Clarke ½in drive torque wrench

There are only so many jobs you can manage without a torque wrench. And even if you could get away with it, there’s a certain sense of satisfaction in knowing that all the torque settings on your bike are bang on the money. The Clarke ½in drive torque wrench (model number CHT141) ensures that all those torque-sensitive fasteners are set to precise tolerance – no more ‘that feels about right’ kind of spannering, thank you very much! Using the torque wrench means that nuts are tightened in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations, avoiding undue mechanical stress and distortion, and hopefully keeping my FZS Fazer 1000 on the road for a little while longer. Correct torque settings are essential for the safety and integrity of many fasteners and components, and although I know mechanics who don’t bother with torque wrenches for certain jobs, I’m enough of a pedant to want to get the settings right even for the parts where it doesn’t necessarily matter (recently installed crash pads come to mind as an example). For other jobs, such as adjusting chain tension, a good torque wrench like this is essential. The reversible head and operating range of 28 to 210Nm (20 to 155lb-ft) means that it can cover most jobs that need high tension with this one tool, although its 465mm length and 28Nm low end limit makes it less suited for working on the less intricate parts of the bike. The wrench is manufactured from chrome vanadium steel, and supplied in a tough moulded case, complete with a 5in extension bar, and a ½in–3/8in adaptor. There’s a 12-month guarantee.