Rivetting stuff!

Message

Firestarter · #1 Post by **Firestarter** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:29 pm

Sorry, couldn't resist

I bought this chain riveter a while ago, and only used it once when the chain on my Honda Bros snapped. Given my recent chain exploits, I'm thinking of putting a new chain on the Falco (it's got 12000 miles on it anyway, and I haven't treated it that well). Does anyone have any decent experience using these, as opposed to the fancy chain breaker/riveter kits? As I say, I've only used it once, and wasn't 100% convinced by it - using a hammer to knock the pin to flatten off the rivets seems to have disaster potential written all over it, especially given the Falco has a bit more torque than a 650

Thanks

D-Rider · #2 Post by **D-Rider** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:54 pm

Sorry - this is not going to help you much

I bought one - a slightly different style to yours - but I guess they work much the same.
I used it to break and re-join the chain when I swapped to the Mille swinger.

TBH, I was not 100% sure that I'd got it joined right - It just seems very hard to tell. Anyway, gave the link a bit of a lever to see if it would all fall apart - it didn't. I've kept an eye on it ever since and it doesn't seem to have moved (other than round the sprockets).
So far, so good.

Syltiz · #3 Post by **Syltiz** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:18 pm

Agree with D-Rider.

The only way to tell is if the "squashed" end of the rivet is roughly the same size as the other pins on the chain. I snapped the handle off my Motrax chain tool but the second one stood up to the job.

Samray · #4 Post by **Samray** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:32 pm

It must be several 100% better than just a hammer and punch.

Firestarter · #5 Post by **Firestarter** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 11:52 am

Thanks guys - hopefully get the chain re-aligned tonight, then might nip to Demon Tweeks at the weekend (didn't know they were only in Wrexham!) and pick up a new chain & sprockets (and some sort of chain alignment aid). Then gotta decide whether to fit the 15t front...

Fausto · #6 Post by **Fausto** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:09 pm

Firestarter wrote: Then gotta decide whether to fit the 15t front...

Well that's an easy one

Firestarter · #7 Post by **Firestarter** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:21 am

Fitted the new chain - got an Afam one from Demon Tweeks. Removed the old chain with a combination of angle grinder and a screw-driver to lever off the plate, and fitted the new chain with the Whale tool. But wasn't very happy with it - the master link was a hollow rivet (rather than solid rivets with a soft head) - as the Whale tool has a v-groove cut into it, it was sort of flattening the rivet out, but I think it was filling in the hollow part as well, and only putting a lip on the rivet that wasn't going all the way to the plate (kind of a mushroom effect, with the lip of the mushroom not reaching the side plate). Thanks to PaddyZ1 for the second opinion (good timing at riding past his place yesterday

)

So, got a proper rivet/breaker tool (Motrax, I think), which has a ball-bearing to press into the hollow rivet - worked a treat. Not cheap, but worth it for my own peace of mind. Looking at the pre-made rivets on the chain, they would seem to match the Whale tool groove

So, my suggestion - use the Whale tool for solid rivets, but use something else for the hollow ones (centre punch followed by ball hammer, or a rivet tool)

Firestarter · #8 Post by **Firestarter** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:23 am

Oh, and the new chain seems to have fixed my "misfire" problem, which on retrospect seems to have been caused by the tight spot continually upsetting the swingarm position. Got a lot worse after I, ahem, "adjusted" the chain but didn't notice that it either slapped the swing-arm, or was drum-tight

Must remember - check chain before going off half-cocked thinking about spark plugs & leads, filters, throttle body sync etc

D-Rider · #9 Post by **D-Rider** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:50 am

Well, I'd have never suspected a chain to be the culprit !

Have to check mine over as mine's backfiring too (not as bad as it was before I changed the PCIII map to a Tuono one though)

Samray · #10 Post by **Samray** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:26 am

Discovered a tight spot when the cibber was on a dyno once. Gave some most peculiar readings.

Fausto · #11 Post by **Fausto** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 2:59 pm

Firestarter wrote:Oh, and the new chain seems to have fixed my "misfire" problem, which on retrospect seems to have been caused by the tight spot continually upsetting the swingarm position. Got a lot worse after I, ahem, "adjusted" the chain but didn't notice that it either slapped the swing-arm, or was drum-tight

Must remember - check chain before going off half-cocked thinking about spark plugs & leads, filters, throttle body sync etc

I'm sorry but can someone explain..... Tight spots = misfire

D-Rider · #12 Post by **D-Rider** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:25 pm

I think it's the biking equivalent of alternative medicine

Firestarter · #13 Post by **Firestarter** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:49 pm

The chain was so tight (and I hadn't noticed it

), it was actually causing the bike to lurch as it rotated, causing me to think it was misfiring - started off mild, but got a lot worse when I mis-adjusted the chain

Falcopops · #14 Post by **Falcopops** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:41 pm

Firestarter wrote:The chain was so tight (and I hadn't noticed it ), it was actually causing the bike to lurch as it rotated, causing me to think it was misfiring - started off mild, but got a lot worse when I mis-adjusted the chain

Had exactly that coming all the way back from Monza. Imagining all sorts of expensive problems, turned out to be a knackered chain with a big tight spot.