ok, new chain is on. Swing-arm was a pita, but it is on as well. No spare parts and bike is road-test ready. I checked the rivets I installed, just to be sure, and BikeBandit did a correct job of counting links (unless we both screwed up, which I doubt because I counted em twice yesterday).
Note to other new folks:
When removing the chain, take the other one off with the clip, put the new one on with a clip. If you get an O-Ring chain that does not have a clip, spend the money for the tool or stop riding until you have the money. Harbor Freight sells a POS semi-disposable one for 8-10 bucks, I hear. The one I found everyplace else was upward of 5-10 times that cost or MORE. The bullet swaging press works exceptionally well if you can get your bike lifted to the bench...
sideways...
For those who want an opportunity for an undercarriage cleaning like I decided to do after I was "in there", just remove the front sprocket, rear wheel, swingarm (have an impact tool available for that danged swingarm locknut), and while you are at it, probably a set of rear wheel bearings and brake shoes/hardware. Have two cotter keys, one for the rear axle and a tiny one of the bar that holds your brake drum stable, 12 mm sockets, 8 mm sockets, 14 mm sockets, a 12 mm wrench, a new 3/4" ratchet you want to break and throw across the yard, foamy engine degreaser, 4 or 5 shop towels, a few Band-aids, chain lube, access to air conditioning on rest breaks,
Guinness Stout (I left this one
out, sadly), and
lots of patience (to keep lifting the swing arm into location while the seals keep falling off of it, one side then the other as it bangs into crap under the bike). Oh, and set aside two days to do it (though if you have a very well lit garage and shelter from nearly incessant rain you can probably do it in four hours with only the above tools if skilled in their use).
Trust me.. Get and use the chain assembly tool and do it in
ten minutes with only that tool, chain lube, a 12 mm socket, and a 12 mm wrench (those are for adjusting the wheel forward).. Save your sanity. Just part the original chain on ANY link (masterlink preferred, but does not have to be), hook new chain masterlink to old one at that link temporarily (no clips or masterlink lock installation yet), feed over rear sprocket to the front one with bike in neutral by spinning rear wheel, and when the new chain covers the rear sprocket again, unhook the old one, and link the new one's master together. Adjust the newly installed chain with the 12 mm bolt and nuts at the rear axle, watching for alignment (you MIGHT have to remove the chain guard, so you may have two small bolts to remove there, I think they were 10 or 8 mm). Once the chain is on and tracking correctly after your side to side adjustments on those adjusters, reinstall the chain guard if you removed it, and Viola, you are there. Check your tension one last time, take a short ride to work it a bit, go home, check it again to remove any slop that may have been there, and resume normal 300 mile checks plus your (hopefully) pre-ride safety checks that you should be doing anyway.
I was so concerned that I did not have the chain riveting tool (not enough cash left after chain and sprockets) that it never occurred to me to verify if the swing arm went THROUGH the completed chain loop (and it DOES!! 
..).
