Zero Motorcycles
What tools do I need for a Zero Motorcycles?
Updated 2026-08-09
The honest answer for a Zero Motorcycles is short: metric spanners and sockets in 10, 13, 17 mm, hex keys in 4, 5, 6, 8 mm, T25, T30, T40 Torx bits, a Phillips cross-head driver, and a tyre repair kit that matches your wheels. Wheels are tube-type on some models and tubeless on others, so the tyre half of the kit depends on which version you own. Final drive is belt: no chain tools, and no roadside belt repair either, so that weight goes into tyre repair and electrics.
Metric hex and Torx. No engine fasteners to worry about, but the belt guard and battery covers use specific bits.
Everything below is derived from that profile rather than from a generic tool list. The headline kit on this page is the road touring list — 34 items, 7.6 kg — because that is what most of this brand's range is built for; the four other riding styles are linked further down.
Fastener sizes on a Zero Motorcycles
Zero Motorcycles bikes are metric throughout. Sockets and spanners in 10, 13, 17 mm reach most of what you can realistically work on at the roadside: bar clamps, lever perches, mirrors, engine mounts and bodywork brackets.
The axle nuts are the exception to every generic list. They are usually the two largest sizes on the bike, they vary by model and year even within this brand, and without the right one you cannot pull a wheel — which means you cannot fix a flat. Measure both axles with a caliper before you buy anything.
- — Spanners and sockets: 10, 13, 17 mm
- — Hex (Allen): 4, 5, 6, 8 mm
- — Torx: T25, T30, T40
- — Cross-head: Phillips
- — Axle nuts: measure yours (commonly 22–32 mm off-road, 24–36 mm on road bikes)
Cross-head screws and bit drivers
Cross-head screws on a Zero Motorcycles are Phillips, so a standard Phillips bit is the correct fit and there is no JIS trap to fall into.
What does catch people out is how much of the bike is Torx rather than cross-head or hex. Bodywork, brackets and often brake discs use T25, T30, T40, and forcing a hex key into a Torx socket chews it into a hole nothing will grip.
Tyre repair: check which wheels you have first
This is the one thing to get right before you pack. Zero Motorcycles bikes ship with tube-type spoked wheels on some models and tubeless cast or cross-spoke wheels on others, and the two need completely different kit. Carrying the wrong one is the same as carrying nothing.
If you are unsure: a valve stem that comes straight out of the rim with a nut is usually tubeless; a rubber stem on a spoked rim with a rim lock nearby is a tube. Check the tyre sidewall too — it will say TUBE TYPE or TUBELESS.
- — Tube-type: levers, spare rear tube, patch kit, rim-lock spanner
- — Tubeless: plug kit, compressor or CO2, pliers
- — Both: pressure gauge and spare valve cores
Belt drive: nothing to carry, everything to inspect
Zero Motorcycles bikes use a belt final drive, so a chain breaker, master link and chain lube are dead weight. Delete all three.
The trade-off is that a shredded belt is not a roadside repair at all. Inspect it for cracks, missing teeth and embedded stones before a long trip, replace it on schedule, and know who you would call — that recovery plan is the belt-drive equivalent of a spare master link.
Electric: what drops out of the kit
There is no spark plug, no engine oil, no air filter and no fuel line, so every spare tied to those disappears. What is left is tyres, electrics, hardware and fasteners — a noticeably lighter and simpler roll than the equivalent combustion bike.
Range planning replaces fuel planning. Carry the charging adapters you might need rather than a fuel bottle, and treat a long detour the way an ICE rider treats a closed petrol station.
What catches Zero Motorcycles owners out
These are the details that change what you pack, drawn from the same profile the kit builder uses.
- — No spark plug, oil, air filter or chain on belt models — the kit is tires, electrics, hardware and fasteners.
- — Range is the real constraint: plan charging stops the way an ICE rider plans fuel.
- — Carry a charging adapter set instead of a fuel bottle.
Do the five-minute audit before you buy anything
The sizes on this page are what Zero Motorcycles bikes typically use, not a promise about your specific model and year. Walk around the bike with a set of keys and a marker and write down what you actually find; it takes five minutes and it is what turns a 3 kg kit into a 1 kg one.
Then do a dry run: pull both wheels and adjust the rear suspension preload in the driveway using only the kit you plan to carry. Anything you had to walk to the toolbox for goes in the roll; anything you never touched comes out.
