Tools For Ducati Bolts

If you are happy with the quality of your tools, from most of the feedback on here, the way forward is replacement with better quality fasteners. Andy

 

I personally use snap on but any good quality tool will do. Stahlwille is good, even Beta will do. Some people say Halfords professional tools are good too but I can't comment as I have never used any.

 

You can normally buy replacements from the likes of racebolt. Not had any issues myself and half my tools are Amazon specials . Only issue I had was one bolt on aftermarket rearsets which really did seem to be made of cheese.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=L&...=2ahUKEwiuwff1rZPzAhUIOhQKHXz4BFkQwg96BAgBEGM

 

Actually Snap on allen sockets, particularly the metric ones are made of cheese too. The only attraction is the life long guarantee. Mine are like Triggers broom. Had several inserts for each size over the last 30 years.

 

I don't know what they're like today, but I bought a Hilka socket set and an impact driver in the late-'70s and they're still solid, chrome still unblemished despite some serious whacks over the years.

 

For Allen Keys - Wera or Facom... - I prefer the T shape Facom ones - they seem to have sharp edges - so seem to bite into the bolt. Fit them in - a light tap with a copper mallet - so they are in firm - also shock helps on loosening bolt - then undo.

But even with the best tools - sometimes they round....

Ducati bolts seem to be low grade materials...

 

I have Facom and Snap-on Allen keys/ Bits,

You dont need to spend a fortune if you know what sizes you need regulaly as you can buy ( amazon/ ebay etc) single sizes rather then a full set
The core tools i have are Draper expert, and since 1994 I have used abused and renewed ( lifetime guarantee) different bits, and Ratchet mechanisms so you dont need to go mad price wise..

 

I love my Wera hex key set. I've found Ducati bolts pretty good - at least compared to Japanese 80's bikes which were truly made of very soft cheese

 

I've got the full set of Halfords Professional stuff, works well although the spring clip thing that holds the allen/torx bits in place has broke so the bits fall out. Saying that I have a set of blue point T-bars that have served me well over the years.

Getting back to the OP's post, the fasteners aren't great, but they are fairly low torque items so I suspect you may be over tightening them, fairing bolts are like cheese those, they do tend to round off if you are removing bodywork over and over.

 

Ye but when you just 'nip' them, on a ducati it will invariably rattle off, burn down and sink into the swamp. On a JIL they'll likely as not, remain affixed. Instead they rely upon immersing the whole damn bolt in thread lock that even houdini couldnt escape from.

 

Definitely of the opinion you should buy good tools once... I bought a lifetime guarantee Sealy Premier Socket set when I was 16... Still complete now 32 years later. Lifetime guarantee is a must.. they replace no questions asked.

 

Agree about the correct screwdriver - trouble is no one tells you 'till it's too late!

 

I recently invested in a Torx Tbar set from Germany. Good so far and had the bstad battery on and off the Monster more times than.....plus an extra time to fit a replacement battery a month ago.
I suspect the Ducati bolts are based on a soft cheese, maybe brie or something spreadable.

 

Camembolt?

I always go for Facom tools.

 

Wurth, expensive but very good.

In a previous life I was a Wurth Sales Rep in Oz and sold into the Auto, HGV, Heavy transport, rail, Marine and aviation industry. The consensus about Wurth was "very good but expensive" but they still bought em! That says a lot about the quality.

 

Majority of my tools are Halfords Professional, which I found out on good authority a few years ago, are actually made by Britool. They’ve performed fantastically for the last 25/26yrs, been through many car builds, engine builds and now bike tinkering. The only breakage I had a few years ago was a 1/2” breaker bar…I was being more than optimistic with it being wedged behind a hub, holding a stub axle bolt on a Porsche whilst using a Snap-On torque multiplier on the front side…predictably the breaker bar completely let go, noisily. Halfords didn’t question it, instant replacement. Torque wrenches are the same, Halfords Pro. Just bought a couple of branded Britool torque wrenches from a mate, used once. Look really nice but not used them yet. As a 16yr old working in a traditional iron mongers and selling loads of Britool/King Dick tools, we never ever had anything back from the tradesmen buying it. No idea who owns either these days though.

Draper Professional for my first ever set of combi spanners, metric and imperial, they’ve been thrown around the garage in fits of rage (many years ago, you understand) and again, all going strong.

For the Duc, a lot of the stuff can be torqued up using a 1/4” drive torque wrench I got on Chain Reaction Cycles; not a mainstream brand but it’s a lovely little set.

Got a flipping huge torque multiplier and a 3/4” drive ratchet which are both Snap-On, along with a tiny weeny 1/4” ratchet (where the ratchet did actually break, and was replaced by them)….I’m not minted enough to re-buy my whole tool chests with Snap-On or Mac or Beta.

Facom hex key set, bought with my annual apprentice allowance in 1994, they’re as good today as they were then.

Worthy of mention is a Machine Mart T-Handle hex and torx set - utter utter crap, and only bought late on a Sunday for a specific job; the torx fit ok, the hex are just wrong, ill fitting and brittle, I only use them for spinning in/out a fastener.

Loads of weird n wonderful sets of tools as well, again bought specifically to access hard to reach places, e.g. a ball-jointed set of impact sockets, from the US (“Made In Umerica”, ffs)…complete shit, the size I needed broke instantly using a hand wrench, no impact driver….but sometimes those odd depth/shape/angled tools just have to be generic, but my expectations are very low.