So I just bought an Iron 883 and I would like to do as much of the maintenance and installation of parts myself.

However my tool kit is limited to nothing at the moment.

I would like to spend a couple hundred on getting a good full set of tools for the bike that I will need to be able to fix almost any part of the bike.

I'm looking for a simple list of the recommended minimum tools, bike lifts etc I should get (along with potential brands)

Thanks everyone

buy yourself a manual for your bike and go to repco yesterday, they had a pretty good starters kit on. $300 dollars worth of tools for 160. no bike lift included but

Bike lift is really handy.

- Good quality imperial socket set
- Allen and Torex key sets
- Large specialist sockets for Axle nuts, clutch hubs etc (most likely 1/2" or 3/4" drives)
- Lockite (medium strength blue for 99% and High strength red for the remaining 1%)
- Good quality open and closed ring spanner sets

This is great, really appreciate all the assistance.

So it looks like my purchasing list will be:
- Good quality imperial socket set
- Allen and Torex key sets
- Large specialist sockets for Axle nuts, clutch hubs etc (most likely 3/8" drives)
- Lockite (medium strength blue for 99% and High strength red for the remaining 1%)
- Good quality open and closed ring spanner sets
- Bike lift

Can hi8ghly recommend you go to your nearest harley dealer and buy a oil filter removal tool. It'll set you back around $12. It takes a 3/8 drive. It's the single most important tool you'll ever buy.

Almost every other oil filter spanner you can access won't access the filter.

This 2010 manual will give you all the info needed for regular servicing as well - http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32281658/HD-2010-Sportster-SM-08250.pdf

Throw out all your shifters too. Never put a shifter to your bike. Round off one nut/bolt putting something back together and you'll be up shit creek busting your nut to go riding with your mates the next day!

My advice is buy midrange tools however i do recommend Stahwille spanners - Masters sell them these days. They're still made in Germany and are half the price at Masters. Lay out the extra dollars and these spanners will last a lifetime.

I'm a fitter and have used stahwille spanners for a long time now. One of my greatest investments.

i dont know if the repco sale is still on mr but if it is you should get yourself there. i think it was 160 bucks for a pretty good starter pack in a decent toolbox. they sell bike lifts as well. i dont work for repco

With the torx and Allen heads, I suggest sockets as the keys aren't much good for loosening locktited bolts and you can't tighten stuff very tight with the keys.

Don't buy cheap spanners and socket sets as the metal is too soft. You can get a reasonable sidchrome set from eBay from Sydney for about amcouple of hundred dollars that has most of what you need.

Hammer and chisel should be part of every tool box got me out of the shit plenty of times

This is only my opinion, but if you buy a couple hundred dollars worth of tools, that is all you will get. Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. You're not going to need every tool straight away, i'd suggest investing in some better quality stuff, and build up your tool box over time, starting with the more common tools. Good quality tools should last a lifetime, and most of the good brands come with a lifetime warranty in case one does shit itself. Just my opinion. Enjoy the sportster.

It's pretty simple follow the chart

 

Bloody double post...Why do we not have a means of deleting posts?