- — Front and rear axle nuts, and the pinch bolts that hold them
- — Rear wheel and final-drive fasteners
- — Bodywork and engine-cover screws — note whether they are cross-head, hex or Torx
- — Bar clamps, lever perches, mirrors and screen
- — Battery and controller cover fasteners, and the charge-port cover
The kit for a Zero Motorcycles, item by item
Torx bit set — T25, T30, T40, T45
T25, T30, T40 are the sizes that appear on these bikes.
Add T50/T55 as a socket if your bike uses Torx axle or caliper bolts.
Where to buy:Amazon
1/4in ratchet + sockets (8, 10, 12, 13, 14 mm)
Load it with 10, 13, 17 mm rather than the sizes the set came with.
A stubby ratchet plus a short extension packs smaller than a full socket set. Add a 1/4in-to-hex-bit adapter to share the ratchet with your bits.
Where to buy:Amazon
Axle nut wrench / socket for your bike
The one tool you cannot improvise. Measure both axles on your own bike first.
Check both axles with a caliper before you leave. Combined tire-iron/axle-wrench levers save weight.
Where to buy:Amazon
Headlamp (hands-free)
Every breakdown eventually happens in the dark or under the bike.
Where to buy:Amazon
Hex (Allen) key set — 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 mm
4, 5, 6, 8 mm is the working range on this brand.
Ball-end long-arm keys, or 1/4in hex bits plus a driver if you already carry a ratchet.
Where to buy:Amazon
Pliers with side cutters
Cut safety wire, pull clips, and grip the head you just rounded.
Where to buy:Amazon
Reversible screwdriver — JIS/Phillips + flat
A Phillips bit plus a flat covers the bodywork and clamps.
A 1/4in bit driver with JIS #2, PH2 and a 5 mm flat covers everything.
Where to buy:Amazon
Tire pressure gauge
Cheapest handling and puncture-resistance upgrade there is.
Where to buy:Amazon
Tube patch kit + vulcanising glue
Repairs the tube you just removed so you keep a spare in reserve.
Include a scuffer/rasp and check the glue hasn't dried out before every trip.
Where to buy:Amazon
Tubeless plug kit (sticky strings or mushroom plugs)
The highest-value item on a tubeless bike: a nail hole fixed without pulling the wheel.
Rasp + insertion tool + 5 plugs. Vulcanising strips are more durable than cheap rubber strings.
Where to buy:Amazon
Spare fuses (full set of your bike's ratings)
A blown main fuse looks exactly like a dead bike, and weighs nothing to fix.
Check the fuse box lid for ratings; carry two of each plus the fuse puller.
Where to buy:Amazon
Duct tape (wrapped, not the roll)
Wrapped around a T-handle or a pen barrel so you leave the roll behind.
Where to buy:Amazon
The same bike, five ways to ride it
Each list is already filtered for this brand's fasteners, wheels and final drive. The counts and weights below are what you would actually carry.
Questions riders ask
- What tools do I need for a Zero Motorcycles?
- Start with metric spanners and sockets in 10, 13, 17 mm, hex keys in 4, 5, 6, 8 mm, T25, T30, T40 Torx bits, a Phillips cross-head driver, pliers and the correct axle wrench. Add tyre repair that matches your wheels, fuses, zip ties and threadlocker. The road touring list on this page comes to 34 items and 7.6 kg.
- Is a Zero Motorcycles metric or SAE?
- Zero Motorcycles bikes are metric. Spanners and sockets in 10, 13, 17 mm cover most roadside work, and you do not need an SAE set.
- Does a Zero Motorcycles need a plug kit or a spare tube?
- It depends on the model: this brand sells both tube-type spoked wheels and tubeless wheels. Check the tyre sidewall for TUBE TYPE or TUBELESS before you pack, because the wrong kit is the same as no kit.
- Which Torx sizes does a Zero Motorcycles use?
- T25, T30, T40 are the sizes worth carrying. Torx typically shows up on bodywork, brackets and brake discs, and a hex key forced into a Torx socket will destroy it.
- Do I need a chain tool on a Zero Motorcycles?
- No. Zero Motorcycles bikes use belt final drive, so a chain breaker, master link and lube are dead weight. A damaged belt is not a roadside repair, so inspect it before you leave.
- Is the tool kit that came with a Zero Motorcycles enough?
- Rarely. The OEM kit is worth keeping for the axle wrench and any brand-specific pieces, but the stamped spanners flex under real torque and the screwdriver slips. Keep those pieces, add a compact ratchet with the sizes above, a proper driver, pliers and tyre repair, and you have a kit you would actually be happy using.