chain mystery

[Charles S Otwell]

Yes, mine does. I was told that this the correct amount of slack (I ask the same question myself) and it helps with the alignment.

[lragan]

 Thanks, Charles -- that relieves one concern.

Received the new front sprocket today, and compared it to the old one.  It appears identical in form, fit, function, brand name (JT) and part number.  The ONLY difference I see on the old one is that the sides of the teeth show where the inside bars of the chain repeatedly strike -- which makes sense, because there are an even number of teeth and an even number of links, so of course it will always strike the same two teeth.  The apparent fit of the new chain is the same (I sure can't feel any difference) and stacking them together I can see no difference at all.

So, I am inclined to agree that the sprockets do not necessarily need replacement whenever you replace a chain.  Still wish we could devise some method to measure the wear, and establish an objective criterion for replacement.

In any case, I have a used-but-good-as-new front sprocket if anyone needs one.

Lawrence

[Charles S Otwell]

Hang on to it, some one will eventually need it !

[lragan]

So, I finally recieved the correct "soft nosed rivet" master link.  Looking at the Honda service manual for the Magna, they call for a "special tool" a "chain cutter" model 07HMH-MR10102 or 07HMH-MR1010B.  This tool obviously has inserts for staking the new rivets as well as cutting the old ones.  The cheap chain break I have does not have the staking feature.

The master link I removed had rivet ends that looked very much like the ones in the manual, perfectly shaped, round, etc.  The manual also calls for measuring the diameter of the staked ends to be sure they are correct.

The helpful folks at JP Cycles suggested that I back the rivets with a heavy object and "hit it with a center punch".  Another suggested a ball peen hammer.

So, Charles, Curtis, and other experienced chain replacers, what do you guys do?  Do you have one of these magic tools?  If so, where did you get it?   If not, how do you stake the rivets?

Thanks much

Lawrence

[roboto65]

Well Motionpro makes 2 riveters the heavyduty one will stake the link like you are talking about the other one will do our chains but you have to use a hollow nose link with this chain tool ...

[lragan]

Hey, thanks, Alan

So, that's how those neat round rivet stakes come about -- the noses are hollow.  

I ordered one of the heavy duty chain cutters from motion pro, and the solid soft nose adapter to go with it.

If I had obtained the new chain and master link a bit sooner, I could have just come to the wrench session at Charles' place, at less expense, and had a nice ride to boot.  Oh well...

Lawrence

[Wayne]

Chain wear is also going to be a function of how you ride.  I ride:
- Usually alone, sometimes with extra passenger or lots of bags.
- Lots of commuter time (start/stop/fast/slow) but don't accelerate hard...much.
- Part of it is, as said above, chain quality/strength, part is how well you maintain it (lubrication and adjusting).  Before I knew better, I ran it too tight for about 15kmiles.

I currently have 33k on the stock chain, with adjustment room left. What has helped me is having a Scott Oiler always keeping the chain lubricated.  

I top it off at oil changes; it only takes a couple minutes of time.  In terms of keeping the chain lubricated, this thing is a big time saver (although you will spend more time cleaning).  It has very minimal maintenance.  Pics of how I mounted it.
http://pages.suddenlink.net/wayne/Main/Vehicle/Scott_oiler.htm

Drawbacks:
- You'll want a little cardboard in the garage.  Using the motorcycle as a daily driver (7 days), at my dialed-in lubrication level (it's adjustable), I get about 3 drops per week on the floor.  And if you see how much dirt comes off in the oil drops, you'll appreciate the oil

- It's going to sling a little oil.  If you're obsessive about a clean rear rim and chain guard (cough, cough, *greg cothern*, cough, cough), this isn't for you.

Advantages:
- Apparently a much longer chain life
- You save time by not lubricating and rolling the bike every 500 miles.
- On long trips (>500 miles), you don't need to carry chain oil/wax with you; it's already in the reservoir.  More room in your bags!
- If you just want to ride a lot and don't want to mess with the chain and aren't worried about having a competition clean bike, this is great.

[Greg Cothern]

Whats the matter Wayne?  Catch a cold?!!!  
I do agree that a properly adjusted, cleaned, and lubricated chain will last MUCH longer than most are getting.

[lragan]

Well, we seem to have come full circle.  The '52 Harley "74" that I bought in '64 and rode for three years oiled the chain from the crankcase.  Got great mileage out of the chain.  I finally replaced the chain after ~25000 miles (it was on it when I bought the bike).  

What I did not like about it was it bled oil wherever you parked it.  Even a drop or two is unwelcome on a neighbor's driveway, and over time plays havoc with an asphalt driveway -- so much so that the "kick stand" (since morphed into a "side stand") would sink into the pavement and the bike would fall over.

Yes, it is a pain to lubricate the chain regularly.  But I will opt for less chain life over dribbling oil.

To each his own...

Lawrence

[Wayne]

I keep an all purpose rag just for that purpose!  (A quick wipe on the chain and the 'last drop' that comes out is now neutralized)

[Magnum Magna]

I look at the Scott Oiler also.  The dripping of oil at home and work would not be a good thing. I may still look at one in the future.

[Wayne]

I'll stress again:  I use a piece of cardboard in the garage I put my back tire on.  About 3 drops per week, if I ride all week.  It will depend on how you dial it up, but I have mine on "keep chain quite moist."

Even then, I might be rating too high.  I've used the same piece of cardboard for a year and it's not close to soaked thru.

I just don't want a single drop of oil, every other day you ride, to scare people away.

[roboto65]

Well this is what I have ordered I hope it lives up to my demands heheheh.
It is electronic and does not rely on the engine to be running it relys on mileage and is pumped also so you can use any oil you want...

http://www.pro-oiler.com/
check that out !!!!

[Magnum Magna]

I'll stress again:  I use a piece of cardboard in the garage

I caught that.

I have no experience so I was glad to read that you did not have a real problem.  At work I park basically on the walkway up close to the door.  So if I us a cardboard I know I would get razzed (At work we have too many riders and non-riders with opinions.)about that and dripping oil on the concrete would also be a bad thing.

[Wayne]

Ah.  A lot of guys where I work ride Harleys.  There's already lots of oil on the ground.  OK, and some older bikes, too.  But it's fun to pick on the Harleys.

Let us know how the Pro-Oiler works.  They use scare tactics pretty good on that page, and they attack the enemy pretty well.  I'd disagree the scott oiler it's hard to adjust or figure out; I bump dial once or twice per year when I'm filling it when I notice it's warmer in the summer or cooler in the winter. Even if I do have a 40 degree swing in temperature during the day, that doesn't mean the unit doesn't work--the oil still gets on it.  A few drops extra or less at one part of the day isn't a big deal.

The only thing that matters to your chain is the distance it's covered.
More distance = more oil... simple!
...... ( little farther down the page).....

• When it rains, or in dirty conditions, you simply adjust the oil delivery as you wish with the + and - buttons... all while on the move of course!

Wait....I thought the advance to this unit was not adjusting it because only distance matters?

It does look easier and has an interesting premise, but there's a lot of spin and exclamation points in the advertising.  I use the same oil anyway just to minimize sling; the 'advantage' of being able to put any oil in there doesn't mean much to me.

The electronic unit is also $230 vs $139 for gravity.

Not putting it down, just putting a little more comparison out there.  If it's really that much better, the price is worth it.