How To Count Motorcycle Chain Links

Remember this principle: a pin represents a knot. Whether you use a 520, 525 or 530 chain, don’t stare at the inside or outside chain plates, so you’ll faint by counting. You just stare at the number of round rivets (pins) and count the whole circle. The Master Link absolutely has to be counted. It is an integral part of the entire chain drive structure.

Why Do You Say “One Pin = One Section”?

Chain length is usually defined by pitch. The pitch is the distance between the center points of two adjacent pins. The number of pins is the most scientific measure.

Many riders like to count the outer chain plates and multiply them by two. This method is extremely easy to make mistakes, especially when you turn the wheel and count halfway and forget where to start. Staring at the number of pins, what you count is the structural fulcrum of the chain. Whether it is a thinner 520 or a thicker 530, although their width and pin length are not the same, but the number of pins this standard is industry-wide.

Don’t Miss The Knots

This is a pit that many novices and even some veterans will fall into: forget the liveness when counting the knots. You know, without the hinges, the chain can’t be connected in a circle.

Whether you use the clip-style or rivet-style joints, it occupies the same space and functions in the whole chain as other joints. If you buy a chain marked “114 section”, then this number must include the section attached to the box. If you miss the hinge when counting the old chains, the chain you finally bought must be short and can’t go around the tooth plate at all.

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What Is The Most Accurate Number In The Car?

If you are going to change the chain and want to confirm the existing length before placing an order, there is no need to remove the chain. Just follow these steps:

• Make a mark: find any pin and stick it on with a paint pen, marker or tear small piece of tape. This is your “pin zero”.
• Turn the wheels to count: Put the frame up so that the rear wheels can rotate in the air. Slowly turn the wheel by hand and count each time you pass a fixed point.
• Turn: Turn until the pin you marked returns to the starting point.
• Final review: the total number of pins you count-including the marked one and the hinge-is the total number of links in your chain.

Don’t Make These Mistakes

In order to ensure 100 percent accuracy, I suggest you avoid these traps:

• Don’t count the “gap”: it is easy to count the gaps between the rollers. Be sure to stare at the pins.
• Don’t count only one-sided chain plates: the chain is alternating between inner and outer plates. If you count only the outer plates, the result is only half of the actual one.
• Don’t be superstitious about the manual: although the manual will write the standard number of knots, what if the former owner changes the number of teeth on the dental plate? If the number of teeth changes, the length of the chain will often change accordingly. Therefore, it is better to count the one hanging on the car on the spot.

Why Do You Have To Count So Accurately?

This is not just a problem of obsessive-compulsive disorder, it is directly related to your driving safety. If the chain is short, the forced installation will produce huge pulling force on the gearbox output shaft bearing and the rear wheel bearing, which may cause serious mechanical accidents. Conversely, if the chain is long and exceeds the adjustment range of the rear rocker arm, the chain will be thrown like a whip, or even directly fall off and jump teeth.

Author: Alex Miller

“Hi, I’m a motorcycle maintenance enthusiast and industry veteran with years of hands-on experience under my belt. I’ve seen far too many riders struggle with improper chain setups, which is why I’m dedicated to sharing ‘no-nonsense’ technical guides. “