May 21, 20215 yr What do you guys think? Ever needed one on the trail? What kind of a problem did you have with the chain to begin with? I can't see even owning one for the shop much less taking it on the trail. Opinions/ experiences - please explain in detail.
May 22, 20215 yr Well, if you don`t own a chain breaker then you have not been into motorcycles very long. And the mini chain breaker was invented like in the 70`s to carry in your tool kit. The only chain related common problem is throwing a chain and it getting stuck around the front sprocket. The correct way to fix this problem is to remove the flywheel cover to back the chain off by turning the flywheel backwards.
May 22, 20215 yr Author So have you ever had that problem on the trail? Seems like you would need several items besides the chain breaker tool?
May 22, 20215 yr I like to have a chain with a split link, and just keep pliers and a spare split link if I'm going a long distance.
May 22, 20215 yr 12 hours ago, Tillerman6 said: I can't see even owning one for the shop much less taking it on the trail. When you buy a new chain and you need to shorten it to fit your bike
May 22, 20215 yr Author 53 minutes ago, turbofurball said: I like to have a chain with a split link, and just keep pliers and a spare split link if I'm going a long distance. Sorry for the dumb questions but what is a “split link”?
May 22, 20215 yr Author 11 hours ago, lineaway said: Well, if you don`t own a chain breaker then you have not been into motorcycles very long. And the mini chain breaker was invented like in the 70`s to carry in your tool kit. The only chain related common problem is throwing a chain and it getting stuck around the front sprocket. The correct way to fix this problem is to remove the flywheel cover to back the chain off by turning the flywheel backwards. So the mini chain breaker tool is useless on the trail. No way to push out a pin that is not ground off on one side first.
May 22, 20215 yr Author 44 minutes ago, faussy said: When you buy a new chain and you need to shorten it to fit your bike If you have an electric grinder available then you can use the chain breaker tool. But on the trail it is of no use. Correct?
May 22, 20215 yr You don't need to grind the riveted pin before using the breaker. Any half decent breaker will force out the pin as it is Edited May 22, 20215 yr by faussy
May 22, 20215 yr 51 minutes ago, Tillerman6 said: Sorry for the dumb questions but what is a “split link”?
May 23, 20215 yr Yup, that's a split link. Trials bikes usually have them as standard whereas many trail / enduro bikes (and road bikes) use o-ring chains with a master link. If you're only riding trails and it won't rub on the frame then an o-ring chain is better, but not serviceable on the roadside. Because I'm special my commuter road bike has an o-ring chain with a split link 😅 As for chain tools, I use a grinder, link breaker, and a link splitter / master link tool for the road bikes. They all have their uses, but if you think a link splitter alone is a good way to take apart a serious road chain it might behoove you to know it's much easier with a grinder and breaker combo!
May 23, 20215 yr 5 hours ago, turbofurball said: Yup, that's a split link. Trials bikes usually have them as standard whereas many trail / enduro bikes (and road bikes) use o-ring chains with a master link. If you're only riding trails and it won't rub on the frame then an o-ring chain is better, but not serviceable on the roadside. Because I'm special my commuter road bike has an o-ring chain with a split link 😅 As for chain tools, I use a grinder, link breaker, and a link splitter / master link tool for the road bikes. They all have their uses, but if you think a link splitter alone is a good way to take apart a serious road chain it might behoove you to know it's much easier with a grinder and breaker combo! The type of joining link does not depend on the type of chain. You can get split links, solid rivet links and soft (hollow) rivet links for all chain types - standard, o-ring or x-ring.
May 23, 20215 yr Author On 5/22/2021 at 7:19 AM, faussy said: That's what (in the USA) they call a master link. But I'm glad I asked. Thanks! On 5/22/2021 at 5:33 AM, turbofurball said: I like to have a chain with a split link, and just keep pliers and a spare split link if I'm going a long distance. Turbofurball- That could mean several different things. My standard equipment on the bike is a chain with a split link, so that's a given. But what - in addition to that would you carry for a trip that is too far to walk back without your bike? Just another split link, or another chain plus another split link?
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