If you think pneumatic tools are the province of diesel mechanics, farmers, and contractors, you’re not wrong. But they also have a place in a motorcyclist’s garage. From applying mondo torque to free seized bolts that Liquid Wrench can’t touch to using a blow gun to dry your bike’s hidden recesses, pneumatic tools come in handy. Plus, the sound of an impact wrench gratuitously “revving” is one of the more satisfying noises in any garage. It’s not quite up there with the exhaust note emanating from the Kerker 4-into-1 pipe on a Kawasaki KZ1000R Eddie Lawson Replica after the engine was fired up for the first time in decades. Okay, it’s nowhere close. But still…
If you need torque for a big motorcycle task, check out this 3/8-inch impact wrench from Ingersoll Rand. Motorcyclists need to use impact wrenches with caution because bikes aren’t, you know, tractors; loosening small aluminum nuts and bolts typically doesn’t require huge torque. If, however, a hack mechanic has over-torqued your bike’s rear axle nut, a quality impact wrench will prevent you from muttering a machine-gun barrage of expletives.
Another solid product from Motion Pro, the Pro Fill air chuck makes topping up your tires a breeze. The Pro Fill has a pivoting head and a long handle so it can properly engage hard-to-reach valve stems, a particular problem on wire-spoked wheels or bikes with the dreaded 330mm front brake disc/180-degree valve-stem combo. If you’ve invested in a quality air compressor, you’ll want a good chuck to go with it. How does one machined from billet aluminum sound?
After washing your motorcycle and toweling it dry, there are likely still lots of nooks and crannies filled with water. A simple solution is to take a quick spin to air dry the bike, but that’s not always convenient or even possible. With a pneumatic air-gun attachment, however, you can eradicate the silent corroder that is standing water so you can sleep soundly and spend your worrying quota on something more pressing.