How do I get the drive shaft spline back in the gear box of my 1983 650 Yamaha maxim?

Question

I am trying to get the back tire re-installed on my bike and I can't get the shaft to go all the way in the so the splines mesh. Does anyone know what I am missing?

Answer 1

Did you put a lot of grease on the shaft? Either the grease is compressing on the end, or you actually are compressing air in there. try cleaning some of the lube off the splines if this is the case. I've sen this on cars.  

Answer 2

i did a kawasaki the other week,itwas a bit of a chew but it went in in the end....it takes 2 people,one to offer the wheel up to the bike sitting att the side with one foot eitherside of the wheel holding it up whilst the other checks the angle of dangle is correct or it wont go in...

Answer 3

I'm not sure of what you're trying to do.

Connect the driveshaft to the engine? - If so, why did you take it out in the first place?

Connect the rear wheel to the final drive gear case? - put the bike on the centerstand, transmission in gear, install the axle completely through the wheel and final drive gear case, pull the wheel on to the final drive.

OR don't install the axle, put some thin pieces of wood under the tire to help you hold the wheel up (it gets heavy after a while), keep turning the wheel and wiggling it to line up the splines.

Don't feel so bad, some Kawasakis are near impossible.