How to Remove Motorcycle Chain

Removing your motorcycle chain may sound like an intimidating task, and while it does take time, it’s worth it. After months of use through various weather conditions, poor cleaning and lubrication techniques, and persistent stretching and compression, it’s no surprise that motorcycle chains and sprockets face their fair share of wear and tear.

Below, we will take you through a step-by-step guide on removing your motorcycle chain, ensuring you can safely and efficiently pursue this process.

When Should I Remove My Chain?

It’s perfectly normal for bike chains and components to show signs of wear and tear, but failing to maintain elements such as your chain could be detrimental to your overall bike function. You can check your sprocket quality by examining the top portion of each tooth and the distance between them.

Worn sprocket teeth will feature more considerable distances between each tooth, with thin teeth that are often asymmetric and jagged. Newer sprockets should have flat teeth with symmetrical areas between each tooth, so if this isn’t what you find, now is the time to remove your chain and replace it with a new one.

Another way you can check if your chain needs removing is by looking for visible signs of aging, such as rust or if the chain is loose.

How Often Should I Remove My Motorcycle Chain?

With good maintenance and efficient cleaning techniques, your bike chain should last between 15,000 and 20,000 miles before needing to be removed and replaced. However, with proper care, O-ring and X-ring chains can last longer, up to 20,000 to 30,000 miles.

An off-roading bike will need its chain removed more frequently than a bike used for road use, as dirt bikes come into contact with a higher level of dirt and grease than road bikes. Competitive and dirt biking will usually see you ride much harder than casual journies. Due to the persistent, harsh riding conditions, your chain and sprockets wear out quicker.

Of course, regularly cleaning either type of bike chain will be helpful, but dirt bikes will need more attention and more frequent chain removal and replacement.

How To Prevent Chain Removal

While removing your chain in due course is an unavoidable part of having a motorcycle, there are ways to prevent chain removal from becoming a regular occurrence. Maintaining a high-quality chain cleaning routine will help your chain not to deteriorate as quickly; removing dirt and grease after each ride or at least monthly is an excellent place to start with this.

While some riders may hose their chain down after every ride, it’s essential to take time to pursue a chain cleaning routine that involves scrubbing your chain and lubricating it after it’s been thoroughly cleaned to ensure your chain can seamlessly move between the sprockets, reducing the friction that can age your chain prematurely.

What You’ll Need For Chain Removal

Using the correct tools and techniques is essential to remove your motorcycle chain accurately. Different riders will have various methods depending on if they need to break their chain to remove it, but the following list can be used as a guide when selecting tools to use;

• Chain breaking tool
• Wrenches and spanners
• Socket and breaker bar
• Pliers

Step By Step Motorcycle Chain Removal

You can use the following guide when removing your motorcycle chain, taking care when using dangerous equipment such as a chain breaker. Before removing your chain, make sure that your bike transmission is in neutral and that your swing arm has something against it to stop the wheel from turning and the bike from losing balance.

Step 1: Loosen the Rear Sprocket Nut

Remove the transmission cover to access the drive sprocket bolts. Here, you must bend down the metal tabs holding the nut to loosen the nut while the rear wheel is firmly placed on the ground. Having someone hold the rear break while you do this step can be helpful to ensure the bike doesn’t move.

Once you can fully access the rear wheel sprocket nut, use a socket and breaker bar to loosen the nut. An electric or torque wrench is an excellent tool to break stubborn nuts due to its power and precision.

Step 2: Raise the Bike

Using a center stand will provide better stability and much easier access to the rear sprocket, essential when removing a motorcycle chain safely without struggle. We also recommend putting on some gloves at this stage to prevent grease from going on your hands, as old chains can get messy!

Step 3: Loosen Chain

Use a socket or wrench to loosen the rear axle nut, and unscrew the bolt to relieve the chain tension. You can then push the rear wheel forward into the sling arm, giving you the space to remove the chain.

Step 4: Remove the Chain

If your chain has a master link, you must use pliers to remove the master link pins. However, some bikes don’t have a master link, and in this instance, you’ll need to use a chain breaker to remove your chain.

A New Chain Means New Sprockets

It’s important to note that your motorcycle chain and sprockets work in accordance with each other, so they will need to be removed and replaced at the same time as your chain. If your chain is noticeably worn out, your sprockets will likely be in a similar state.

If you were to change your chain without changing your sprockets, they would wear out even quicker while shortening your brand-new chain’s life. Your front sprocket will be the first component to show signs of wear, leading to a domino effect which leads to worn-out rear sprockets and chains.

Will I Need To Break The Chain to Remove It?

Although we discussed how to approach chain removal in step 4, we realize that you may need extra clarification regarding whether you should or shouldn’t break the chain. You only need to break your chain if your motorcycle doesn’t have a master link, which many do.

Locating master link pins is a simple process in which you can see the master link as it looks significantly different from all the other chain links. The master link will have a pin on one side that you can remove from the notch on the opposite side, enabling you to remove the chain from your bike.

What Happens if I Don’t Remove My Motorcycle Chain?

Failure to remove and replace your chain when the time comes could result in a snapped chain or flying off the sprockets, which could cause engine damage along with a possible injury, which we want to avoid at all costs!

Earlier, we identified signs of aging, such as rust, and if you notice your chain is rusty, you should remove it. A rusty chain is more prone to breakage, and this would likely happen mid-ride, which is incredibly dangerous.

As your wheel, chain, and sprockets work harmoniously, looking after your chain ensures your whole system is at its best quality and lowers your risk of being involved in an accident or needing to splash out on expensive repairs. Regular cleaning and inspections will help you determine when your chain needs removing, as well as prolong its life.

Conclusion

Removing your bike chain yourself may sound like a scary process, but our step-by-step guide should help you do this at a lower cost than going to a professional. The best way to determine when your chain needs removing is by checking the sprocket teeth, seeing how worn they are, and seeing if there are visible signs of wear to your chain.

Remember, your chain, rear and front sprockets work in a system that depends on one another, so removing one element will have a knock-on effect while implementing general solid bike maintenance.