Inline Performance Magazine

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RK Motorcycle Chain Installation Posted: 03 Nov 2011 10:00 PM PDT

Last week, we replaced the sprockets on our Project Corona Suzuki GSX-R 600 with stronger (and better looking) versions from Vortex.

The last thing we wanted to do was to spoil our shiny new sprockets by reinstalling the old, worn out chain that was on the bike when we first tore it apart. Not only would the old chain look bad with all the bike's other shiny new parts, but using an over-worn old chain with new sprockets can increase wear and tear on the teeth, reducing their lifespan. Chains are cheap, too, and the thought of one breaking at high speed alone is enough to justify replacement.

We went with a new chain from RK. Normally, the new chain has to be "broken" to length, either using a special chain breaker tool or an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel in a pinch. (Check out our post on replacing the chain on Project XT 600 if you want to see how to break a chain) Luckily for us, though, our chain happened to be the right length right out of the box, so we were able to skip that step.

With the chain set to the proper length, the next step was to use the included master link to connect the two ends of the chain. The master link can only be assembled properly using a chain tool that squeezes the master link together. We highly recommend buying the proper tool at your local motorcycle store (they're not expensive) rather than trying to squeeze the master link together using channel lock or vice grip pliers. As mentioned earlier, things can get ugly fast if the chain were to come apart at high speed.

We still need to tension the chain, but since we're still working on the bike, we just estimated the tension and gently tightened the rear axle. Once we know for sure that we won't need to pull the wheel off again, we'll set the tension properly and lock the rear axle nut in place using a cotter pin.

That's it for this time, but keep it tuned here as we keep on making progress toward getting Project Corona back on the road.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at the pre-order price for a limited time.

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