I was thinking about getting a torque wrench for my bike so I can do my own matainance. Does anybody have any recomendations for a particular product? I was surfing eBay & saw some nice ones. Since I don't have the factory manuals, I dont know if I need one in inch or foot pounds.

Any other speciality tools that one could think of?

Also there are some factory manuals there but I don't know if those are for the 06/07 bikes.

 

I have a Craftsman 3/8" Digi-Torq & also the 1/2" bar/scale kind. Obviously the former is alot better.

 

For all of the fasteners you'd need both an in/lb wrench and a ft/lb wrench. You'll need some big sockets as well, 23 and 27mm seem to stick in my head for countershaft sprocket and rear axle bolts. I'm not entirely positive those are the sizes though. For the service manual, unless they made an updated one that is all enclusive, you'll need the one for the older KLX250R as well as the supplement for the 250S. They are typically on e-bay for about $20 each, and they are genuine Kawasaki manuals. You can get the part numbers from various vendors like www.ronayers.com and www.bikebandit.com its probably also on the Kawi site under the exploded views/parts list section of accessories.

My wrenches are Craftsman "clicker" wrenched in 3/8" and 1/2" drive. Use them almost every time I work on the bike, unless it just taking the seat off or airbox lid.

 

Craftsman are Good. I have a 3/8 drive that reads inch pounds and newton meters and a 1/2 inch drive for the big stuff. Both are clickers. With Christmas on the way so are the sale prices.

 

+1 craftsman 3/8 and 1/2 clickers they are a good value.

 

As others say, you really two two torque wrenches, one for the light stuff and a 2nd for the big stuff like axles, swingarm, etc. I've got the Craftsman 3/8" and the 1/2" dial type which release at the right torque. These two cover all the torque values I've ever needed except for the extremely light torque stuff like the stearing head bearings but those you can feel by hand. Don't forget your 1/2" to 3/8" drive adapter.

 

Thanks guys, I will be in the market soon for the tools!

 

i use both of the craftsman torque wrenches also. by the way, does anyone know the proper torque for the two bolts on the oil filter cover? i tightened mine to the same torque as the oil drain bolt, and i'm sure now in hindsight they are way too tight. if that is true, should i use blue loctite next time i remove and reinstall them, or do you think they will be fine at the proper torque even if they have been overtightened once?

 

Those are just in inch pounds. I would not bother trying to torque them down unless you had a tiny torque wrench. I just use a 1/4" ratchet & hold it clear up on the head, not even the handle, to tighten them.

 

Yeah, those should be very light, 8 Nm should be about right.