An extra tooth on the front sprocket is nice for cutting engine RPM by over 5% when cruising and works well on big bikes with good mid range power. An extra tooth can make smaller sports bikes struggle in top gear though, and you can find yourself forever changing up and down the box just to maintain your cruising speed. Headwinds, slight hills, heavy riders and pillions make things much worse. As for MPG, an extra tooth doesn't always help as you need more throttle to pull the higher gearing..

So my friend handed me his chain tools and said have at it. I became clueless with the rivet tool. This video was a lifesaver!

You say use spacers when you compress the side plate onto the pins. But the D.I.D. and many others don't give you spacers with the master link.

Thanks for making the video, I was thinking about having the shop replace my chain, now I think I'll just do it myself.

Loosening the sprocket bolts, both front and rear is easiest to do when the rear wheel is still on the bike and on the ground. The clutch lever presses on a rod that goes through the block to the right side.

@cobrachoppergirl I had my chain break while riding across Florida (I'm from PA). I was on the side of the road but it was sunny day. Still not fun ...that's why I have become a stickler for chain maintenance.

Motofrank2 - "better" is in the eye of the beholder. I wanted better gas mileage so I replaced the stock 16 tooth with an after market 17 tooth. This lowers the RPMs of the engine which increases the fuel mileage. If you replace with a 15 tooth you get higher RPMs and the bike will be faster off of the line. Whatever you think is "better".

That's great but I wanted a Rivet style Masterlink and since I own several bikes and plan on owning more it was worth the investment for me. Everyone has a budget though. You have to do what is right for you.

Wow she's good. I never heard a single curse through the whole video. Meanwhile I can't do an oil change without throwing a fit over small mistakes.

What kind of pipes are those?

@MergeDammitMerge thanks for your answer.....i live in venezuela, where the gas is too cheap.....so i want to leave the stock 16 tooth, i think so......this is a great video, when you do other thing to your magna please make a video also....congratulations....sorry for my bad english

Liking your seat. It's time to recover or go new aftermarket. I like yours

it is just a presspoint, it is spring loaded, but encased in such a way as to come off with the cover in one piece... no worries, it's not going to fall apart shooting parts everywhere when you take it off...

@MOTOFRANK2 Motofrank2 - "better" is in the eye of the beholder. I wanted better gas mileage so I replaced the stock 16 tooth with an after market 17 tooth. This lowers the RPMs of the engine which increases the fuel mileage. If you replace with a 15 tooth you get higher RPMs and the bike will be faster off of the line. Whatever you think is "better".

@jefflowrock No, The Rivets are not normal pop rivets. It is a master rivet link kit and the spacers came with my kit. NEVER use pop rivets.

The cover should come off with some wiggling and if need be a screwdriver wrapped in a rag to prevent marking up the chrome edges. There is a rod or clutch lifter that lives just behind the clutch cable adjuster. It might come out with the cover when you start pulling it. Just be careful and you should be fine.

@arashsiah the sprocket from AFAM was definitely a 530. Check online at Bikebandit. I know they have them and can ship to Canada. I used to order from bike shops but online I get the right item and it comes right to my door.

amazing video man, and you uploaded it on my bday!!!

@coyotesnper If you are referring to the bolt to the front sprocket, I had loosened it prior to filming. Thanks for your concern.

Great my friend, thank you very much for your educative sharing ! Cheers !

Would love to see a video on both of those!!!!

Hey Briansongss, The spacers came with my master rivet link kit (EK Sport Quadra 530SRX X-Ring SJL Rivet Link) The Motion pro tool kit won't have them as far as I know. hope that helps.

Corbin Seat. It is way more comfortable than the stock seat. Not comfortable for passengers though.

@tman81000 changing 1 front is about 2 to 3 rear, you can increase the front, or decrease the rear, but up from 14 to 18 is I think tooo much, you may loose pick up power, and your last gear may not have any acceleration power. I changed the rear from 44 to 39, my rpm lowers by about 600, it still has enough power, the 5th gear now is like the 6th before.

Zotanoh, I think that video has already been done and my chain won't be dirty for a while since it's a cold winter where I live. :)

@roninboricua My RPM's at 65 MPH are at 4000, 75 MPH 4700-4800. My bike is not bone stock. My bike has bigger jets and aftermarket pipes. Full tank -Stock 16 tooth I would have to switch to reserve at around 100 miles. Now I switch to reserve around 130-140 miles.

Great vid, I actually saw a video here on youtube where the idiot was telling people to use a c-clamp to connect the master link.

The spacers came with my master link kit. The kit I got was the EK Sport Quadra 530SRX X-Ring SJL Rivet Link off of BikeBandit or Kneedraggers, Can't remember which one.

