If you are a motorcycle or a dirt bike enthusiast, you already know the best torque wrench for motorcycle maintenance.
If you have the right tools for the job, you can do many of the bikes maintenance needs, and save yourself a good amount of money.
You will also find that the more care you give your motorcycle, the more the two of you understand and respect each other.
But first, what size torque wrench is best for motorcycles? Most of the fasteners on motorcycles range along the sizes of ¼ and 3/8 inches. Ensure the motorcycle torque wrench set you buy has sockets of these sizes. You can also toss in a ½-inch socket for the occasional big nut.
Apart from buying the right torque wrench, there is a lot more to know about how to tighten the bike fasteners.
Different fasteners require different amounts of torque. We shall explore all that, and more. Remember, you can have the right torque wrench and still misuse it and wreck your bolts and nuts.
Before you hop into the market to buy a click torque wrench, here is everything you should know about torque application on your motorcycle parts.
Torque wrench sizes for motorcycle parts
Torque wrench sizes for motorcycles start at ¼ inch, and can go all the way up to ¾-inch, or even 1 –inch. Here are the most common applications for the different sizes:
¼-inch size – This is the most common size for the small fasteners in the engine, for valve covers and other similar parts. It is best for fasteners that do not need more than 50 to 250 inch-lb, or 4 to 21 ft-lb.
3/8-inch size – You can use this one to tighten the lug nuts of most motorbikes. You can also use it to tighten the spark plugs of your engine. Either way, it is a good tool to have in your motorbike torque wrench set. It will apply torque of between 15 to 75 ft-lb.
½-Inch size – This is best for large nuts and bolts. You mostly use it for suspension parts such as wheel lugs. Such fasteners need 30 to 250 ft-lb torque range.
¾-inch to 1-inch wrench – You will hardly find any use for these large sized torque wrenches on your motorcycle. However, it does not hurt to have them around. You can use them for your car or truck needs.
How much torque do you need on motorcycle fasteners?
It is vital to know the level of torque you need to apply on different motorcycle fasteners. If you under-torque your fasteners, they will run loose and that can put your life in danger.
Over-tightening your nuts is going to compromise the fasteners as well as the parts they hold together.
Another benefit of knowing the level of torque to apply on fasteners is that they (fasteners) come in different types.
Here is a brief look at some of the common motorcycle fasteners:
Hex head bolts – These are screws with heads shaped like a hexagon. They are the most common fasteners for cars, bikes, motorcycles, lawn mowers and many other items.
Flanged bolts – they look like hexagonal head bolts but this time around, the head flares out where it joins the stem, as if a washer has been welded into them. They are used for engine covers/side covers.
Allen head bolts – These are also called socket head bolts and you require an Allen key to tighten or loosen them. You cannot use a wrench since they have a sunken head.
Torx bolts – The head looks like a star and the part that you use to tighten with the right tool is sunken.
Phillips head screws – They are not popular but they still find some use here and there. These screws come with a cross-slot, so you need a “star” screwdriver to tighten them.
Studs – a stud is long, it has threads on both sides, and no head that you can tighten with a torque wrench. Normally, you screw them onto a part and then you use a nut to hold an item to the stud.
These are just a few of the types of fasteners that you will find being commonly used on your motorcycle to join different parts.
Now, we need to find out how much torque different fasteners for your bike need.
Torque range for different fasteners of a motorcycle
You could ask: What is the torque wrench range for motorcycles? Generally, nothing on a motorcycle is going to need a torque level of what the wheel lugs of a truck would need. Most fasteners seem to do well with a torque range of 1.1 ft-lb to 94 ft-lb.
Head bolts require torque values of 45 to 50 ft-lb, or higher. Exhaust manifolds need torque of 13 to 20 ft-lb and the flywheel requires 41 to 47 ft-lb.
The clutch cover torque level is 13.5 to 20 ft-lb and so on. Of course, this will differ from one motorbike to another, but that is the general range.
If you are not sure about the torque you should apply on different bolts, you should check with the manufacturer of your bike. Always ask when you are not sure!
If you cannot get the recommended torque values for different fasteners, check with a site like Bolt Depot. They bring you a well detailed chart showing different types of bolts with their recommended torque levels.
Why is torque application important? Some people will tell you that it is okay to use a regular wrench (spanner) to tighten the bolts and nuts as long as there are no bearings behind the nuts. This is wrong though! You should not do that at all!
