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Mike TW9 wrote:For the benefit of this thread, and after conferring again with Mac, I now understand that, to remove the chain without splitting it, you have to remove the back wheel & take off the Left hand foot rest. This has to be done by lifting the rear of the bike but you can't use a paddock stand as it then gets in the way of removing the chain. You cant use an Abba stand either as that fits in the swingarm pivot which you have to remove to get the footrest off. So suspending the bike is the only option. So it now seems best to take it to a shop or mechanic that's got the right equipment.
I just called Russell Motors in Clapham Junction (they did my MOT, I liked them & had them recommended by bikers in the area). The chap was v helpful- says the new rivet link required can be specific to the chain even for a given size & HD O rings as the diameter of the rollers can vary between manufacturers. The only thing I know for sure right now is that the chain is gold and has "Japan" printed on the links. If anyone knows whether there's a specific manufacturer that does that, please shout. I'll check for more clues when I clean it later. He quoted around £20 which sounds like a bargain! So it's booked in for Thursday, but he isn't sure whether he has the right links in stock. I may order one to improve the odds. Fingers crossed.
No more flip flopping, that's the plan! Thanks again for all the advice!
Mike TW9 wrote:For the benefit of this thread, and after conferring again with Mac, I now understand that, to remove the chain without splitting it, you have to remove the back wheel & take off the Left hand foot rest. This has to be done by lifting the rear of the bike but you can't use a paddock stand as it then gets in the way of removing the chain. You cant use an Abba stand either as that fits in the swingarm pivot which you have to remove to get the footrest off. So suspending the bike is the only option. So it now seems best to take it to a shop or mechanic that's got the right equipment.
I just called Russell Motors in Clapham Junction (they did my MOT, I liked them & had them recommended by bikers in the area). The chap was v helpful- says the new rivet link required can be specific to the chain even for a given size & HD O rings as the diameter of the rollers can vary between manufacturers. The only thing I know for sure right now is that the chain is gold and has "Japan" printed on the links. If anyone knows whether there's a specific manufacturer that does that, please shout. I'll check for more clues when I clean it later. He quoted around £20 which sounds like a bargain! So it's booked in for Thursday, but he isn't sure whether he has the right links in stock. I may order one to improve the odds. Fingers crossed.
No more flip flopping, that's the plan! Thanks again for all the advice!
I may have missed something here, but I didn't think you had to remove the rear wheel to take an up-split chain off,Mike TW9 wrote:I now understand that, to remove the chain without splitting it, you have to remove the back wheel & take off the Left hand foot rest.
I've got a week of work from 28th May & am planning to ride to Cardigan, Pembrokeshire, taking in one or two old friends along the way, not to mention some good biking routes. Only trouble is... my 13 yr old daughter wants to come (preferably on the bike, not telling her mum about that bit!). So I may end up borrowing a car, but if that happens, the moment I get back to London I'll be off a again (possibly weather depending).VTR Phoenix wrote:That's great news, now get out there and spank the ass off it
That's good to hear, a good job you investigated the problem when you did by the sounds of it,Mike TW9 wrote:All sorted for £20, most impressed with Russell Motors, Falcon Rd, by Clapham Junction Station!
The drive already felt smoother after a good clean & lube as recommended by Wicky, but now feels spot on. Alarmingly, the guy who did it showed me the old rivet link with one roller sheared in half! He was pretty sure it wasn't him taking it out that had done it, so I'm really pleased I didn't just ignore the tight spot issue (as I'd been doing for a good while).
Thanks again for all the advice!
