Is your motorcycle chain worn and slack? It would be great if you could slip it off without breaking the chain like a pedal bike.

No, you will need to break the chain. Motorcycle chains are different from pedal bikes. To avoid premature wear on the chain or sprockets, you should also replace your front and rear sprockets simultaneously. Treat them as a set and not as individual components.

How do you take off a motorcycle chain?

You will need a specialist tool to push out the rivet from your existing chain. The same tool will push the new rivet into your new chain and has an attachment to make a new rivet head.

It’s a great idea to grind off the rivet that will be extracted. Some chain tools say it is not needed, but the job becomes much easier if you grind the rivet.

Take your chain breaker and recess the pin that will push the rivet. Place the alignment tool over the rear rivet and wind home.

Wind the pin remover in. It will be tight, but undue resistance could mean the mean is not coming out straight. If this is the case, stop and check the alignment.

To help with torque, get a friend to stand on the rear brake if you experience any difficulties.

Can motorcycle chain links be removed?

Yes, you need a chain breaker tool. They pretty much all work in the same fashion.

If your chain has stretched, you may be able to remove a couple of links from your old chain before replacing it with a new chain.

Keep in mind that if your sprockets are worn, you need to change everything as a set.

The process is quite simple. You will need the chain breaker tool, a rear motorcycle stand and a couple of spanners.

From experience, if you can grind off the rivet that will break the chain, it will shorten the process and make life easier.

Once the rivet is ready to be removed, take the breaker tool and place it on the rear rivet head, this will align the tool, with the tool in with the pushpin recessed, once connected to the chain, wind the pushpin into to remove the rivet. Your chain will be off in a short time.

What happens if you ride a motorcycle with a loose chain?

First, visually inspect your chain often. If it looks slack, make the necessary adjustments before starting your journey.

Riding with a slash or loose chain is dangerous. Why? It could cause your rear wheel to lock, which is dangerous at any speed, but if it locks at 40 +, you could be heading for big problems.

Adjusting your chain tension is simple. At the end of the swingarm, two nuts are attached to a threaded bar. These are the adjusters for the chain tension.