New Chain! Yay!

I've been noticing a cyclical jerkyness to my bike when moving at low speeds. I know the bike had a new rear sprocket before I bought it, and assumed original chain at ~11k miles. I finally got around to buying a new chain and sprockets. I went with JT steel for front and rear, same ratio that I had before (13/45). I also got a JT x-ring chain.

I took the old chain off and this is what the master link looked like:



Not much life left in that, glad it didn't shear the pins when cruising down the highway! I keep the chain well lubed, but really that only reduces the friction between the plates and probably doesn't penetrate to the inside of the rollers or the pins. The roller was deformed and fell right out.

There was a SunStar aluminum sprocket on the back that must have at least 9k miles on it, and it actually looked pretty good for aluminum. I have always run steel sprockets for longevity, but I was impressed with the wear of the aluminum one. It was also significantly lighter, but I doubt I will notice too much difference while riding.

I put the new chain on with the clip style master link (oh the horror) and all is right with the world again. Except that it was snowing when I finished, and about 15 deg F outside today... So no testing it out, but it is ready to go for the next heat wave.

dmmcd wrote:

I put the new chain on with the clip style master link (oh the horror) and all is right with the world again. Except that it was snowing when I finished, and about 15 deg F outside today... So no testing it out, but it is ready to go for the next heat wave.

I just replaced both my sprockets yesterday and tomorrow is the chain.
Is the clip for the master link a real horror show to get on there? I'm suspecting it is...
Think I should buy a tool for it? ..Otherwise I'll likely be trying not to mess up the whole works with a regular pair of needle noses I'm worried already

BCRider wrote:

I just replaced both my sprockets yesterday and tomorrow is the chain.
Is the clip for the master link a real horror show to get on there? I'm suspecting it is...
Think I should buy a tool for it? ..Otherwise I'll likely be trying not to mess up the whole works with a regular pair of needle noses  I'm worried already

No, it was actually easy. I lined it up and used a flat screwdriver between the round end of the clip and the adjacent pin. Give the screwdriver a little twist, and the clip popped right on. Hard to describe in words, but I did it all in place with the chain and master link resting on the new sprocket.

Kind of like this image I found on the googs:



The horror I was referring to is the heated debate of clip-style vs. rivet master link. Many say that a clip-style master link will surely fail and cause a massive fireball consuming you and all of your loved ones. The chain came with both links, and had a warning that for street and dual-sport to use rivet style only. Being the rebel that I am, I went for the clip-style as it is harder to screw up than the rivet.

dmmcd wrote:

Many say that a clip-style master link will surely fail and cause a massive fireball consuming you and all of your loved ones.

Haha... I'd like to avoid the massive fireball, you know, ideally I'm going to do the clip also though (in the intuitively correct direction of course).

Hopefully it goes on relatively easily using a flat blade screwdriver as you suggest..

Thanks for the picture!

I've installed a bunch of chains and have better luck getting the clip on with needle nose pliers than a screw driver but both ways work.

I also glue the clip to the side plate with automotive goop to keep em in place, you have to scrape pretty hard to get that stuff off, theres not much worry the clip will come off if you do this.

Biglake wrote:

I've installed a bunch of chains and have better luck getting the clip on with needle nose pliers than a screw driver but both ways work.

I also glue the clip to the side plate with automotive goop to keep em in place, you have to scrape pretty hard to get that stuff off, theres not much worry the clip will come off if you do this.

I love Goop! I use it often for all sorts of things. The clip gluing sounds like a good idea, I hadn't even thought of that and it certainly couldn't hurt. No intent to start a debate but I have always used the clip type links no issues so far, but it is a good idea to keep an eye on them and replace as necessary. I just bought a Husqvarna TE250 an on inspection the PO had left out two of the O-rings. Needless to say that was replaced quickly.

I totally stole the gluing the clip in place idea from someone else on another forum.

I try to use rivet links but the one on my SRT chain broke after a couple thousand kms so I had to install the clip style master link.
SRT's rivet links suck, it was really hard to flare the rivet and I have the proper rivet tool, I've riveted a few DID chains, they were easy to flare.
Im going back to DID chains, the crappy rivet links and the fact that the chains thicker reducing chain to slider clearance makes me not want the SRT chain again even tho the other two I put different bikes were fine.

I've done the rivet links before, but the clip is so much easier. Here is my rivet experience, and I think it was a DID chain: http://www.svrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123546

I may put a dab of glue on the clip for good measure, or a twist of safety wire.

I have done both rivet and clip master links.

My $0.02 for what it is worth...

The clip link is easier to do and allows for chain removal if you are a chain cleaning fanatic. It is not as secure as the rivet - even with the glue.

The rivet is the best in terms of security but if you over compress the link before the rivet process then you will shorten the chain life in that area.

Generally speaking I use the clip master links on all my bike but I do regular chain maintenance and I use the clip to tell me where I started to lube or clean the chain. So basically I am always looking for the clip. I do not remove my chain for cleaning.

A friend of mine who has a WRR also does the clip style link and went to pull his chain for cleaning and found the outer spring clip to be missing. I suspect that the clip is not design for multiple removals and it is likely that either he did not install it right on the last cleaning or the clip broke during a ride (probably too many on off cycles).

For now I am planning on staying with the clip style on my smaller bikes.

rsteiger wrote:

...but I do regular chain maintenance and I use the clip to tell me where I started to lube or clean the chain.  So basically I am always looking for the clip.  I do not remove my chain for cleaning.

I have DID VX2 chain in regular steel color but use a gold colored rivet-style master link for this same reason.

The rivet master link still looks different than the rest of them... hollow end pins vs. solid.

I check out the master link every time I lube the chain, over the years I've found missing clips and last fall I found the end of one of the pins missing on the SRT rivet link.

I'd never remove the chain just to clean it, the clip on the master link is not made to be reused and the couple I've lost were the ones I reused...

dmmcd wrote:

The rivet master link still looks different than the rest of them... hollow end pins vs. solid.

Yeah but I am old and my eyes aren't what they use to be. Sometimes it takes me a bit to find the clip link! LOL