I’m going to powder coat the swing arm so I need to remove the drive shaft. BMW used two different drive shaft designs on the airheads changing the design in the 1981 model year. This 1983 RS has the second design drive shaft.
Pre-1981 Drive Shaft Components and Swing Arm
Pre-1981 Drive Shaft With Tapered End That Shrink Fits Into Bell Coupling
1981+ Drive Shaft Assembly Components
1981+ Drive Shaft Torsional Shock Absorption Assembly
Cycle Works makes tools to remove the drive shaft. So they have two different tools.
Cycle Works Driveshaft Removal Tool 1955-1980
Pre-1981 Cycle Works Drive Shaft Bell Housing Removal Tool
Here is a link to the description of this tool.
Cycle Works Driveshaft Spring Compressor Tool 1981+
This the tool used to compress the drive shaft spring so I can remove the snap ring that secures large yoke with the bell coupling from the drive shaft.
1981+ Cycle Works Drive Shaft Removal Tool Components
Here is a link to the tool description.
I documented how I did this work here:
And, I made a video showing assembly of the Cycle Works drive shaft spring compressor tool and how I used it to remove the drive shaft.
Are torsional shafts and non-torsional shafts interchangeable in the same swingarm?
Hi David,
I don’t believe they are as there are two different swing arm part numbers, one up to 09/1980 and the other after that date. That suggests the clearance inside the swing arm changes for the torsional spring shafts. Now, that’s my hypothesis, not definite fact.
Best.
Brook.