Fitting Continuous Chains...The Easy Way

Well it's the easy way IF..and it is a BIG IF...your bike is made in a certain way.  Most smaller motorcycles have the swingarm bolted outside of the frame and the chain runs outside of the frame.  Most larger machines the swingarm bolts inside the frame and the chain runs inside the frame.  This is a little hard to describe in words so let me demonstrate better with some images.

If your chain and swingarm sit inside of the chain like above...tough!

But if the swingarg and chain sit outside like this one...great!

So if the chain runs inside the frame and the swingarm is within the frame, you're stuffed with an endless chain.  You're either going to have to remove the swingarm and suspension and get in a dirty nasty mess and curse and swear, or you're going to have to rivet the chain "in situ" leaving you with battered fingers, dirty oily knees and elbows, a collection of unsuitable hammers and you'll still be left wondering if you've peened the rivets quite enough, or too much.  I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, life's a bitch then you have to fit a new chain.

If you're in the delightful position of having the chain and swingarm outside of the frame then joy, peace and happiness will be with you always, well at least while you do the job.  But hang on!  There's all these other bits in the way, usually the footrest hangers and on a twin shock, the shock.  Pah, mere trifles to the man who is capable of fitting a chain and sprocket kit in the first place.  It is merely a question of getting them out of the way.

Firstly the footrest hangar.  On a lot of bikes this it bolted in place by a couple of bolts, one of which is the swingarm bolt. DOH!  I hear you cry, but fear not.  Remove all other bolts and simply loosen the swingarm bolt.  There's no need to get all complicated and take it out, just a turn or two should be enough to get it out of the way.  Then it's a case of rotating the footrest hangar into various situations until the chain can come over the hangar.  Juggle here, remove a bit, jiggle there, get the chain over that bit and soo enough the chain will be on your side.  Putting the chain back on will be the same...in reverse!

The swingarm bolt remains in place, just loose enough to swivel the hangar out of the way.

As for the twin shock.  Oh come on!  Just unbolt the offending shock from the swingarm to pass the chain out, or in. 

It's not rocket science is it...

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