Chain change

[Fry]

In my 30 years of riding, both on road and off, stock bikes and high horsepower hill climbers and strip bikes I have yet to have a Master Link Clip fail.

Perhaps luck, perhaps due to proper installation and routine inspections and replacements of the retaining clip I've never had a problem. I wouldn't mind pulling a swing arm, rather easy job but why do so if you don't have to?

To each there own though, this thread will follow the same winding direction as Synthetic Vs. Dino Oil threads....

[sledge]

In my 30 years of riding, both on road and off, stock bikes and high horsepower hill climbers and strip bikes I have yet to have a Master Link Clip fail.

Lots of people in here say "Its never happend to me" in reply to a lot of topics. Its a dangerous statement because a naive person may well then assume it wont happen to them either.  A more realistic answer would be "its never happened to me...... so far". If anyone genuinely believes their link cannot and will not ever fail my answer would be "I admire your optimism my friend".

Fry?
A few threads back you were asking why someone should have to remove a shock to replace a chain. With all due respect, after your 30 years experience the fact you didnt know the answer surprises me greatly. Have you really never come across an endless chain in all that time?

For someone without the knowhow or correct equipment to fit a masterlink (and I dont mean G-clamps big hammers and center-punches), removing the swingarm and fitting an endless chain is by far the safer option.

There are numerous factors involved when it comes to link failure but they are not all down to lack of maintenance, and there are numerous consequences if it happens, including the risk of catastrophic damage to the bike and serious injury to yourself.  Maybe because I have lost links in the past and been inconveniced big time, or because I know guys who have had engines written off due to smashed cases and bent O/P shafts or spent time in hospital when rear wheels have locked up I am being overly cautious but consider this.......Suzuki choose to fit endless chains to the the GS5 when new.

Motorcycling is dangerous, it can kill you, but every risk you can remove makes it a little bit safer. My logic is simple, if you have any type of link fitted there is a chance it could fail, if you dont have one there is no chance of it failing and therefore another risk has been taken out of the equation.

Your bike, your life, your choice.
Enough said.

[ohgood]

hey sledge, your post count.... hehe

[ben2go]

Yea.Whats up with your post count?

[sledge]

leet?? WTF? dunno what that means, anybody got a clue?

[Fry]

In my 30 years of riding, both on road and off, stock bikes and high horsepower hill climbers and strip bikes I have yet to have a Master Link Clip fail.

Lots of people in here say "Its never happend to me" in reply to a lot of topics. Its a dangerous statement because a naive person may well then assume it wont happen to them either.  A more realistic answer would be "its never happened to me...... so far". If anyone genuinely believes their link cannot and will not ever fail my answer would be "I admire your optimism my friend".

Fry?
A few threads back you were asking why someone should have to remove a shock to replace a chain. With all due respect, after your 30 years experience the fact you didnt know the answer surprises me greatly. Have you really never come across an endless chain in all that time?

For someone without the knowhow or correct equipment to fit a masterlink (and I dont mean G-clamps big hammers and center-punches), removing the swingarm and fitting an endless chain is by far the safer option.

There are numerous factors involved when it comes to link failure but they are not all down to lack of maintenance, and there are numerous consequences if it happens, including the risk of catastrophic damage to the bike and serious injury to yourself.  Maybe because I have lost links in the past and been inconveniced big time, or because I know guys who have had engines written off due to smashed cases and bent O/P shafts or spent time in hospital when rear wheels have locked up I am being overly cautious but consider this.......Suzuki choose to fit endless chains to the the GS5 when new.

Motorcycling is dangerous, it can kill you, but every risk you can remove makes it a little bit safer. My logic is simple, if you have any type of link fitted there is a chance it could fail, if you dont have one there is no chance of it failing and therefore another risk has been taken out of the equation.

Your bike, your life, your choice.
Enough said.

I actually forget what Ive come across, I've oiwnded quite a few bikes, heck I even forgot about the GS solid chain, and me just cutting it off a few years ago....If I can cut something, and replace it with something, for far less work I will. Yes I understand the hazards of Masterlinks yet in my limited experience it hasn't happened to me. I do have a Motion Pro riveting tool, but only used it once on my GSXR

[ben2go]

Post count is back now.

[beRto]

leet?? WTF? dunno what that means, anybody got a clue?

An internet joke? I guess it's because you had 1337 posts?

