While the typical wrench you’ll need to work on your bike will likely be a socket wrench or even an adjustable wrench in some cases, I’ve been seeing more and more bikes that require Allen wrench sets, also known as hex keys or hex wrenches.
These wrenches are honestly great because they’re small and easy to carry with you. This makes them easily packable for a nice long ride, but they’ll also come in handy in your home workshop. They’re also affordable, easy to find, and easy to use.
With all that said, you want to make sure you’re buying a quality Allen wrench set. Here are my top five picks.
TEKTON Ball End Hex Key (Allen) Set
TEKTON makes some of the best tools out there in my opinion. They’re affordable and well made. This particular TEKTON Ball End Hex Key Wrench Set embodies this description perfectly. The wrenches come in both SAE and metric and include a ball end that allows up to a 25-degree angle, making working in tight spaces (like your motorcycle) super easy. You get two sets of wrenches and each comes with 13 wrenches of different sizes. If you buy these, you’ll never need another set ever.
Check it out at Amazon
Craftsman Hex Key (Allen) Wrench Set
Craftsman is well-known by almost everyone as a toolmaker. This T-handled Allen wrench set is a great addition to any toolbox. The T-handles give you a comfortable grip, and there are 14 wrenches in total. The set includes both SAE and metric wrenches (seven of each) and that means you should have all you need. This set would be good for your workshop or garage more so than your tool kit for the road. That said, there’d no reason why you couldn’t grab the most often used ones for your tool kit.
Check it out at Amazon
Proxxon 9-Piece Ball End Hex (Allen) Wrench Kit
If you’re looking for some professional-grade Allen wrenches that pack up well, check out the Proxxon 9-Piece Ball End Hex (Allen) Wrench Kit. The 9-piece kit has only metric wrenches, but if that’s all your bike has on it, then that’s all you’ll need. The handy carrying case, ball end design, and quality construction designed to keep from rusting make these a real winner. These will fit easily inside your on-the-road tool kit, and they’ll also work well inside your garage or workshop.
Check it out at Revzilla
Proxxon 18-Piece Allen Key Socket Set
Say you have a socket wrench set already, and you just want some Allen or hex wrenches to go along with your sockets, well the Proxxon 18-Piece Allen Key Socket Set is what you’re looking for. Offering short and long metric sockets, this kit has everything the metric motorcycle rider needs. The sockets are made of chrome vanadium steel, and they come in a powder-coated steel box with a torque cheat sheet right on the box. Perfect for the garage or workshop, these things will help you get the job done.
Check it out at Revzilla
Stanley Folding Metric and SAE Hex Keys (Allen Wrenches)
Last, but certainly not least, I have to include the Stanley Folding Metric and SAE Hex Keys (Allen Wrenches). These offer a convenient and easily portable option. The wrenches fold up and out of the way when not in use, making these wrenches ideal for stuffing into a tool kit or your saddlebags. There’s SAE and metric, too. Both are on their own separate folding tool, so you’d only have to take one on rides, and these would work well in the garage or workshop, too.
Check it out at Amazon
