Dave i always buy them with a new chain
So the honda CBR600RR 525 chain, you can buy the hard link on its own essentially making a factory RK grey o ring chain fitted to new bikes (which as you know lasts twice as long as a replacement RK not original equipment for some reason)

Paul
Do you buy them from RK, DID etc, or a chain/sprocket dealer?

No - honda, all my chains are.
I just use the reference from the 600RR when buying a chain / link

Interesting, just looked up the Honda part number for the rivet link on the 35. 40535-MY9-305. It's a DID ZJ rivet link. £12.12 inc VAT. The chain is 40540-MY5-G31 at £74.21 I assume it's just DID stuff in a Honda package? They also offer an RK Taka-thingy equivalent. The rivet links are about half to two thirds that price from a DID shop, but the chains are usually a similar price. I did somewhere find a really useful table of all the different DID rivet types and which type and pitch of chains they could be used on, but I'll be damned if I can find it now! I'm sure I concluded the ZJ was a hollow rivet type, but who knows until I find the thing again? lol

Found it, it's near the front of the catalogue. Somewhat annoyingly it doesn't say which rivet link comes as standard with each particular chain. And they have the wrong info on the RVF, which is about right!

http://www.pam.ro/diverse/DID%20Catalogue.pdf

Edit: says ZJ rivet links must be used on a 'sealed link chain' - does this specifically mean o- or x-ring type chains? If so, it would seem that an off the shelf DID road chain will come with the same link as the Honda part number gets you...

FWIW i have used the tool on the copper hollow ended links - and its just fine, just makes very light work of them.
They still peen over just lovely and look great. the secret is making sure the distance on the side plate is uniform with the rest of the chain (ie not too tight creating a stiff link, or too loose and hanging on by the skin of its teeth)

Some chain manufacturers used to ship a 'W' shaped shim to go between the the inside plates of the adjacent links and the side plate for the rivet link leaving room for the rings to be fitted while making sure the side plate could not be pressed on too far. It's very tempting to do some measuring and make one up....

I have a pair of side plate setting wires, they are more like 2 Us together.
It would be easy to select a piece of wire to fit in the existing side plate gap and then bend up a shape to fit each side.
Failing that measure existing and new widths with a vernier.

I checked the chain link on my NC30 and see it is fitted with a hard link, but the gold chain has no makers marking to identify it.

Well, that's a bonus point to Demon Tweeks. Ordered very late afternoon yesterday, went for 48 hour courier, and it turned up at my neighbour's house this morning, so I'll be able to play with it at the weekend if my friend hasn't found anyone else to do her chain.

best advice i can give, try it on an old chain first and belt it to get an idea of how hard it needs hitting to peen accordingly.
then fit the new chain, put the plate on over the rivet link, make sure the distance is exactly the same as all the other links
then belt it hard with a lump hammer once, turn 90 degrees and do the same again, you should then see if hit hard enough it looking like a factory endless chain.