Advanced mechanics: Best motorcycle workshop luxuries

Tested by Justin Hayzelden for two months. Quality 4/5, Value 5/5. One of the joys of owning motorcycles is that there’s always something that needs doing, be it maintenance, restoration or modification. I’ve got a fairly well kitted out workshop, with tools that have rebuilt or repaired more bikes than I can remember, but it’s only recently that I decided to add a compressor as a supply for air tools.

So far the blow gun has proved to be the most frequently used tool and I seem to find an application for it on almost every job, such as blowing the area clean around spark plugs before removal, drying brake callipers and other hard to reach areas after a wash or flushing out components prior to assembly. A blast of compressed air is a very handy tool to have.

The tyre inflator does exactly that, quickly and efficiently, and I’ve since added a Sealey straight air drill (£53.94) to my armoury too. Overall this is a very simple piece of workshop equipment to use and seems suitably robust for long term use. With instant wind power on tap it’s proved to be incredibly useful for a huge range of jobs and has left me wondering how I ever managed without it.

When it comes to chain maintenance, a centrestand is a very useful addition to the bike. Getting the rear wheel off the ground to clean, lubricate and tension the chain is really handy.

Kneeling next to your bike or stooped over the engine, for example, can soon become painful but this hydraulic lift table will raise the bike off the ground to a much more comfortable work height.

If your workshop floor is a bit too rough or cold for you to want to get down on your knees to whip off that oil filter, then a garage mat, like this official MotoGP one, will give you some proper race-garage vibes.

I've used something similar to this centrestand dolly and for manoeuvring a bike in a tight space, they can be invaluable. You pop the bike up onto its centrestand but with the stand on the dolly and then you can, carefully, as the weight is fairly high up, move the bike around as you need or turn it on its own length.

Even if you raise the bike in the air, there are still some jobs, oil changes or brake work, for example, that mean you are working at what would be your thigh or waist height. To keep those knees off the ground, a creeper seat like this one will mean you can sit down and take the weight off while still being at the right height for the job in hand.

A cold, hard concrete garage floor is an inhospitable place and can reduce the temperature of the whole garage, making it uninviting. But covering the floor with foam tiles, such as these, can make it a much more pleasant place to be, making it one of the nicer motorcycle workshop luxuries. These come in packs of four 60cm x 60cm tiles for £19.95 though larger packs are available with associated bulk discounts and there are five colours.