BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Hey all, just bought this R1150R, which is a motorcycle I've wanted to own for years, and I'm trying to get it to pass inspection. I'm going to take off the front wheel for a new Metzler and I realized I don't have a torque wrench. As these can be spendy, does anyone have a recommendation on maybe ONE torque wrench I can use for most bits, for now? Looks like the brake calipers are 20 Nm, I think axle pinch bolts are 30 Nm but I'll check these both. I want to clean up the disc bolts from some rust too, so I'll want to remove them as well. What range of wrench capability is best for this motorcycle? (In a pinch, I may be able to borrow one from work, but tools keep walking off so there's a crack-down on loaners, and I'll need this tool frequently anyway).
Thanks in advance for reading and responding.

I'm using sears/craftsman, 3/8 drive usually has the range you'll need.

Tough to have just one but I have a suggestion to help you decide, AVOID using torque wrenches in the bottom and top 10% of their rated range, typically inaccurate, for example, I used to use a 36 ft-lb torque driver which went down to 3 ft-lb but torque calibration proved it was off, so we would convert 3 ft-lbs to in-lbs or in-oz and use the appropriate torque driver for those units with adjusted value...

Also when converting torque, use a torque calculator to do it if you are not used to converting torque, they're on line, best of luck...

Are you in the US or UK? (or elsewhere).

I have a Halfords 20-110Nm (iirc) and it does most of what I need on the bike.

I will admit though that I only use it on a few particular bolts, mainly because I copaslip most bolts, which means torque readings will be off. So I use the old standard of 'Good and tight enough'. I've had Rocksters sine 2004 though and always done my own work, so I know now which bolts are likely to strip the thread* and which are fine for whanging up tight. Most of the time I find using fingers only, about half-way along the tool (Allen/Torx Keys especially) is pretty much the right torque. There's a reason spanners are different lengths.



* rocker cover bolts 8Nm is virtually 'finger-tight'.

swamper wrote:I'm using sears/craftsman, 3/8 drive usually has the range you'll need.

Same here. Reasonably priced. I'm happy with it.

Another Craftsman 3/8” owner here. Wrench is 30 years old and I still trust it. Remember to zero out the wrench when putting it away. I really believe it helps to preserve the accuracy of the wrench over time.

I also have a Tekton 1/2” and a cheap harbor freight 1/4”. If only one, go with a 3/8”. And if you can’t afford a 70.00 or so Craftsman, the tekton at half the price should work for you. I trust the craftsman more but the Tekton build is decent. Of course Harbor freight can be had even cheaper but not the best quality. Congrats on the R1150R.

Hyja1 wrote:Remember to zero out the wrench when putting it away. I really believe it helps to preserve the accuracy of the wrench over time.

+1