Mobile mechanic: Best portable and onboard toolkits

Published: 14 September 2023 Updated: 16 October 2023

There are times when you need some tools with you on a ride. It might be a day out or a long tour but somewhere along the line you might need a portable and onboard motorcycle toolkit to do a little fettling.

We’re not talking about a full-on service or repair here but perhaps you need to pop one or two bits of bodywork off to check a level or re-route some wiring.

Maybe you need to connect or disconnect an accessory from the battery. Perhaps you need to make some repairs to your camping gear. Something that will mean more than your bike’s original tool kit can offer.

In any of these cases, a portable and onboard motorcycle toolkit will be invaluable. You won’t be able to remove the rear wheel or change a spare plug, for example but you will be able to undo screws or the battery terminals. You’ll also be able to trim guy ropes or get boy scouts out of horses hooves…

Whether you’re after an all-in-one multi tool or a more conventional – yet small and portable – toolkit, here are some good portable and onboard motorcycle toolkit options to take with you.

Venhill Cruz DMX Fender mount tool kit

'A must for off road riders!'

Price: £107.92

View Offer

Tested by Simon Relph for 1 year

Every bike I have I put together a small but compressive tool kit to cover most emergencies when stuck by the side of road, it’s a little get out of jail free kit to get you back on your way. Cruz tools have taken the pain out by suppling a ready-made mudguard mounted, kit, or you can just pop it in you backpack.

The tool kit includes: 10 and 12mm ring/open end spanners, an 8” adjustable spanner, T-bar handle which can be changed into ‘L’ shape by sliding the top ‘T’ part across to create an L shape for more leverage, the T-bar has 7 attachments, 8, 10, 12, 13mm sockets as well as 4, 5, and 6mm hex bits which covers most bikes needs. Even the screwdriver is compact but is a 4-in-1 with two sizes of flat head and two sizes of Philips. A must when it comes to bikes, a spark plug socket, which again is double ended so it fits both 5/8” and 13/16”.

For those little fixes there are 5 cable ties, which you can top up, some wire and a roll of electrical tape to aid getting you out of trouble when stuck in the middle of nowhere. And there is more! Two 240mm tyre levers, which are more than man enough for most tyres, a tyre pressure gauge, a handy little cloth, Mole grip style locking pliers and finally, a rain cover to keep the worst of the wet and muck off.

All of this is neatly fitted into a very strong and durable zip up case which has 2 main compartments with some very well designed/made storage places for all the individual tools, keeping safely in place. A must for off road riders!

Quality

4.0
Value

5.0

Oxford OX770 Bike Tool Kit Pro

Rrp: £29.99

Price: £23.85

View Offer

This handy toolkit from motorcycle kit giants Oxford has all the basics you're likely to need while you're away; 3/8in drive sockets and ratchet, Allen keys, screwdriver handle with various bits, pliers, wire-cutters and an adjustable spanner.

This is impressive for its price and I was also impressed when I tested one of Oxford’s socket sets so would happily rely on this under my seat.

Bike It Emergency Toolkit

Price: 9.99

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

View Offer

This portable and onboard motorcycle toolkit may have limited abilities but in an emergency, you may just find it sorts you out. It comprises a double-ended flat-head and Phillips screwdriver, double-sized pliers, a box spanner to suit 12mm and 17mm heads (including spark plugs) and two open-ended spanners, covering 10mm, 12mm, 14mm and 17mm fittings. It comes in a carry pouch and should fit almost anywhere on the bike.

Black & Decker Tool Roll

Price: £37.40

View Offer

Surely no-one needs to be introduced to the name Black & Decker, one of the oldest tool manufacturers around. This handy kit comprises a basic 3/8in ratchet and socket set, four combination spanners, a set of Allen keys, needle-nose pliers and a drive handle with a huge selection of bits; flat-head and Phillips, as well as torx bits and short and long drive bits. It all stores in a handy canvas roll tube.

Oxford Toolstash

Price: 19.99

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

View Offer

Another selection of tools from Oxford Products, this time housed in a roll-up tool roll as opposed to a pouch for a different storage option. It contains a similar selection of tools to the Toolkit Pro (above) but with the addition of a 1/4in drive ratchet and selection of sockets as well as the 3/8in drive versions, pliers and adjustable spanner but no Allen keys.

Sealey Underseat Kit

Rrp: £34.74

Price: £24.23

View Offer

This portable and onboard motorcycle toolkits from Sealey is pretty similar to that from Oxford and is made by the renowned tool manufacturer. It contains a ratchet drive handle that appears designed to accept an adapter for the collection of sockets included as well as the drive bits which can be used with the handle. There is a folding set of Allen keys, needle-nose pliers and wire cutters and an adjustable spanner, all in a handy pouch.

Hi-Spec Tool Kit

View Offer

So this kit from Hi-Spec might be a little bulky to keep with you on a day-to-day ride but you might find room in your luggage for the carry case if you're off on a large tour or you might decide to decant the contents into a smaller pouch or a roll for easier packing.

It has an impressive selection of tools, including metric and imperial sockets, three pairs of pliers, proper screwdrivers and a vast range of drive bits, as well as a flexible driveshaft – incredibly useful.

- Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us.

By Jim Blackstock

Keen wet weather rider and dedicated product tester for MCN and sister publication RiDE Magazine.

Best portable toolkits