Hey all, first post.

I have a 2002 F4I, been riding for 4 years. This season I got a new chain and sprockets, and had my buddy put the master link on for me. It was the rivet kind, but I didn't know anything about them at that point. He used a pair of pliers and said it was good, and I trusted him. Got about 100 miles out of it, then i was getting on it on the freeway and when I went to leave the exit ramp, I had no power to the wheel. Pulled over and my chain was completely off.

Found the chain on the exit ramp, broken at the master link of course. Musta snapped when I was engine braking. Luckily i wasnt at 13k when it snapped, i escaped with no injuries and my bie is fine too. Worst part was it took 3 hours to push it home.

Next day I went to my local power sports shop and got a master link - the clip one this time. I took it home and put it on, and I'm pretty sure it's on there right. I've probably risen about another hundred miles since, and the clip is intact.

Problem is, I find myself very nervous to open her up at all any more. I literally haven't taken her above 7k rpm since, just because I'm scared that it's gonna give again and I might not be so lucky this time.

What makes me nervous is I noticed the clip was offset on the U shaped side, like a ramp if you will. I relatively gently took a pair of pliers to the masterlink after the clip was on to make sure it was all tight, and now it looks like that ramp was bent slightly more flat. The closed side is flush and in the groove, but on the open side I can see small edges of openings on the top 2 corners. Like, the inside of the U isn't entirely in the groove.. The top is, but along either top side it comes slightly farther out and I can see maybe 1/2mm-1mm of space between the inside of the U and where it's supposed to be in the groove.

I hate being nervous to ride my bike.. Is this how master link clips are supposed to sit, or did I screw it up with the pliers? Also, can you remove the clip and put it back on without compromising the structural integrity of the clip? I want to smear some silicone between the link and the clip and be done with it..

Thanks for any advice

 

Why not take the chain off the bike, take it to the power sports shop and have them rivet it for you? Shouldn't cost much and eliminates the worry.

 

Cost mostly.. I am mechanically inclined to a degree, I've done all the work on my bike since I got it. Just don't have experience with master links so I don't know whats right and whats wrong.

Its in the cards though.. If no one here has any better advice then that's most likely what I'll do.

 

The cost shouldn't be more than the cost of the link and a few bucks tossed in. Pop the front sprocket off and you have the chain in your hands.

The problem is right now you have a chain that's eating at your confidence. That's almost as bad as a bad chain. A worry like that can cause you to back off the throttle at the wrong moment for example. And it sounds like the only thing that's gonma restore your confidence is getting it done right

 

Add some RTV sealant over the clip to ensure it stays in place if you're still worried. I can post a pic of mine later if you're not sure what I mean...

 

go buy a chain riveting tool?

i riveted my chain with a big hammer and a pointed punch. hasn't moved in 8000 miles...

 

Not sure what the service is like from bike shops in your area, but here in Aus if i have had any concerns with the chain i have ridden it in and ask them to have a quick look to make sure everything is ok. If something is up they can then show me. They usually do that for free. they know as well as i do if they find something that is not safe i will spend the money to make it safe, also doing these little checks for free means im more than likely to spend money with them at some stage. :-) if you take it to someone who does that sort of thing all the time they will know strait away if something is not right.

 

The clip will be fine if you put it on correctly. There's really no stress at all on the clip itself and its not apt to just fall off.

Otherwise get a stake on master link and stake it yourself. You can literally lay it on the head of a hammer, like a little sledge hammer is best, and just pound it either with a metal punch or even just peen it over so that the ends are flared over. It honestly doesnt take much....just a bit more than you could possible do with pliers and hand pressure.

 

Any insight on whether or not it's ok to remove the link and re use it after applying some three bonds or whatever?

 

Around here, it's an arm and a leg just to get it looked at. Believe me, if one of their techs would look at this for less then $50 I wouldn't be on CBR forums asking haha

that's the thing- I think I put it on correctly, but the gaps on the open side make me nervous and idk if that's normal for master links or what.

Ever had your chain fly off on the freeway? I won't be jury rIgging any master links in my life with pliers and hammers and stuff haha. I appreciate your advice.

Still not clear on whether or not it's ok to remove the clip, get some silicone on there and re-use the same clip though