CH001 CHAIN

I have a dumb question about the chain.
My worn one is 100 links including the connecting link:
1) I am assuming 101 links in the book means including the connecting link 
2) As 101 is an odd number the connecting link must be a "half-link" - correct?
I have another question, the old chain is a RENOLD chain - which I assume was the original fitment. This has thin side plates and neat side riveting. The chain shop "standard" motorcycle (non O-ring) chain had significantly thicker side plates and so (following your earlier note which said:
"Your chain is worn out. Someone has already extended its life by removing one link. When you order a new one you might be tempted by a 'heavy duty' one. These are for twice the power of a Venom, and so have thicker side plates than the traditional ones. I don't think they actually last longer, they just don't snap under greater power - and they are too thick for a Venom so scrape the chaincase behind the gearbox sprocket. Just get any standard chain.")
might catch on the primary chaincase. An alternative industrial chain had thinner side plates but was still slightly over-width across the pins; in addition the rollers were much looser, i.e. could slide side to side, than the worn Renold. I decided I needed more advice before buying anything. Should I chase down a length of Renold chain? - assuming they still make it to the Venom size (which appears a standard chain size). - David Royston 28/6/2002

Assuming you have the standard 18 tooth gearbox sprocket then it is quite possible that a well worn chain will fit with one link less than new. In my youth I always got an extra few thousand miles out of the chain this way. Of course I was wearing out the sprockets faster, but the expense of replacement was delayed and that was all that mattered at the time. I would say that the ideal chain for a Venom would have been a theoretical 100.5 links. Such a chain would have just fitted when new, and run out of adjustment before being over-worn.
Yes, the standard chain has a cranked link at one end, such a link being an 'outer' plate at one end and an 'inner' at the other. You can't easily de-rivet these, they always come with an inner already fitted so you can rivet the adjacent link to one end and use the split link on the other (or use two split links - much frowned on but better than a bad rivet if you can't do that properly!). I always buy mine already made up at 101 links.
Your 'standard' m/c chain might well be OK. Just measure the gap between your worn Renold and the face of the outer chain case. This can be almost zero on some bikes or a few mm on others. If zero then you need a Renold type chain, if not then a thicker plate should be OK. (It is most unlikely that there is room for an O-ring as well, which is why I discount these on a Venom though I have fitted one on my MAC and it is a joy to have a totally clean back wheel.)
The other question is whether the quality is good or not, so it depends what you think of the shop. I use one of the real Japanese brands, rather than Renold (which is still readily available) since a Renold snapped on me. (Though I think it was a freak - a stone might have flicked in between chain and rear sprocket, since a tooth was also snapped off)
Don't touch the industrial chain unless someone is certain of its spec - some of these are for very light duty, not heat-treated etc. - TW 28/6/2002