Kickstand “ENGINEERING CODE CRACKED”
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,395
Likes: 153
From: Utah
Once, on a very long ride on a pre-jiffy stand bike I pulled in to get fuel and then rode off with the stand still down... learned my lesson... don't ride tired and pray you have an emergency lane when you need one.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,298
Likes: 2,393
From: Florida
I post this as a PSA because those of you who have “FixedYour Jiffy-Stands” may have also put your bikes and possibly your own health and welfare in harm’s way.
After some jarred memories, research and experimentation I have concluded the only problem with the softail jiffy-stands are folks (self included until moments ago) being unaware of the brilliance behind the jiffy-stand which is that when the riders weight is upon the bike at take-off from a dead stop?…the jiffy-stand will automatically kick itself back up into its rightful upright riding position (thanks to the ground interference engineered into the softail jiffy-stand) rather than allow the rider to hit the road with a still deployed kickstand which could in turn end all the operator’s life problems or at the very least all the ill-perceived problems with their jiffy stand since “THERE IS NO KICKSTAND SAFETY SWITCH” to prevent such from happening and I don’t know whether to consider this engineering brilliance or idiot proofing at its finest. LOL!
The cure: Is a method (process) of properly deploying the Jiffy-Stand which I discovered and perfected on my own just moments ago as follows….
Step 1: Place your right foot squarely and soundly on the ground.
Step 2: Find and position your left heel on the Jiffy-Stands extended deployment tang and finally…
Step 3: While holding the bike perfectly vertical…In one fluid motion raise your body weight upwards with your right foot while simultaneously pushing downward on the Jiffy-Stand with your left heel and you will find that as your body weight is lifted from the bike the bike’s suspension will raise the frame high enough that the Jiffy-Stand will easily swing out and into place unimpeded by the ground.
Ride Safe. Jinkster
After some jarred memories, research and experimentation I have concluded the only problem with the softail jiffy-stands are folks (self included until moments ago) being unaware of the brilliance behind the jiffy-stand which is that when the riders weight is upon the bike at take-off from a dead stop?…the jiffy-stand will automatically kick itself back up into its rightful upright riding position (thanks to the ground interference engineered into the softail jiffy-stand) rather than allow the rider to hit the road with a still deployed kickstand which could in turn end all the operator’s life problems or at the very least all the ill-perceived problems with their jiffy stand since “THERE IS NO KICKSTAND SAFETY SWITCH” to prevent such from happening and I don’t know whether to consider this engineering brilliance or idiot proofing at its finest. LOL!
The cure: Is a method (process) of properly deploying the Jiffy-Stand which I discovered and perfected on my own just moments ago as follows….
Step 1: Place your right foot squarely and soundly on the ground.
Step 2: Find and position your left heel on the Jiffy-Stands extended deployment tang and finally…
Step 3: While holding the bike perfectly vertical…In one fluid motion raise your body weight upwards with your right foot while simultaneously pushing downward on the Jiffy-Stand with your left heel and you will find that as your body weight is lifted from the bike the bike’s suspension will raise the frame high enough that the Jiffy-Stand will easily swing out and into place unimpeded by the ground.
Ride Safe. Jinkster
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 862
Likes: 417
From: In the mountains
Jinkster, I appreciate your suggestion, and it does help. However, the MoCo can call these M8 softail stands Jiffy Stands, but they are far from the real ones. The M8 kickstands are much like the pieces of s#%t that came on Honda 750's in the 70's.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,328
Likes: 2,205
There’s a post right on this page that is over 9 pages long about this problem that many folks have spent over $200 to fix? Read.
edited to include link…
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/2018-...kickstand.html
edited to include link…
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/2018-...kickstand.html
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 950
From: Port Saint Lucie, FL
correct… the bike goes up as the stand goes down and with zero leaning to the right.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 5,077
Likes: 3,293
From: Plover, WI
That sounds like a solution in search of a problem, the same as the Japanese motorcycles that kill the bike when you put the stand down. Who the hell tries to take off with the stand down? I'm sorry, but I don't think that is a realistic concern.
BTW: I have heard that Harley-Davidsons sold elsewhere also have this feature. I'm glad that our government hasn't decided we need to be protected from a non-existent problem by a pressure switch that if it fails, you will be stranded for 100% certain.
I'm really not sure why everyone is so irritated with the newest Softail jiffy stand because I don't own one, but if that many people are pissed off about it, maybe they should conform the design to the consumer's desires instead of trying to convince all those people that they are wrong.
BTW: I have heard that Harley-Davidsons sold elsewhere also have this feature. I'm glad that our government hasn't decided we need to be protected from a non-existent problem by a pressure switch that if it fails, you will be stranded for 100% certain.
I'm really not sure why everyone is so irritated with the newest Softail jiffy stand because I don't own one, but if that many people are pissed off about it, maybe they should conform the design to the consumer's desires instead of trying to convince all those people that they are wrong.
Here in the US it has nothing to do with government intervention. I believe it's what the customer (LEO) demands as a standard safety feature and the MOCO complied by making it a standard feature on police models.
BTW, it's not a pressure switch, you're not stranded if the system fails. Lifting the stand, or placing the bike in neutral overrides the interlock feature, and furthermore putting the stand down while the engine is running does not kill the engine.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 2,297
Likes: 1,811
From: space
My stand goes up or down whether I'm sitting or standing. If I forget and start to ride the pavement kicks it up for me. I don't need to lean the bike to bring it down. But if the kick stand is down or up and if my bike is leaning on it, I can lay back, putting my feet over the handlebars and not worry about it going up.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 950
From: Port Saint Lucie, FL
My stand goes up or down whether I'm sitting or standing. If I forget and start to ride the pavement kicks it up for me. I don't need to lean the bike to bring it down. But if the kick stand is down or up and if my bike is leaning on it, I can lay back, putting my feet over the handlebars and not worry about it going up.
while softail models share the same base frame they do not share the same amount of laden ground:jiffy-stand clearance and furthermore can be dependent on rear shock preload setting VS laden weight
Last edited by JINKSTER; Dec 9, 2022 at 07:16 AM.