Master link clip on?

[1980GS1000E]

Those of you that run clip-type masterlinks, go check and see if the clip is on there. Mine wasn't, not the first time I've seen this happen...

[tkent02]

If you safety wire it, and check it often there will be no surprises.

[koolaid_kid]

If you safety wire it, and check it often there will be no surprises.

Yup. Mine is safety wired on as well. Cheap insurance.

[sedelen]

I did and it was, was still on there that is.

[Steve]

There is an option missing from the poll.


"What's a master link?"



Yes, of course I know what one is, just haven't used one for over 32 years.

.

[JATO]

I've never thrown a master link clip and I've never safety wired them on, I must be doing something wrong.

[1980GS1000E]

Safety wire was what I was going to do. Is it acceptable to run safety wire without the clip?

[sedelen]

Safety wire was what I was going to do. Is it acceptable to run safety wire without the clip?

I would not under any circumstances (well maybe an extreme emergency)
use just safety wire without the clip. You're risking catastrophic failure and tempting fate to boot.

[Baatfam]

Never lost a clip, ever.
Put it on in the right direction, with the right side out, and you should never lose one...

[1980GS1000E]

Didn't think I could run just safety wire, either. I can guess why it popped off. Even though the tension has always been maintained, I found that the chain was barely rubbing the guard at the master link. I spaced the chain guard out a bit to remedy this. Anyway, the new clip is already installed, beveled edge against the end plate and the closed end facing the direction of travel.

[1_v8_merc]

Yep mine is safely rusted on!

[Crankthat]

Have owned two different bikes and tried using clip style both times on right with well maintained chains. Threw them both.
On the second bike the only reason i even tried was the shop ordered the wrong type chain as i wanted a continuous chain and the only thing they could find for a 630 was a rivet and ordered the clip type by mistake i took it with a discount and wish i had not.
I don't trust them and never will. I have more important things to worry about while on the road and will never put one on any bike i own again!!
Have found i don't mind taking the swing arm and front sprocket cover off to change a chain as it gives me better access to things that need cleaned anyways.

[tkent02]

I have had clips come off, and chains fail because of it, safety wire prevents this from happening again. I have never had a safetied clip come loose. It also makes it very easy to check, just look for the link with the shiny safety wire.

Driveshafts are fine sometimes, but they fail too, and only come on hugely overweight motorcycles for hugely overweight people.

[koolaid_kid]

On my 16th chain drive bike, over 200k miles. Lost 1 clip because I installed it backward. No other losses. An incorrectly installed clip will come off. A correctly installed one will not. I suspect those that lose them do not make sure that the clip correctly snaps into both slots, but IDK. I do know that the o-ring chains are much more difficult to snap in; I had to purchase a specialized set of angled vice grips pliers to make them snap in correctly. If you do not hear and feel them snap into the grooves, they are not installed correctly.

[Steveb64]

I've only had this problem with the large 630 pitch chains on the GS(X)... My fix was to clean the joining link and clip, then put a blob of silicon rubber on the top. Leave it overnight to set, and all is good. Never liked the idea of an extra bit of wire on my chain.

And YES - I did check the clip was on correctly - and it would still work itself off.

Or use a rivet type master link (the ones you peen over with a hammer).

I vaguely recall reading an article about it years ago - apparently it's quite a common problem on the big pitch chains.

Never been a problem with my Ducati.