have disastrous results.
The Pittsburgh 1/2-inch Click Torque Wrench is a perfect way to avoid that happening to you. With this being a click torque wrench, the +/- 4% accuracy is normal, and the 10-150 ft. lb range should have you well covered for motorcycles. User scores for Pittsburgh's torque wrench are very solid at 4.6 out of five based on more than 7,400 reviews. It works anywhere you'd need a torque wrench, and it's easy to maximize the value if you're doing a lot of mechanic work in general. Pittsburgh's torque wrench is available at Harbor Freight for $21.99.
Quinn 1/4 in., 3/8 in., 1/2 in. Drive SAE and Metric Hi-Vis Socket Set, 66-Piece
Working with motorcycles and cars is a lot easier when you have sockets of the right size. You can cover all of your bases with the Quinn 66-piece Socket Set for sale at Harbor Freight for $59.99. The set includes 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, and 1/2-inch sizes, so you shouldn't be concerned about something not being compatible. For the price, you're spending under one dollar for each piece, so it's a lot of bang for your buck. The set comes with a case to keep everything tidy, so don't worry about tossing everything into a tool box and losing track of it all.
With more than 1,000 reviews on Harbor Freight's websites, users rate this Quinn set 4.8 out of five. Buyers note that it works not only on motorcycles but also around the house. This helps make the set more versatile, as it can be used for DIY projects as well as simple repairs.
Merlin Digital Tire Pressure Gauge
A tire pressure gauge is handy to have to make sure your motorcycle tires are inflated to the correct PSI. It sounds like something simple enough, but having the right pressure is important, and if you're popping off tires and putting them back on, you might've let a bit of the air out. The Merlin Digital Tire Pressure Gauge comes with an LCD screen that makes it easy to read your tire pressure. You can pick this up from Harbor Freight for $17.99.
The user scores come in at 4.6 out of five based on more than 300 reviews. There aren't many noteworthy things to point out outside of the fact that it works and it's easy to read the gauge. It can read up to 150 PSI with 1% accuracy, within 1.5 PSI, so it's a meter that's easy to trust and has no issue working with motorcycle tires. It runs on two AAA batteries but comes with a set included.
Cen-Tech 9-Function Digital Multimeter with Audible Continuity
A multimeter is good to have for troubleshooting electrical issues, which can easily become an issue if you're taking on a repair yourself, especially since many modern bikes have lots of electrical parts. The Cen-Tech Digital Multimeter is simple enough to use as it lets you know if something has a current or charge. Spending a couple of minutes with a multimeter can save you a lot of time troubleshooting as it lets you pinpoint problems quite fast. You can pick up the Cen-Tech multimeter from Harbor Freight for $19.99, which has a score of 4.8 out of five user score.
Some buyers note it's a surprisingly good tool for the price, especially considering much more expensive multimeters are available at Harbor Freight. For the at-home mechanic, you can probably get by with cheaper but reliable tools. Cen-Tech's $20 multimeter looks like it'll have no issue doing what you need to do, and you can use it for other things like checking the charge on a generator or your car battery.
Icon Professional Mechanic's Screwdriver Set, 8-Piece
A set of screwdrivers is a staple of any DIYer tool collection, and the same can be said for somebody tackling motorcycle repairs. For motorcycles specifically, you'll need some smaller options, and that's where the Icon mechanic's set comes into play. You can pick this set up for $49.99 from Harbor Freight, which has a nearly perfect rating of 4.9 out of five from buyers. These screwdrivers also include a lifetime warranty.
While these screwdrivers can work for around-the-house jobs, the oversized grip makes them well-suited for high-torque jobs and comfort. The magnetic tip promises not to strip any fasteners, giving you extra protection if you're concerned about messing something up inside your motorcycle. User reviews don't note any glaring issues, and overall, I agree it's a solid set to buy. It is just eight screwdrivers for the set, so while you can get a bigger set for the same price or even cheaper, it's best to stick with something built for mechanics if that's what your primary use is.
Why were these six tools picked?
These tools are all available at Harbor Freight for a decent price, and each is a worthy addition to any home mechanic's collection. Most of these tools will work with mechanic work in general, so there's even more value included if you want to work on a car in addition to your motorcycle. High user scores back up everything featured here, and everything has at least a 4.6 out of five rating or higher. If you're concerned about quality at all, there's no reason to be.
If you do run into trouble with any of these tools, many of them cost under $50, so it's not the same as spending hundreds of dollars on something only to have it not work. Since they are mostly hand tools, you don't always have to worry about something like a battery or motor failing, so there's less room for things to go wrong.