When you start saying to yourself; ‘I can do that!’ ! 
Its starts a ball rolling to new and unexpected expenditure. As you progress through the job, you realise you haven’t got??? - New large 36mm socket, an upgraded torque wrench, and a few other items, not accounted for in the budget.
Here is a question which hopefully is my final piece of the tool box to connect my new chain, as I have found it damn confusing trying to get buy the right tool to rivet the new chain links together. So many different responses to each tool; its left me dizzy in confusion. And so many different makes, cheap and expensive. What have you found to be a good item and easy to use (as much as any tool can be)?
Thanks for reading
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After bending a couple of cheaper chain tools I went for the rather expensive DID KM500R tool. Note, there are a lot of places selling copies of that tool, even using the same model number. I did originally try one of the copies but that wasn’t very rigid and bent out of alignment in use, as well as not having the enlarged dimple needed for the DID ZVM-X2 chain I was using.
For cutting old chain, I first use a Dremel to grind the old pin flat to the side-plate. I don’t want to push my luck using the tool to push out a pin rivet without doing that.
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I’ve used a cheap rivet tool… piece of cacca!!! Can’t remember the make to advise, sorry… but summat like @BrownMouse is showing is on my purchase list
That reminds me a conversation I had with the “Gendarmerie” mechanic about how he changed chains and sprocket on the FJR 1300.
Yamaha provides locked chains, and he had to disassemble the swing arm to put the new chain to avoid to open it.
Quite dramatic to remove the swing arm!
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Shall look it up. Thanks
I am guessing mid-range to quality is the way to go. Also ensuring it fits the chain as well.
The tool you need will depend on the type of rivet used by the chain. Solid rivet or hollow one.
I have the Whale tool that is for a solid rivet.
Thanks, hadn’t heard of that one, one to look and assess. The rivets are solid, and thank yo for the info. So many different aspects for what should be a simple job. But as I have learnt over the years simple jobs are seldom simple.
I’m not sure on what the distinction between ‘solid’ and ‘hollow’ rivet is. All the links I’ve seen are like the DID chain I’ll be fitting in the next couple of weeks, which look like this…
This has a hollow end which rivet tools splay out a fraction of a millimetre by forcing a rounded point into the hollow bit. Does that count as a ‘hollow’ rivet?
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For anyone using the DID tool (or a cheap clone) I found the instruction video on the official YouTube channel the clearest and most thorough.
Like I said previously, I personally grind/file the head off the old rivet before pushing it out to reduce strain on the tool. That’s probably more important on the cheaper clones.
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Yes those are what I meant by hollow. Need a different tool than when using a solid rivet which the Whale tool does. I also have a chain rivet that uses a threaded rivet.
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