Breakdowns are an inevitable part of motorsports. Unfortunately ATV’s, unlike pickup trucks, provide minimal space to tote around spare parts and specialty tools. Thus, keeping a well planned emergency tool kit in the storage compartment of your quad is essential to reducing the sinking feeling in your gut when your ride stops working…Suddenly…Just before dusk… In the middle of nowhere.
The question, however, comes down to what you should really carry with you and what can be left in the garage. Let’s take a look at some of the basics that can be brought out to play without taking up too much space, or adding unnecessary weight.
1. Adjustable wrench: While you could carry an entire wrench set, it’s just not a horribly feasible option. Keeping a 6” adjustable wrench capable of accommodating a wide array of nut and bolt sizes will give you the advantage of multiple wrenches in one tool.
2. Sockets & Ratchet: Sometimes you simply need a socket to get the job done. By carrying a few ¼” drive sockets in common sizes such as 8, 10, 12 & 13 mm, along with a ratchet, you’ll have the ability to remove most of the bolts from your ride with just a few pieces of metal to lug around. And, fortunately, sockets aren’t exactly the world’s heftiest tools.
3. Screwdrivers: A simple Philips head and straight screwdriver are handy for loosening screws or prying things apart. Or, worst case scenario, you can use them to draw pictures in the dirt while you wait for your buddy to go get the truck.
4. Pliers: A pair of locking needle nose pliers is a useful addition to ATV toolkits for keeping a firm grip on parts or removing stubborn accessories.
5. Duct Tape: The stuff is magic. You can use it to re-attach a throttle cable, secure loose plastics or quiet your friends who find it more suitable to make snide remarks than help you fix your quad.
6. Zip Ties: The first cousin of duct tape is the zip tie. Nearly anything can be fixed with one of the two. Okay, not anything, but a lot of things.
7. Container: Buying a tool roll made of canvas or other durable materials will allow you to organize all of your tools in one spot, roll ‘em up and store them without any muss or fuss.
Beyond that, a can of the legendary WD-40 will supercharge your elbow grease and is even available in handy travel size containers! And don’t forget that a once over before heading out on the trail can go a long way. It’s better to stop in town for a new headlight or take a couple minutes to re-torque any loose bolts than figure out your junk doesn’t work down the trail.