1337
Hacker "Sp33k" for leet, or elite. Originating from 31337 "eleet"
A language in which numbers and symbols are put together to look like letters.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=1337

"The term leet itself is often written l33t, or 1337, and many other variations." -Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet

[Fry]

Sledge, if people want to replace the factory items with the factory items, so be it nothing wrong with that.

No disrespect taken and I appreciate your polite tone, rare sometimes on internet hero forums.

[skinnypac]

This isin't exactly my set up on my GS500F but it's the closest to what I've seen. If you look on the second picture it's labeled 7. Does anyone know where the hose that comes off of that connector runs to?

http://www.bbburma.net/FuelHoseRouting.htm

[GeeP]

While I agree completely with the thinking on clip-type links due to the miserable fatigue environment of a motorcycle chain, I fail to understand the problem with rivet-type master links.  Properly installed, the only difference is the shop head on the hollow side of the pin.  Practically speaking, I've never found a chain manufacturer that de-rated a rivet-type master link as they might a cotter pin link, for example.

I think it is fairly safe to say that from a fatigue standpoint there should be no difference between a properly bucked master link rivet and the OEM upset pin.  Both use press fit plates, rivet material is the same, pin and link section size is the same too.

Why disassemble half the bike if you don't have to?  With a proper breaker and rivet tool you can change chains in about half an hour.

If there's something I'm missing Sledge, do tell. 

[ben2go]

This isin't exactly my set up on my GS500F but it's the closest to what I've seen. If you look on the second picture it's labeled 7. Does anyone know where the hose that comes off of that connector runs to?

http://www.bbburma.net/FuelHoseRouting.htm

7 is fuel inlet for the carbs.
3 is the petcock outlet to the carbs.
7 connects to 3

[skinnypac]

Now I have a 2004 GSF which doesn't look the exaclty the same. Should I be looking in different places for this hoes to connect to the petcock?

[ben2go]

Now I have a 2004 GSF which doesn't look the exaclty the same. Should I be looking in different places for this hoes to connect to the petcock?

Yes.I made a statement in another thread that the 04 petcock is different than that in the link posted.

[skinnypac]

Okay, but the petcock should look something like that one correct? Now is there more then one petcock cause because there is on that has two lines running from it with cables that are fairly thicker then the one coming from the carbs. The two that run from the "Frame mOunted Petcock" rund directly to the gas tank. Is this one coming from the carbs running to a differnt place?

http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Main/HoseRouting

[ben2go]

Okay, but the petcock should look something like that one correct? Now is there more then one petcock cause because there is on that has two lines running from it with cables that are fairly thicker then the one coming from the carbs. The two that run from the "Frame mOunted Petcock" rund directly to the gas tank. Is this one coming from the carbs running to a differnt place?

http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Main/HoseRouting

04 petcock has 3 fitting and 1 vacuum fitting.The vacuum fitting is the small one on the back of the petcock and should run to a fitting on the left carb.The fitting that points toward the front of the bike runs to the carbs lower T fitting.This is the carb feed line from the petcock.The left petcock fitting that points down runs to the long fitting on the tank.This makes the REServe feed.The right or rear most fitting on the petcock that points down  runs to the shortest fitting on the tank.This makes the ON feed.

Here's where I got my info. http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/suzuki-motorcycle-gs500f-2004-fuel-chicken/o/m6061sch504186

[skinnypac]

Okay so I have figured out what that whose is that's leaking gas. It was a Vent hose From Upper T-Connection. Does anyone know why it would be leaking gas? The bike doesn't want to fire up and I can't figure out why? Are the carbs flooded or sometihng along those lines?

[ohgood]

Okay so I have figured out what that whose is that's leaking gas. It was a Vent hose From Upper T-Connection. Does anyone know why it would be leaking gas? The bike doesn't want to fire up and I can't figure out why? Are the carbs flooded or sometihng along those lines?

yes. most likely your float needles (they ride on the float in the lower section of the carb) are shot. the ends of them should be sharp  as a needle, where the rubber is.

if your float height is wrong you can have problems also. i'm betting on the float needles.

look around and define for us exactly where the leaking gas is coming from. it makes it easier.

[skinnypac]

Okay so where my finger is pointing is the whose that gas is coming out of. Does that seem like the Carbs float needles are the issue?

[skinnypac]

Okay tryin that again. Okay so where my finger is pointing is the whose that gas is coming out of. Does that seem like the Carbs float needles are the issue?