@GrecoRoman123 : I am guessing that most manuals recommend not using the "clip style" because of liability. Installing the retaining clip the wrong way/direction can have catastrophic results. Most of my bikes had the "clip-style" and I rode them for years without any issues. Yup, I think the answer is liability. It's your bike your chain your risk.

The cush drive behind the rear sprocket is very loose on that bike. should not be that much play there. pieces of inner tube will shim the rubbers very well and the shifting will be much smoother. Just food for thought.

kick ass job!Can you do a video on chain lube and cleaning with a brush.

It's been 11 years. Why the bigger front sprocket and what difference did it make? I just bought a 94 with a very outstretched chain. Thinking of replacing both the sprockets like you did.

The spacers came with the master link kit.

I bought Aftermarket and I did have to remove some links. Just mark a link with a grease pen and start counting. I can't remember how many. Safe bet is to count twice and cut once..

Hi MergeDammitMerge, Thanks for the quick response. Are you positive this was a 530 sprocket and not a 520 sprocket? The Canadian AFAM distributer told me that they only have the 17T that fits magna in the 520 size and not the 530 size. The 530 chain will fit onto a 520 sprocket but it wears more quickly since the sprocket is narrower than the chain. The 530 sprocket should be 1/8" thicker than the 520 sprocket. Please let me know if you are positive your sprocket was a 530. Thanks.

when you disconnect the clutch cable and remove the cover, what is the connection from the clutch lever assembly to whatever is behind the cover? It seems as the cover just comes off with no "connection." Is it just a press point? Seems simple, just don't want some spring loaded thingamajiggy connection to surprise me.

I have a 1999 Magna. I found a service manual online for the 1994 model. The service manual says "Drive chain with clip-type master link must not be used." Why not? The clip only keeps the tension-bearing master link plate from coming off laterally. If the chain is on the bike straight, there shouldn't be too much lateral pressure anyway. Am I missing something?

hello.....why did you put a 17 tooth sprocket in your magna?........is better than the original with only 16?

Now that's a real woman

How did you jack up the bike and maintain stability while putting torque to loosen the various bolts? And while removing the rear wheel? And what size bolt is it that holds on the front sprocket?

Great Video, those rivets for the masterlink are they normal pop rivets? And where to get those spacers?

im in the process of doin this very thing. i got all the old off just waiting for new new to arrive and painting rims etc in the meantime. is there a way to properly do this without a torque wrench cause i dont have one.

i want to change my sprocket on my 08 gsxr 600 cuz i dont want to use the clutch to pop wheelies n i dont wanna trade it for a 1000, but i dont know if i put a bigger sprocket on the back will make a differences.... i dont need the bike for track use or to go over 120, i just need it to cruise n to stunt a lil bit, wat do ya think i should to?

Hey Merge, I have a question about the front sprocket bolt. Mine has backed out on me and the dealership says its a 10mm I bought 3 different 10mm and none of them work. 1.0,1.25 & 1.50 and I can't seem to get the bolt to bite. I'm clueless.

Hi Merge, if i replace the front with a 17--up from a 16--and the rear with a 37--down from a 41--will this cause too much strain on the engine?

@Pete89z I saw one the other day at Harbor Freight for $19.95 in their motorcycle stand section.

tom4342, Like all mechanical things, they wear out because nothing lasts forever. If you ride you would be wise to maintain you chain and sprockets.

Hi MergeDammitMerge, Can you tell me what brand is your 17 tooth sprocket. I've been looking everywhere and I can't find one. Also if you could tell me where you bought it from. thanks a lot. --Arash

I looked on my owners manual and my maintenance manual and it tells me to refer to my common manual for refilling the coolant system my question is what the heck is a common manual??? Signed Confused

hmm. looking again, it does look like that could be just a clutch press point, just in front of the sprocket.

Does anything change from 16 to 17 front sprocket?

@nickvonstein --- I Jacked up the motorcycle using a motorcycle jack. I used ratchet straps to attach the bike's lower frame to the motorcycle jack. The bolt that holds on the front sprocket is a 10mm. The bike bandit part number is 720453 on bike bandits web site.

The engine bolt should never ever be that loose.

How many links did you need? Did you need to remove some links?

So you replaced the rear sprocket with the bigger one, how is the driving with that? I ordered 36 teeth sprocket instead my 42, what do you think about it?

Visit scootworks' website for a belt kit. I have it and don't miss the chain maintenance one bit.

Uh, do this at night in the rain by the side of the road....

why are ya changing them?

there was no need for the angle grinder

@arashsiah I ordered the 17 tooth sprocket from bikebandit The brand was AFAM the item number was: 99295 and part number was 5282643-001 but double check before you order.

my chain is starting to clank up, i have over 60k on it, most likely il get the guy at the shop to do it for me

Not bad for a chic!!

I have know idea what you are trying to say to me.