If there is torque listed for a certain fastener, you should apply the right level of torque.Even if you are very experienced, you cannot test the torque by hand.
You need a torque wrench because it is designed to “break” and stop tightening when you reach the desired torque.
Besides, you don’t want your wheel lugs to become loose when you are doing 80MPH on your motorbike, do you?
How do you use a torque wrench on a motorcycle?
Buying a torque wrench is good, but knowing how to use it for different tightening jobs is even better. So why is it so important to know how to use a torque wrench for a motorcycle?
If you do not know how to set the torque level on your tool, it will mean you will torque the fasteners to the wrong torque level. You will think you have done the right job while you have actually under or over-tightened.
Use the right torque wrench
Start by selecting the type of wrench you want for your bike. It can be a beam torque wrench, or any other type.
For delicate engine parts, you should use a digital torque wrench. This one gives a digital readout for torque, so it is easy to use.
You will also find it easy to enter your torque settings. Also, they do not lose their calibration if you handle them carefully.
Secondly, when you do not torque your nuts to the right levels of force, you will damage your fasteners as well as the part you are working on.
To use the torque wrench on your bike wheels, start by tying the nuts on the threads by hand until they catch.
You can then fit the socket to cover the lug and then commence tightening it until the torque wrench “fails” to tighten any more.
If you are doing the wheel lugs, attach them by hand until they catch on and then tighten them diagonally to ensure some balance. This is also a good way to ensure that the wheel sits in balance.
It is also important to heed the advice of the seller of your bike. For instance, if you buy a Harley Davidson Freewheeler model, you might be advised to torque the wheels to a range of 90 to 100 ft-lb.
You will also be advised to check and re-torque again at 100 miles. It is very important you don’t ignore such advice.
How to tighten multiple fasteners
A bike’s cylinder head has multiple fasteners. Ensure you tighten them in a criss-cross pattern to make sure it sits in a balanced way.
You might want to avoid applying the final torque until all the fasteners have been torqued in stages to the same level of force.
Recommended torque for various motorcycle fasteners
| Motorbike | Part | Torque |
| Yamaha DT250B & DT400B | Spark plugs | 20 to 22 ft-lb |
| Yamaha RX100 | Flywheel bolts
Head bolts Oil pump cover Water pump to block |
41.5 to 47 ft-lb
46 to 50.5 ft-lb 10 ft-lb 25 ft-lb |
| Harley Davidson Heritage | Primary cover bolts
Inner primary bolts Clutch hub: (left hand thread) Compensator Starter bolts Jackshaft bolt Swingarm pivot Rear axle nut |
14-21 ft lb
18-24 ft lb 55-60 ft lb 150-165 ft lb 24-28 ft lbs 18-22 ft lbs 90-110 ft-lb 60-65 ft lbs |
| Honda Motorcycle | Front wheel axle bolt
Front wheel brake caliper mount bolts Front wheel axle pinch bolts Rear wheel axle nut |
43 ft-lb
23 ft-lb 19 ft-lb 83 ft-lb |
| 530 EXC-R KTM
|
Engine mounting bolts
Front Sprocket Shock absorber top/bottom bolt Rear wheel spindle axle nut Engine brace upper fork bridge Top triple clamp |
33ft- lb
44ft lb 44ft lb 59 ft-lb 24 ft-lb 15 ft-lb |
| Suzuki TL1000S | Cylinder head cover bolt
Spark Plug Impeller securing bolt Clutch sleeve hub nut Oil pressure regulator |
10 ft-lb
8 ft-lb 11 ft-lb 68.5 ft-lb 20 ft-lb |
| Triumph Bonneville T100 | Spark plugs
Sprocket cover bolts Alternator cover bolts Rear shock absorber mount bolt Fork top bolt |
15 ft-lb
7 ft-lb 7 ft-lb 21 ft-lb 17 ft-lb |
These are torque levels for a few fasteners on different motorcycles. Motorbikes have hundreds of fasteners so you should consult the user manual that came with yours.
Conclusion
The best torque wrench for motorcycle comes is going to help you tighten the different fasteners to the right torque.
To use the torque wrench, refer to the factory service manual of your motorbike. Pay attention to the fasteners’ recommended torque levels so that you do not exceed them.
If you are doing multiple fasteners such as you would find on a cylinder head, tighten the bolts slowly and uniformly.
Do the same for wheel lugs so that the wheel sits squarely.