Propeller Shaft Housing

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  • crazy canuck
    • Feb 2026

    #1

    Propeller Shaft Housing

    I am trying to put a little wider tire on the rear of an 81 1000GL shaft drive. I'm hoping someone may have the propeller shaft out of the housing that they would measure the diameter for me. I thought I might cope out the flat spot on the shaft housing a little more that lines up with the edge of the tire. As it is now I only have 1/4" clearance from the edge of my 140 tire. I have been a welder/fabricator for 30 years so I have the skills to do it. Just not sure if I have the clearance.. Anybody have one apart in their garage they could measure for me. Would save me a lot of unnecessary work if they did??
    Last edited by Guest; 03-10-2013, 04:19 PM.
  • tom203
    Forum Guru
    Past Site Supporter
    • Aug 2010
    • 8925
    • Norway,Maine

    #2
    My 650 prop shaft is 18mm dia
    1981 gs650L

    "We are all born ignorant, but you have to work hard to stay stupid" Ben Franklin

    Comment

    • crazy canuck

      #3
      Thanks Tom. I see from the parts fiche that the coupling has the same parts# for both the 650 and 1000 but different #'s for the propeller shaft itself. Maybe the length is different. I guess I'll have to take it off the bike and see if it's possible to cope any more out.

      Comment

      • tom203
        Forum Guru
        Past Site Supporter
        • Aug 2010
        • 8925
        • Norway,Maine

        #4
        Originally posted by crazy canuck
        Thanks Tom. I see from the parts fiche that the coupling has the same parts# for both the 650 and 1000 but different #'s for the propeller shaft itself. Maybe the length is different. I guess I'll have to take it off the bike and see if it's possible to cope any more out.
        I'd guess your prop shaft is 21mm diameter-to handle extra torque. At indent area, my swingarm measures 43mm across.
        1981 gs650L

        "We are all born ignorant, but you have to work hard to stay stupid" Ben Franklin

        Comment

        • Steve
          GS Whisperer
          • Jun 2005
          • 35925
          • southwest oHIo

          #5
          Are you also installing a wider WHEEL?

          Just so you are aware, your 140 tire is already too wide for a stock wheel.

          Any additional width of tire on the same wheel will actually REDUCE your contact patch on the ground.

          .
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          Comment

          • crazy canuck

            #6
            According to the chart on Bass Cliff's technical page, the 140/90 will fit on my 2.75 x 16 rim, although the recommended rim size is 3.5. Since I had the 140 on my 2.75 rim for the last couple of summers, I'm confident on continuing to use it. However I would like to go with a 3.5 rim which would might allow me to go to a 150 or 160 tire providing I can get the clearance next to the propeller shaft housing.


            Comment

            • Agemax
              Forum Guru
              • Apr 2008
              • 8371
              • plymouth uk

              #7
              can you get a wider wheel for your bike? i know nothing about shafties so i am just asking out of curiosity........
              1978 GS1085.

              Just remember, an opinion without 3.14 is just an onion!

              Comment

              • tom203
                Forum Guru
                Past Site Supporter
                • Aug 2010
                • 8925
                • Norway,Maine

                #8
                Originally posted by Agemax
                can you get a wider wheel for your bike? i know nothing about shafties so i am just asking out of curiosity........
                Me too! I thought you had to live with factory wheel/rim- unless you are a really good welder.
                1981 gs650L

                "We are all born ignorant, but you have to work hard to stay stupid" Ben Franklin

                Comment

                • crazy canuck

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Agemax
                  can you get a wider wheel for your bike? i know nothing about shafties so i am just asking out of curiosity........
                  I'm not sure if you can or not. My line of thought is that the propeller shaft and housing have to stay where they are because they are bolted to the secondary drive flange and pivot in the frame mounts. I know some of the intruders are a shaft drive and the few I have briefly looked at seem like they have a wider rim. Maybe they have the same bolt pattern for the final drive housing (pumpkin), maybe not. It 's no use in me investigating that point until I can confirm if I can cope out the drive shaft case a little more. If I can do that , then I'll have to see what ,if any, rims may be adaptable..

                  Comment

                  • Agemax
                    Forum Guru
                    • Apr 2008
                    • 8371
                    • plymouth uk

                    #10
                    Originally posted by crazy canuck
                    I'm not sure if you can or not. My line of thought is that the propeller shaft and housing have to stay where they are because they are bolted to the secondary drive flange and pivot in the frame mounts. I know some of the intruders are a shaft drive and the few I have briefly looked at seem like they have a wider rim. Maybe they have the same bolt pattern for the final drive housing (pumpkin), maybe not. It 's no use in me investigating that point until I can confirm if I can cope out the drive shaft case a little more. If I can do that , then I'll have to see what ,if any, rims may be adaptable..
                    i would say the opposite. if that was me i would search the possibilities of a wider wheel fitment before i worried about putting a bigger dent in the shaft housing.......but thats just me
                    1978 GS1085.

                    Just remember, an opinion without 3.14 is just an onion!

                    Comment

                    • crazy canuck

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Agemax
                      i would say the opposite. if that was me i would search the possibilities of a wider wheel fitment before i worried about putting a bigger dent in the shaft housing.......but thats just me
                      Six of one,half a dozen of the other AgeMax.If I can't cope out the shaft, I don't have to worry about a wider rim. If I can't use a wider rim,I don,t have to worry about coping the shaft. I thought it would save me some time by checking on the drive shaft part of it first. A couple measurements and that will determine if I go to the next step of sourcing a wheel that will work, which in my opinion may take quite a bit more time.

                      Comment

                      • Agemax
                        Forum Guru
                        • Apr 2008
                        • 8371
                        • plymouth uk

                        #12
                        Originally posted by crazy canuck
                        Six of one,half a dozen of the other AgeMax.If I can't cope out the shaft, I don't have to worry about a wider rim. If I can't use a wider rim,I don,t have to worry about coping the shaft. I thought it would save me some time by checking on the drive shaft part of it first. A couple measurements and that will determine if I go to the next step of sourcing a wheel that will work, which in my opinion may take quite a bit more time.
                        yeah i suppose you are right,its 50/50.
                        1978 GS1085.

                        Just remember, an opinion without 3.14 is just an onion!

                        Comment

                        • Guest

                          #13
                          a 90-92 GSX1100g wheel is probably wider . I don't know if it will fit your drive housing though. If you decide to try it post your results . I have thought about this before.

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