Does A Bicycle Chain Breaker Work For Motorcycle Chain

No. If you dare to use a bicycle chain breaker to get a motorcycle chain, I guarantee your only reward will be scrapping a set of tools.

Some motorcycle enthusiasts who have just entered the pit or are on a tight budget always want to make do with the tools ready-made in the garage, but I must remind you that the engineering design of these two is completely two-dimensional. The tensile strength and pin thickness of motorcycle chains (such as the common 520, 525, or 530 gauge) are more than one order of magnitude stronger than bicycle chains (1/8″ or 3/32″). The thimble of a bicycle tool is designed for those narrow, lightweight links, and it simply doesn’t have the hardness and leverage to push off the hardened steel rivets of a motorcycle. If you insist on being stiff, the tool’s thimble will 100% cut or collapse directly, and you may also damage the chain’s loose joints or plates, laying a huge safety hazard for yourself.

For motorcycles, you have to use heavy-duty chain-cutting and riveting tools designed specifically to handle the large-pitch and wide-width chains that keep the drivetrain secure.

The Huge Difference Between Physical Scale And Engineering Design

Comparing bicycle chains to motorcycle chains together, the most intuitive feeling is that there is too much difference. Bicycle chains only have to cope with the power generated by human pedaling, while motorcycle chains must withstand the huge torque that the engine explodes at high speeds.

• Pin Diameter: Motorcycle chains (especially the 520 to 530 series) have very thick pins and are made of alloy steel that is much harder than any road or mountain bicycle.
• Tensile Strength: Motorcycle chains are designed to withstand thousands of pounds of tension. In order to fix these links, the riveting force at the factory is extremely high. The kind of body size that bicycle tools are typically made of lightweight aluminum or low-grade steel simply can’t generate enough pressure to push out these rivets.

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Why Are Bicycle Tools Bound To Fail?

The failure of a bicycle chain breaker when used on a motorcycle is almost a mathematical certainty. There are three main reasons:

• Thimble is too brittle: To fit an 8- to 12-speed bicycle chain, the “pusher” or thimble of this type of tool is made very thin. When such a fine needle encounters the surface of a motorcycle hardened rivet, the thimble will first bend or break before the rivet moves.
• Lack of leverage: Bicycle chain linkers are usually small handheld devices. But when dealing with motorcycle chains, you usually need a long-handled tool or a socket wrench to provide enough torque.
• Open clearance limitation: Most bicycle chain cutters “carriers” are designed for chains that are only a few millimeters wide. Motorcycle chains of the size 525 or 530 can’t even fit the plug into the slot of a standard bicycle tool.

The Risks of “Forcing” the Tool

Some riders may try “magic modification” operation or just use brute force. This often leads to two dangerous consequences:

• Tool scrap: You’re likely to just break the thimble of your bicycle tool, rendering it useless for your bike as well.
• Breaks chain integrity: Even if you barely push the rivets, if you damage the side chain plates in the process, you will create “stress concentration points”. Such damaged chains can break at any time when the motorcycle is running at high speed. Once the chain is disconnected, it will at best smash the engine box and at worst lock the rear wheels, which will have disastrous consequences.

The Need For Professional Heavy Motorcycle Tools

Because motorcycle chains are often “endless” designed, or riveted links must be used for safety, a dedicated motorcycle chain rivetting toolbox is not a good option.

Unlike the bicycle version, the motorcycle-specific tool includes:

• Hardened steel thimble: Usually equipped with multiple sizes (such as 3mm, 4mm, 5mm) to adapt to different chain pitches.
• Riveted Joint: Used to properly press the pin head of the new shackle into shape “mushroom head”, ensuring that the chain will not fall apart under high loads.
• Heavy-duty forged body: Capable of withstanding the high torque required to press the pin out of heavy-duty links.

Author: Alex Chen

“Hi, I’m a long-time motorcycle enthusiast and grease monkey, I’ve spent countless hours in the garage perfecting the art of the drivetrain. I’ve seen many beginners ‘fall into the pit’ by trying to save a few bucks with the wrong tools.”