"How do I remove links from my chain" has two very different askers: someone sizing a new chain or changing gearing — a legitimate ten-minute job — and someone whose old chain has run out of adjuster and hopes shortening will save it. First, the second asker's answer, because it matters.
Shortening a worn chain is the wrong fix
A chain that's consumed its adjuster range has elongated to its wear limit — the pins and bushings are done (measure and confirm). Removing links re-tensions it but changes nothing about the worn joints, the elongated pitch grinding your sprockets, or the fatigue in the plates. You'd be riveting a fresh master link into a chain that's told you it's finished — spend the effort on the replacement instead, where the same tool and skills apply.
Legitimate shortening: sizing and gearing
New chains ship long and get cut to fit. Gearing changes shift the length requirement — smaller sprockets need a shorter wrap (the math). In both cases you're removing links from healthy chain, which is exactly what the chain breaker exists for.
The process
Count first: wrap the chain (or measure against the old one), set the axle in the front third of its adjuster range at correct slack, and mark the link to cut — the classic error is cutting one link short, which is unfixable. With a chain breaker (the tool list), align the tool's pin over a chain pin, press it fully out, and separate. Grinding the pin head flush first makes budget tools' lives easier on riveted chains.
Rejoining: the safety-critical half
The new join gets a proper master link — rivet type pressed and flared to spec for big bikes, clip type with the closed end leading for small ones (the full rules). Never reuse a pressed-out pin, never hammer a join together, and confirm the finished link articulates exactly as freely as its neighbors — a stiff master link is a tight spot you installed on purpose. Set final slack (the procedure), torque the axle, and check the join again after the first ride. Ten minutes, one tool, done right once.
Quick answers
Can you remove links from a motorcycle chain?
Yes, with a chain breaker tool — press out a pin, remove the links, rejoin with a proper master link. It's routine when fitting a new chain or changing gearing.
Should I shorten a stretched chain instead of replacing it?
No. A chain at the end of its adjuster range is worn out, and removing links puts a worn, elongated chain back in service. Shortening is for sizing, not for reviving.
How many links can I remove?
Only what your gearing and adjuster range require — chains adjust in one-link (or two, for endless-style) increments, and you need the axle sitting in the front half of its adjustment range with the new length.