Riveting a drive chain

[welland99]

Got a new chain for my xbr last week and tried fitting it on Sunday.  Although it's all back together now with new chain and sprockets, I don't feel confident that the rivet heads are flared enough.  Trouble is that I couldn't get them to flare any more: the riveting tool was flaring instead of the rivet😣. 

I forgot to measure the pin diameter before I began, so I'll get on to wemoto tomorrow to find this out.  At the moment, all I have to go on is this:

Diameter of:
1) factory rivetted heads on all other links =5.5mm
2) factory riveted heads on the back of the joining link  = 6mm. 
3) front rivet heads on joining link after I have tried to flare them = 5mm. 

On the face of it, it may be that the pins I flared have not been flared at all, or at least not sufficiently. 

What do all think?

[Moto63]

Just make sure that the riveting tool you buy/use is of decent quality and not some cheap thing. At the end of the day this is your main drive chain we're talking about. Trust me when I say "you don't want that thing coming off while you're whizzing along some country lane"
Cheers... Michael

[silver]

Use the ball end of a ballpein hammer and get something big an heavy at the back of the link. Do this in the middle of the lower chain run so you cant knacker the sprocket. I use a large portable vice on a brick or two. Keep checking you haven't pushed the vice away or get a friend to keep it in place.

[themoudie]

Personally, I still use a spring link rather than a rivet link on 428, 520 and 525 chains. I have been told that spring links are not supplied as 'standard' with 525 and larger chains any longer, but they are apparently still available for 525 chains from Wemoto on their listings.

It is far more convenient when cleaning and lubing chains, rather than phaffing with a rivet link.

I am just about to renew the 520 chain and sprockets on the SRX 600 at 17,000 miles and the 525 chain and sprockets on the Bros 400 at 18,000 miles.

With no more than 45BHP being transmitted through these chains, the motors are not stressing the chains and even if the spring link reduces the strength of the chain to 66% of it's potential, there is still a considerable safety margin remaining.

Finally, as a wee aide memoir, I thread a bright yellow zip tie around the outer spring link plate and spring link, trimming the tail close to the lock of the zip tie. This ensures that any movement or loss of the spring link can be easily seen. I would also agree with Michael that if you choose riveting tool it needs to be a properly hardened tool, not a 'bean can' special.    Whilst silver's ball pein hammer and a big lump of metal method is the one I would use at the moment, if I had to. 

My regards, Bill

[iansoady]

I must confess to never having riveted a chain as the potential for getting it wrong (either too tight or too slack) scares me a bit, and I hate the way riveting with hammers either side of the chain is described. This despite having done most things to bikes over the last 50 years or so.

Like Bill, I see no reason not to use spring links (except perhaps on 150 bhp monsters) with the proviso that they should be the same make as the chain, and replaced if they show any sign of movement / slackness. And never refitted - always a new one.

[CrazyFrog]

Ditto. I've never used anything other than bog standard spring link chains. Some drag racers use them on their creations, so if they're good enough for their tyre shredding monsters, they're fine on my little bikes!

I do always use a chain oiler though, and always buy decent quality chains.

[timbo]

This thread is very relevant to me at the moment, as Rossco500 has recently broken my chain breaker/riveter, (I probably would have anyway  ). We have now bought a quality tool for the job, the cost being split between the four of us   
The previous comments make reassuring reading to me, as I too, have only ever used spring links, and without any problems 

[welland99]

Use the ball end of a ballpein hammer and get something big an heavy at the back of the link. Do this in the middle of the lower chain run so you cant knacker the sprocket. I use a large portable vice on a brick or two. Keep checking you haven't pushed the vice away or get a friend to keep it in place.

I'm not averse to this method, but on my first attempt last night, it didnt go very well.  I used a heavy lump hammer at thd back of the link, but i had trouble holding it steady whilst hammering the front.  I'll have another go when I have an assistant at hand. 

[welland99]

I spoke to wemoto this afternoon.   Unfortunately they don't sell a spring link to match this chain. 
Surprisingly, they said that there is no specification for flaring the rivet head.  They could not tell me how to tell that the head had flared enough. 

[themoudie]

Aye welland99,

I wasn't going to mention Wemoto by name, but I am still able to order spring links for all the chain sizes that I use from their website. However, I believe that due to 'Product liability legislation' chain sizes of greater than 525 are no longer being produced in kits with spring links!     For lesser chain sizes, spring links are produced and can be supplied, but these are supplied as the "alternative" rather than as "standard". Spring links for the larger chain sizes maybe available from specialist suppliers, but are not available from many chain manufacturers and springlinks from different chain manufacturers do not necessarily fit other manufacturers chains. Differing dimensions in chain components ensuring specific components for specific chains, even though they are sold as being of the same 'standard' overall dimensions! 

If you require full and detailed instructions of rivetting chains , then this link below will direct you to the Regina chain website, where comprehensive illustrations and instructions are given for the full range of chain types, there fitting and maintenance.

Link: Replacement_of rivetted_chain_links_Regina

I consider Regina chains to be the equal of DID and they are widely used in motorcycle competition, but I have no commercial connection to them or their products.

Another supplier who you may care to use and ask advise from is 'Sprockets Unlimited', they know their business inside out, are happy to discuss your requirements, have a stand at Stafford and many other shows (see their website for details). Again, I do not have any connection with 'Sprockets Unlimited', but provide the link to their website, below, for information.

Link: Sprockets_Unlimited_website

I hope this helps.

My regards, Bill

[iansoady]

I'm not averse to this method, but on my first attempt last night, it didnt go very well.  I used a heavy lump hammer at thd back of the link, but i had trouble holding it steady whilst hammering the front.  I'll have another go when I have an assistant at hand.

Exactly why I'm reluctant to do it.

The Chain Man http://www.the-chain-man.co.uk/ is another excellent supplier who is knowledgeable and helpful. Even when you order the wrong thing!

[welland99]

thanks Bill and Ian.  I'll look up those links (ha ha) when I get a few minutes. 

[tommy]

links tommy

[silver]

DONT USE SPLIT LINKS on anything over 250cc
I broke one with an SZR660 and the potential for doing damage to you and your bike when they let go is enormous.
Your choice but its just plain lazy to use split links. Most rivet links now have a shoulder on the pivot pin to stop you from pinching them up too tight.This leaves exactly the correct clearance for the "O"/ "X" ring. The old ones came with wires shaped like spectacle frames that stopped this happening, but it was very fiddly.

[CrazyFrog]

This is always a contentious subject for bikers, and at the end of the day, it's your life and your choice.

We had a talk from this guy :-

http://www.the-chain-man.co.uk

at our club a couple of years ago and he was very informative. According to Andy, chains usually break as a result of a piece of gravel getting thrown up and stuck between the rear sprocket and chain. At this point, the weakest leak in the chain will break. It will probably be the riveted link or split link depending on which type of chain you have fitted. Another cause of chain breakage is apparently that most bikers run their chains far too tight. To loose is much better, so long as it's not so loose it can jump the sprocket. He also stated that neither type of joining link was inherently safer than the other.

I have never heard of anyone with an MZ or Jawa who has suffered from a broken chain for the obvious reason that with a fully enclosed chain it's impossible for a stone to get twixt chain and rear sprocket, and also on these bikes chain tension is very easy to check.

As I said before, I always use split link chains, as do many road, drag and off road racers of all descriptions. I don't let other people work on my bikes, because of some very scary experiences I've had, and personally, I find it much easier to correctly fit a split link rather than a riveted link.

YMMV of course, and as stated, it's a matter of personal preference, in the same way as the amount and quality of protective gear you wear is a personal choice.