It's tool AND user...
Never meant to say a I4 600cc bike was harder on a chain.. just that a VTR is not that much of a TQ or HP motor in modern day big bore bikes. I like my SH, have ridden others, and truthfully...they are fun, cheap to mod, play with do it all bike for the street. but in any non huge build up motor form, they are underpowered by modern 1000 or more CC I4 bikes...


It's a learned opinion, all will do what works for them.Myself included.

I'm 45, been riding, racing and wrenching on bikes since I was 13.. I have 6 bikes on my shop now, none have a riveted link chain on them,

The VTR has 27,000 miles put on it by me, clip link is still there and in perfect condition I might replace it when I change sprockets in a few weeks.

I have folks I do work for that insist In a riveted master link.. so ya I have a set of tools to do it and the knowledge to install it correctly. There is nothing wrong with a riveted link,, they work great.... just not really required as some here seem to imply.

 

Yes the user has a lot to do with it. Hell I have used a ball bearing and a "c" clamp before but that really wasn't the point.

As we are throwing out resumes...... well I'm older than you and started at right about the same age, so yeah I've been around bikes for a while now.

As for which link to use, well I have the same thoughts as tweety. Dirt & Track, use a clip. On the street, use a rivet link.

The reason I tell people this is that track bikes and dirt bikes are generally better maintained and the clip should be check rather frequently.

Now on the street bikes that I service I always recommend a rivet link. Why? Because most of the people I deal with have to have the idea of checking tire pressure beaten into their heads before they even do that simple task. I've had people show up saying something is wrong with their bike only to find out it has 8 psi in the front tire.

So if folks skip something as simple as checking the tire pressure before a ride, do you really think that they will bother to check the clip on the master link ever?

In the interest of their safety (and mine, as I might be on the same road as them if they happen to spit the chain off) I recommend a rivet link on the street.

You did loose me on the fist part of your reply. Where did you see anyone refer to any displacement sizes in any of the replies?

What was said is the a VTR (or any similar v-twin) is harder on a chain than even a much larger displacement I4. The reason for this is the 450 degrees of crank rotation between when the rear cylinder fires and the front fires. This tends to yank on the chain much harder than an I4.

 

Nope, not required... But if you choose a clip link, you need to check it, and while I do belive that most of the people on this forum keeps up their maintainance, the common average standard is more what I'd call the lowest common denominator...

Ie if I recommend a clip link and somebody neglects it, it will deteriorate and cause problems a lot earlier... On a track or dirtbike that type of maintainace becomes "mandatory" by their use, and it takes more effort not to check/replace the clip...

So for a roadbike that sees some miles on a set of chain & sprockets, I still recommend a riveted link... Especially since the easy solution is to offer your local shop mechanic a donut, and he'll likely lend you the tools, or do it for you...