[mrutkaus]

Just some additional info after what I've read here. Hinted at but not explicitly described:



Master link clip with 4 o rings installed, looked almost impossible to put on. I read stuff here, people mentioned a nut, compressing, putting the clip on quickly etc. I didn't get the whole picture, not doubt my dullness.



Anyway, after staring/assembling piles of tools, and clamping and drinking a bit I accidently happened upon the fact that if you do use vice grips with a little nut on the flat part where the clip goes (other end of vice grips is on other side of same link), and compress HARD, as someone hinted, the o rings compress/go into the holes/whatever. The result is that the clip goes on smoothly/simply with no compression devices, once the link has been compressed hard.



I hope i got that across!



Mike



O ring does feel different, less sloppy.

 

[PJungnitsch]

Yeah I ran into the same thing this summer. On the original chain the master link went together easily, on the O-ring DID type it wouldn't go at all. I actually bought a new link as I thought the one that came in the pack was defective.



Didn't realize there was such as thing as a clip-type interferance fit, seems to miss the point of having a clip vs a rivet.



I could not make the vice-grip work (didn't know the nut trick), ended up buying a little chain press.

 

[mudpuppy]

Great information guys. I've never done an O-ring chain, just the old kind like on our stock TWs. My dealer installed my o-ring during the 600 mile service, and I didn't realize they were a press-type fit.

 

[Xracer]

Tip: Paint the masterlink side plate a bright color. That way you have a easy to find start and stop point for cleaning and lubing.

 

[dhoenisch]

Question on the mini chain press tool. All the ones I've seen say they fit 520 and 530 chains. I don't see why that would make a difference though, but for those of you who have installed an O-ring chain, does it? I purchased a DID O-ring chain and need to get one of those presses when I go to install it. One other question. Will I need to purchase a chain break tool to remove the old chain?



Dan

 

[kj7687]

I went rivet type on my DR 200 and I'll never get a clip-type again if I can avoid it. That said, your chain looks good ( a lot better than the stocker!), glad you got it on

 

[PJungnitsch]

Question on the mini chain press tool. All the ones I've seen say they fit 520 and 530 chains. I don't see why that would make a difference though, but for those of you who have installed an O-ring chain, does it? I purchased a DID O-ring chain and need to get one of those presses when I go to install it. One other question. Will I need to purchase a chain break tool to remove the old chain?



Dan

Mine says 520-530, and it worked fine.



Not sure on the chain break tool, depends on what sort of chain you have on there now. Mine had a cheap non-o-ring replacement with a clip and pliers took it off easily.

 

[dhoenisch]

I still have the stock chain on my bike.



Dan

 

[BillMichaels]

I've used a "C" clamp with a small piece of metal in the middle of the outside dog-bone. You can hear the click when it bottoms out. Took me a while to figure this one out.

 

[qwerty]

I've seen one mechanic who drilled out the holes in old side plates, stacked up three or four and tacked them together as a spacer, places these over the new sideplates on both sides of the master link, then gives the mess a squeeze with a BIG pair of BigAzz ChanneLLocks. *snap* *click* Done. He had problems with stubborn sideplates bending when using a chain press. His system spreads the compression loads all across the new side plates--no bending, and he can install a master link clip quicker than anyone else can line up a chain press.

 

[redlegsrides]

Yeah I ran into the same thing this summer. On the original chain the master link went together easily, on the O-ring DID type it wouldn't go at all. I actually bought a new link as I thought the one that came in the pack was defective.



Didn't realize there was such as thing as a clip-type interferance fit, seems to miss the point of having a clip vs a rivet.



I could not make the vice-grip work (didn't know the nut trick), ended up buying a little chain press.

thanks for the pics!

 

[Peterb]

On my first TW I used a DID chain and really struggled with it. On my second one I used an RK chain which was so much easier to install, quite a bit cheaper and from what I have read is every bit as long lasting as a DID.

 

[RaZed1]

I've done it with needle nose vice grips, but yeah it's a PITA. I bought a motion pro 3-in-1 chain tool a while ago and it makes like so much easier. As said, once you squish the link on and compress the o-rings, it will stay in place and you can put the clip on easy peasy.

Ensure the "closed" end of the clip is facing the direction of chain travel. If installed/seated correctly they're extremely reliable. I've used clip masters on everything from 1000cc supersports to my woods racer to to mudder ATVs and never once had a clip fail. When people say the clip just "fell off", I have to assume it was not installed or seated correctly.

Not to say there's anything wrong with rivet types, but they need a special tool to install a lot of people don't have, and then don't allow for easy chain adjustments for sprocket changes (if that's important to you). I could see leaning toward rivet ones for high speed/high power applications, but lets be honest the TW comes nowhere close to either of those in the motorcycle world.

 

[RockyTFS]

I just took a needle nose file and removed a dozen strokes worth of metal from the holes until the pins press fit with just finger pressure. Now I can do a field repair without a press tool.
You could probably do the same with some 180 grit sandpaper wound around a matchstick.

 

[TW-Brian]

I just took a needle nose file and removed a dozen strokes worth of metal from the holes until the pins press fit with just finger pressure. Now I can do a field repair without a press tool.

That is exactly the way that I do it !