Neosophist wrote:

NGneer wrote:To be honest i don't think I have ever seen an MOT tester actually lift the back end of the bike and check for play during an MOT. Fingers crossed for the MOT but even if it gets through it would still be worth pulling the back end through and getting it right for your own peace of mind and safety.

Ah, my testers always check the bikes fully.

Ditto with mine. Just about the first thing he's done in the two years I've been taking the bike there myself is to get each end off the ground in turn and check for play in the suspension. A far cry from the days before computer. My first MOT (different place entirely) on my 125 consisted of the tester sitting on it, bouncing both ends with the brakes on, checking the lights worked, beeping the horn, and filling out the pass certificate. Took under five mins including paying! lol

speedy231278 wrote:... You need a grinder to take the rivet link out, although...

Surely any chain riveter tool worth its salt will push the old pins out too? Mine certainly does.

That depends if your chain rivet tool is a rivet tool or a rivet and breaking tool. I have a Whale breaker that cost about £80. I got it because I borrowed one to do my chain some years ago and found it to be very good. To get it with a breaker as well was something like £130-150. So I figured I'd pass on that... lol Of course, if you could point me in the direction of a breaking tool that's both not a £50-70 premium, and doesn't break itself as opposed to the chain, I'd be very interested, and that's not sarcasm - I really would!

I use one of these: (last but one item)

https://www.bctmotorcycles.co.uk/catalo ... -wTP-33z3-

I will confess to being on my second one after i lent it to a friend who didn't really know what he was doing and it came back with all the breaking pins snapped. I'd owned it for 5 years with no problems before that.

It makes and breaks 530 pitch chains and rivet links fine as long as you don't abuse it. Good enough for me for the price anyway.

Mine is a Sealey, had it for years now, I paid around the £40 mark for it. It's never let me down. All in all I've probably used it a couple dozen times between myself and a couple mates. Admittedly it might be of no use to a shop where it may be used every other day but for the home mechanic it's ideal.