I recently replaced my bikes chain and sprockets. I bought a renthal front sprocket and a sunstar rear sprocket. They are the stock size. For the chain I bought a RK GB 530 XSO Gold chain. I used the included rivet masterlink and a professional D.I.D clone chain tool. Putting everything on went flawlessly.

The problem that I'm having is that the chain tension is tighter as the masterlink goes around the rear sprocket, and then becomes looser after the masterlink rolls off the rear sprocket. It doesn't become extremely tight but the difference is noticable.

Is this normal for the masterlink to be tighter than the rest of the links, or is it possible that the masterlink is bad?

 

Move the master link to the slack part of the chain (mid way between front and rear sprockets) and try to move the master link up/down, if that link is binding or very tight maybe you pinched the link a little too hard when flaring the rivet?

I've never installed a riveted chain myself, so i'm not sure if it's possible to squish that rivet too much.