When Editor Surj asked me try out the RoadTech M3 tool kit, I took it kinda personally. Was he poking fun at my history of riding occasionally problematic machines, or was I just the best member of the Wrecking Crew to review such a complete kit because I’ve gone through more racebikes than I have kneepucks?
Cruz Tools designed this kit for a variety of Japanese bikes, from cruisers to adventure bikes, sportbikes to tourers, even standards. It has just about everything any “metric” bike owner might need out on the road. The 8, 10, 12, and 14 mm chrome vanadium combination wrenches turn the most common nuts and bolts, but if you need something bigger, smaller, or in-between, there’s an 8” adjustable forged steel wrench. The kit also includes 8, 10, and 12 mm sockets and a short-handled ratchet with an extension for those hard-to-reach places. The ratchet feel is remarkably precise, making wrenching—or rather socketing—in tight spots a walk in the park. Hex wrenches, 3, 4, 5 and 6 mm, also made the roll in case the situation gets too hex-y for your sockets and wrenches.
If you need more of a grip on the situation, there is a set of locking pliers. If you have a screw loose, tighten it up with the screwdriver handle and its reversible Phillips / standard bit. Looking to spark something up? Use the two-in-one spark plug socket to remove the plugs and the gapper tool to check the spec.
OK, enough crappy puns.
Cruz includes electrical tape, safety wire, thread locker, and zip ties for those times you end up with fewer nuts and bolts that you started your ride with.
Also included is a tire pressure gauge. I have nothing funny to say about that, because tire pressure is no joke.
Each of these tools has its own home in the heavy-duty roll pouch, which cinches down into a surprisingly manageable size given the quantity and extreme versatility of the contents. The whole shebang is so compact that it actually fits under the seat of my V-Strom. Granted, the space under there is bigger than the average $2,500/month room for rent in SF, so you might not be as lucky.
It’s one thing to include over twenty tools for an MSRP of $89.95, but totally another when the tools are all as robust as those Cruz included in the M3 kit. Everything in the package feels sturdy, fits well in my hand, and most importantly, fits the bolts they were designed to.
The M3 is the tool kit every bike should come with stock, and while I really hope I don’t need to use the kit while on the road, you better believe it’ll be along for the ride wherever my ‘Strom might take me.
$89.95. Learn more and find out where to buy at CruzTools.com.
This story originally appeared in our April 2018 issue.