Well yeah TBT and I have a difference of opinion here with this one.

I'd go rivet before a clip anyday - but for either - they have to be done right

Clip - have the butt (closed end) rotating with the chain counter clockwise
as you look at it. If the open end is rotating in the direction it comes off !

Rivet - acquaint yourself fully with using the riveting tool- outer bolt screws
in to press the plates to required gap - inner rivet spreading pin
spreads rivet head to the required amount.
examine rivet pin spreading head - it's self evident !

BTW --- good purchases and decisions man

Need any help - gimme a holler when you go to do it

 

I'm never seen any shop install a chain w/a clip master link. There's a reason they use rivet-type. ;-)

 

St Colombanus Of Bobbio was with you today.
Praise be, HalleBerry and all that.
Very lucky chap.

 

That's a crappy mechanic! As everyone else said you were so lucky it
didn't go worse. Heard stories of chains cutting trough lower leg..

 

As Sprock suggested - invest in a Lotto ticket this week!

I've used both with good success, but also as suggested above, never spread the clip on the link when replacing. Very important, as is having the open end of the link trailing the chain direction.

The only time I've had a chain come off, was severely abusing a Suzuki GT380 in my yoof. And then it was doing burnouts in my driveway!

Chain came off and went through the crankcase to teach me a lesson.


I'm much more respectful now.

Cheers, SB

 

Ta' Lord be wit' ya' and ta' Saints be praised (as I raise my glass).

Back when I was a fresh young bicycle messenger in the city, the guy who pressed my new chain on said, "Take it easy until it breaks in."

Of course, I ignored the advice.

One of the scariest moments of my life was, in a dead sprint, the chain snapped, I went over the bars, hydroplaning down a rainy street on my my back with my hand on the bumper of the Honda Civic of the blonde I was smiling at just moments earlier while my face was inches away from the locked up front wheel of her Michelin tire that I thought was about to crush my head.

Moral of the story?

Rivet or snap link. Lube it up and, break it in slowly

I won't always be here to teach you these things

 

I bought a motion pro riveter set a couple years back on fleabay and did both my bikes on my bike lift and saved myself a heap on getting someone else to do it. I'm thinking your mechanics riveter set may be worn and didn't peen over the joining link properly hence the joining link coming apart on you or like Tim said they have been over done. Its a wonder it didn't smash an engine case or something. Thank god it didnt. You'll be back on the road soon mate. All good !!!

 

They usually do. It did on my brothers CB750K. He also shot one straight out the back on time. Different shops put those on.


I couldn't agree more. If I had a shop I would most certainly rivet them on. I wouldn't want the customer monkeying around with it and holding me liable. You have to destroy the riveted link to get it off and replace it with a new one. You would need a chain tool to put the new one on. If you had the tool you would do it yourself in the first place and not be in my shop.

Likewise, the customer would have to have the common sense not to reuses the clip type that you put on. The customer may remove the clip by spreading it and then hold you responsible when it comes off. The customer may remove the clip and install it backwards. If you gave a customer a chain with clip, can you trust that they would not reuse a worn link to save a few pennies when putting a new chain on by themselves because you gave them the means with the clip type link???? Even then, can you trust that they would put the worn out link on in the correct direction w/o spreading it????

You have to cover your butt.

 

I used a Motion Pro Jumbo to rivet the chain on my 1000F. I never did it before and it worked perfect. I used the Jumbo to break the original chain and I had to break the new 120 link DID chain to fit (down to 114 links I believe).

I also used the Jumbo to break the chain on my 79 Suzuki GS1000. With the high horsepower back then (80HP) they used a massive 630 chain. The replacement 630 DID chain I bought only came with a clip. I checked three times to make sure the clip was in the right direction, and put a dab of Goop, a silicone adhesive, over the clip.

 

Point being with a clip or hell even a rivet link - like tires & brakes, check them often it could save your life. Never assume anything !