Toolkit

[Dave Dark]

Hi All,

I'm spending the winter putting together a toolkit for my GZ250. Here is a list of what I have already...

Things I have

1 Long Slotted Screwdriver
1 Long Phillips Screwdriver
1 Pair Needle-Nosed Pliers
1 Pair Linesman Pliers
1 Adjustable Wrench
1 Box Cutter
1 Set of Metric Allen Keys (6, 5.5, 5, 4, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5)
1 Ratchet (3/8 Drive)
1 Set of Metric Sockets for 3/8 Drive (19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12)
1 Ratchet Adapter 3/8 to 1/4
1 Set of Metric Sockets for ¼ Drive (11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6)
1 Ratchet Extension Bar
1 3/8 Drive Torque Wrench (20 ft lbs – 100ft lbs)
1 Air Pressure Gauge
1 Set of Metric Allen Key Sockets
1 Set of Combination Wrenches (6mm – 19mm)
Automotive Grease
Sandpaper
Kwik Plastic (for minor repairs in rubber)
Blue Thread Locker

I was hoping people might use this to help them put together a toolkit. Can anyone think of anything to add? I was thinking a hammer but what kind? Or is it even necessary?

Take Care,

Dave

[Gz Rider]

...

[clonak]

I was hoping people might use this to help them put together a toolkit. Can anyone think of anything to add? I was thinking a hammer but what kind? Or is it even necessary?

Take Care,

Dave


you ALWAYS need a hammer near by, for when its not doing what it is told. I just have a ordanary claw hammer. use it for building stuff too.

[Water Warrior 2]

You might want to add a 1/4 inch ratchet. The 3/8 inch will work with an adapter but the smaller tool is handier is many cases and you would be tempted to over torque with a larger tool.
Few people have the storage for large dedicated wrenches for a rear wheel axle/chain adjust. I can carry both under the seat of my Vstrom with no problem. Makes life a lot more pleasant on a trip with no little tools and the effort involved to loosen the axle nuts. At home I have 2 big sockets and 2 rather comfy 3/8th flex bars.
Check your tools to see if you can remove the front axle with what you have. The factory kit never includes a hex or Allen key to make removal possible.

[Water Warrior 2]

I was hoping people might use this to help them put together a toolkit. Can anyone think of anything to add? I was thinking a hammer but what kind? Or is it even necessary?

Take Care,

Dave


you ALWAYS need a hammer near by, for when its not doing what it is told. I just have a ordanary claw hammer. use it for building stuff too.
A smaller ball peen hammer is a nice addition to a tool chest. Also a hammer with rubber and plastic heads for a little brute force and no damage to whatever you are tapping on.

[mrlmd1]

Add a few good strong plastic tie wraps and a roll of electrical tape. Good for holding things on as well as wire insulation where needed.

[Dave Dark]

Did your bike come with the Suzuki toolkit?

Yeah, it came with a Suzuki toolkit but it is pretty limited and kinda cheap. The allen keys chipped and the edges were ground away quickly. As well, with just wrenches it is difficult to get into all the nooks and crannies of the GZ. Don't get me wrong, I carry the toolkit around for an emergency but if I'm doing general maintenance I'd rather have quality tools that get the job done with less stress.

I put together my toolkit by going through a few of my household tool kits and picking from the overlap. I then went to Princess Auto, Canadian Tire, and Home Depot the week after Christmas to find the best deals on the tools I needed. I was able to put together that tool kit for under a hundred bucks.

On kijiji I found a guy selling a torque wrench that does 30 in lbs - 250 in lbs. It seems he bought the wrong type and threw out the packaging. I'm going to pick that up for 40$. I have another torque wrench for 20 ft lbs - 100 ft lbs. I need the other torque wrench for lower level torque fastenings as well as general maintenance on my push pedal bike. Maybe two torque wrenches is overkill but it is a good deal and I can afford 40$ instead of the usual 120$ plus tax.

Speaking of torque wrenches, anybody know the proper way to store them? Some site said you should store them with the torque set to 20% and then some others said store at 0%.

[Gz Rider]

...

[alantf]

What's a "box cutter"? Not being American, it might be something I know by another name. :)

[Water Warrior 2]

What's a "box cutter"? Not being American, it might be something I know by another name. :)
You have one for sure Alantf. Just a handle with a sharp short blade that slides out and locks. Many different makes and models available. For some strange reason I seem to have at least a dozen kicking around and all have dull worthless blades. Some are quite slim and will clip into your shirt pocket like a fat pen. They have a long blade made of short sections that can be snapped off to give you a new sharp tip/cutting edge when needed. For the life of me I can't remember what we called them before box cutters became the norm 10 years ago.

[Water Warrior 2]

Add a few good strong plastic tie wraps and a roll of electrical tape. Good for holding things on as well as wire insulation where needed.
Tie wraps are a wonderful item to have. Holding parts out of the way while working in tight places. Supporting the weight of a caliper rather than it hanging by a hose. They can be joined together for a longer tie wrap too. I have a handfull in the fairing of the Vstrom held in by a(you guessed it)tie wrap.
Ditto on the electrical tape, that's where the box cutter does it's job too. Or have sizzors.

[ecr959]

What's a "box cutter"? Not being American, it might be something I know by another name. :)

Alan, anybody that ever worked in a supermarket has to use one of these every day to quickly cut open boxes of cans and food stuff, to put on the isle shelves.

