Accessories

You can't do any maintenance without the proper tools. But some things aren't explicitly necessary for you to work on your bike, but will make the experience a lot more enjoyable, more efficient, or cleaner. Here's a list of relatively inexpensive things that will make working on your bike safer, cleaner, greener, or more efficient.

1. Hand cleaner

Sold at automotive shops, this stuff is unbeatable when it comes to cleaning your hands of grease and oil. You can scrub all day long with regular hand soap without ever getting the grime off your hands; Gojo will take it off immediately. 2. Shop towels, lint free paper towels or lint free cotton rags.

For cleaning your hands, your bike, or your garage, these are a must. 3. A box of Nitrile gloves

For keeping nasty substances off your hands. Motor oil, mineral oils, and many other shop substances are carcinogens, and you don't want to get them on your hands. 4. Some Mechanix gloves or similar.

Oil changes and some other maintenance should be done when the bike is "hot." To keep yourself from getting burned on the headers, and to defend against dinging your knuckles on something if the wrench slips, good work gloves are a must. 5. Proper lighting.

Sometimes (Almost always) maintenance takes longer than we expect. When afternoons turn into nights, you've got to be able to see what you're doing. Plus, it's hot during the day. I hardly even work on my bike during the day anymore, especially during the summer. Wait until the cool of the evening, then flip on the lights and get to work. I got this thing at Advance for about $30. 6. Two large collection jugs

Used motor oil can be recycled at any service station or dealership. They burn it in their heaters in the winter. Other hazardous chemicals (E.g. antifreeze) are harmful to the environment and should be taken to a hazardous materials disposal center. (Service stations may take it, if not your town probably has a place for this stuff). The jugs I got are 4135T23 on Mcmaster.com, and cost $15 each. Old liquid detergent bottles work well too.

7. Oil collection pan and funnels

8. A friend with a pickup truck

Simply priceless if your bike or your maintenance let you down. Nuff said. A AAA/CAA membership (with motorcycle coverage) will cover moving your bike if you are stranded due to accident or mechanical breakdown. 9. A proper floor jack and a few jack stands.

The center stand lifts the rear wheel, and if you have a jack you can lift the front wheel to remove it too. Jack stands are also handy for doing 'the string thing', or for doing maintenance on your car or in other applications. I got a 2-ton jack and two jack-stands, and a creeper on sale for about $60 at Pepboys a while back, so shop around. 10. Spray on wax

Do to the small surface area and tight spaces spray on wax is much easier to work with than paste wax on a motorcycle. Wax helps protect the paint.