Get a grip! Best pliers for motorcycle mechanics

Draper is a name that has been around a long time in the tool world and while this budget set may not last a lifetime in a professional workshop, it's a great starter and is Amazon's Choice in pliers sets. It comprises a pair of combination pliers (the square-jawed ones), a pair of long-nosed and a pair of side cutters, all with soft-grip handles. According to the manufacturers, the jaws and cutting edges (on the side-cutters and combination) are hardened for performance and longevity.

Like the Draper set, this set of three pairs of self-locking pliers from respected manufacturer Silverline is a great starter set and is also Amazon's Choice in 'Locking pliers'. As one of the Best pliers for motorcycle mechanics, they can be locked to grip objects with an over-centre handle and adjuster to the size of the object to grip. They also feature flat and serrated grip areas and this set comprises pliers that are 130mm, 170mm and 210mm in length.

If you're looking for precision rather than brute force for more intricate work (such as on carburettors or electrical systems, for example) then a set of the best pliers for motorcycle mechanics like this one from Mannesman could be very useful. They feature sprung handles and soft grips and are generally slightly smaller than a more familiar set; the combination pliers, for example, are 120mm in length. You get combination and long-nose pliers, side and end-cutters, needle-nose, bent-nose and two pairs of nose pliers, in a handy case.

If you need a little more force than your hands are capable of producing on their own, then this pair of compound pliers from respected tool manufacturer Stanley should help. The compound design means that while the jaws don't open as far as a normal set of pliers, the effective force applied at the jaws is greater than what you apply at the handles, thanks to the compound design. You get a traditional set of three; combination, long-nose and side-cutters and all are approximately 200mm in length, the extra dimensions coming from the compound mechanisms.

Water-pump pliers are incredibly useful and this set from Presch (no, I've never heard of them either but they get very good reviews) comes with three different sizes for versatility. This design uses long handles to offer excellent force application but the jaws can open to a variety of sizes to grip anything from a wire to... you guessed it, the body of an engine's water pump. Size is adjustable quickly and easily and they comes with a handy storage pouch.

You might only need these once but when you do need them, they will be invaluable. You can get sets with interchangeable heads but many, myself included, favour a set of pliers like this, one for each use. They are designed to remove circlips or spring clips and will work with both internal (in a groove inside a housing) and external (in a groove on the outside of a shaft) clips. This set from American manufacturer US Pro comes in a handy carry case and gets good reviews.

While not strictly pliers, these crimping tools are well worth the less-than-a-fiver investment to have in your toolbox. They crimp electrical connections which is possible with pliers but don't give the proper finished shape to the ends and they also strip wires easily. They cut wires and can be used to trim screws or bolts with a good dose of brute force. They are Amazon's Choice and while some reviews complain about quality, I have these and have found them invaluable.

Not an essential but if you find yourself doing lots of work on motorcycles, more than simple maintenance, such as restoration, for example, then you will inevitably find this pair of the best pliers for motorcycle mechanics useful. Designed to make undoing the majority of hose clamps easy, there are seven different tools covering a vast sway of clamp designs including long-reach and cable operated for hard-to-reach hose clamps (which is normally almost all of them).