[Water Warrior 2]

Just had a moment of clarity. I had put together a travel pack to suppliment Lynda's M-50 tool kit during her trip last year. Everything is tightly wrapped in a heavy plastic freezer bag.
1/4 " metric deep socket set
2 " and 6 " extentions.
1/4 " universal joint.
plastic screw driver type handle for turning sockets.
1/4 " ratchet.
4 " and 6 " crescent wrenches(adjustable spanners for Alantf).
5 " pliers with wire cutter edges.
1 dedicated Allen wrench for the aftermarket windshield clamps.
6 " to 24 " extendable magnetic pick-up tool.
5 1/2 " long vise grips.
4 metric wrenches that are commonly needed for the bike. No need to carry a complete set of wrenches.
Total weight is 2.5 kg or slightly over 5 pounds.

[Water Warrior 2]

What's a "box cutter"? Not being American, it might be something I know by another name. :)

Alan, anybody that ever worked in a supermarket has to use one of these every day to quickly cut open boxes of cans and food stuff, to put on the isle shelves.
I don't have one like that. Must add to my collection. :lol:

[tsmall]

Add one more thing......a cell phone! LOL!!!

[Rookie Rider]

I added a ball peen hammer to my bike, never comes off. Check out the pics titled HAMMER TIME, on the gz250 performance mods thread.

[alantf]

What's a "box cutter"? Not being American, it might be something I know by another name. :)

Ah yes, We call them "Stanley knives" after the original English manufacturer, the Stanley Co. :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

What's a "box cutter"? Not being American, it might be something I know by another name. :)

Ah yes, We call them "Stanley knives" after the original English manufacturer, the Stanley Co. :2tup:
Yup, I have a few Stanley knives myself. And I now know where they originated. Thanks Alantf.

[alantf]

Just in case you need an explanation of what tools you need, and what they're used for, here's a run down.[attachment=1:35epra3t]img031.jpg[/attachment:35epra3t][attachment=0:35epra3t]img032.jpg[/attachment:35epra3t]

[blaine]

Funny as Hell,and true. :biggrin: :)

[Water Warrior 2]

A word to the wise about the SOB tool. I actually did this years ago on a really bad day. I had a fit of rage and threw a hammer at a garage window. Just as the hammer left my hand I remembered the window was plexiglass. The hammer came back at high speed and narrowly missed my wife by a few inches. She stopped coming out to the garage after that.

[alantf]

She stopped coming out to the garage after that.

Not that bad a mistake then? :crackup

[Water Warrior 2]

Alantf, there were times when I wished the hammer would not have missed.

[cibolorider]

You'll probably need a feeler gauge (one that will have blades small enough for the valve adjustment) and a valve adjustment tool. You can make your own from instructions posted in the HOW TO section. Just search valve adjustment tool.

[dentheman]

You'll probably need a feeler gauge (one that will have blades small enough for the valve adjustment) and a valve adjustment tool. You can make your own from instructions posted in the HOW TO section. Just search valve adjustment tool.
If you are talking about a valve adjustment tool for the GZ, I read somewhere that a tire valve cap that has the slotted top (to loosen/tighten valve cores) works well. Glue it to the end of a dowel so it won't fall down into the engine.

[blaine]

You'll probably need a feeler gauge (one that will have blades small enough for the valve adjustment) and a valve adjustment tool. You can make your own from instructions posted in the HOW TO section. Just search valve adjustment tool.
If you are talking about a valve adjustment tool for the GZ, I read somewhere that a tire valve cap that has the slotted top (to loosen/tighten valve cores) works well. Glue it to the end of a dowel so it won't fall down into the engine.
Yep.Works better than the factory one.The factory one is to long to adjust the intake valves with out moving the wiring harness.
:2tup: :)

[Water Warrior 2]

You'll probably need a feeler gauge (one that will have blades small enough for the valve adjustment) and a valve adjustment tool. You can make your own from instructions posted in the HOW TO section. Just search valve adjustment tool.
If you are talking about a valve adjustment tool for the GZ, I read somewhere that a tire valve cap that has the slotted top (to loosen/tighten valve cores) works well. Glue it to the end of a dowel so it won't fall down into the engine.
Depending on the length of dowel needed you might try to crazy glue a slotted cap onto a spare valve stem. Or just tighten it on real good.

[Dave Dark]

You'll probably need a feeler gauge (one that will have blades small enough for the valve adjustment) and a valve adjustment tool. You can make your own from instructions posted in the HOW TO section. Just search valve adjustment tool.
If you are talking about a valve adjustment tool for the GZ, I read somewhere that a tire valve cap that has the slotted top (to loosen/tighten valve cores) works well. Glue it to the end of a dowel so it won't fall down into the engine.
Depending on the length of dowel needed you might try to crazy glue a slotted cap onto a spare valve stem. Or just tighten it on real good.

That is an ingenious idea. As well, it is a much cheaper option than buying it from Suzuki. Anybody have any pictures of what they made?

[blaine]

I just put the Scharder valve on a valve stem,long for the front (exhaust) and a shorter one for the rear (intake).
http://s18.postimage.org/y3cknzefp/20340.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/y3cknzefp/)




http://s7.postimage.org/jh34tkjcn/images.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/jh34tkjcn/)

[Water Warrior 2]

Another use for a valve stem. I carry a spare stem and shrader cap on the bike just in case I need a new valve core. I found out a valve core can give up whenever it decides to and leave you stranded. And just maybe one day I can bail out a stranded rider on the road.