guitargeek

What an interesting day I had yesterday... well, okay, it was interesting to me, and some of you gearheads out there might think so, but I'm not sure about the rest of you... Hey, there's pictures, go ahead and read on!



So I put on my new chain & sprockets, right? The sprockets went on with no problems, then I fitted up the chain and measured how much I'd have to cut off (this chain was originally for a KZ1000 which used bigger sprockets and a longer swingarm than my KZ750).





Since this chain came with a rivet-type master link (which is recommended over the clip-type), and I don't own a rivet tool, I had to improvise and use a pipe flaring tool:



The problem was that no matter how I tried, I couldn't get the damn cover plate to go onto the master link! At one point I had two pairs of Vise Grips on as tight as they'd go, trying to push the plate onto the pins but it still wouldn't work. (Mind you, this is my first experience with this type of master link.) So I used the flaring tool to stake the pins, and this is what I wound up with:



I think it would have worked if I could have actually gotten the damn plates together...



I tried it out. I took it for a test ride up to the top of the hill and back, like in this video:



I probably hit 90mph or so, no problems. I started to think that this might actually work!

I got geared up and headed for town, as my aunt needed me to do some furniture repair. About two miles from the house, the bike started to sputter and cut out. I switched the petcock to reserve and went back home. A gallon of gas from the can for the lawnmower and I was back in business. I went up the driveway and got onto the road. This time I made it about 1/4 mile before the master link let go and the chain came off! Fuuuuuuuuuck...

I picked the chain up off the road, carried it and my helmet to the end of the driveway, then pushed my bike up to the top of the hill and coasted most of the way back to the house.

I said fuck it and drove the car to my aunt's house, which made more sense because the temperature was dropping by that point. Furniture was repaired, delicious beef stew was consumed, republicans were made fun of, it was a good time.

I just got off the phone with the local Honda dealership. They have a clip-type master link that'll fit my chain for ten bucks, but they'd have to order a rivet-type. I'll probably have a proper rivet-type installed later...

As reward for reading this boring technical stuff, here's a video of my cat:



UPDATE:

I just got back from the Honda place. Poor, clueless kids behind the parts counter... poor, stupid, stupid children.

I was told over the phone that they had the clip-style master link, but that they'd have to order the rivet-style. Turns out that the opposite is true...

So after getting the runaround and talking to 4 or 5 of these bumbling teenagers, I bought another rivet-style master link. My brother might have the proper tool to do this job... maybe. I'm expecting a call back from him in the next hour or two.

Wish me luck!

UPDATED UPDATE:

Ahhhh, done and done!

I got it! Using my original plan from yesterday, plus some stuff that I thought of tonight, I was able to fix my chain.

IMPROVISE.
ADAPT.
OVERCOME.

Now if it just wasn't so fucking cold. It's already down to about 50 degrees here, and the temperature will drop another 10 degrees tonight. Tomorrow, though, it's supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny, plus Action Man has the day off, so I predict we're going to go riding! Yayyy!