Jiffy Stand?
 

Hi can anyone tell me where the word jiffy comes from for the stand?
In the UK and also Australia it's called a side stand, why is it called a jiffy stand in America?
Thanks
Scouser

Originally, most bikes had a frame mounted 'center stand'. On most older HD models, there was a center stand clipped to the inside of the rear fender requiring the operator to lift the whole back end of the bike to swing it into place under the frame, the "jiffy stand" was a quick easy method of standing the bike up without getting a hernia...the term jiffy stand was coined to distinguish the center stand from the side or "kick" stand as it could be deployed in a 'jiffy'.

In the early days when police started using Harleys, they only came with a center stand. If the cop needed to get on the bike quick to chase it took too long to get it off the stand. So, Harley came up with the "jiffy" stand so that they could jump on the bike and chase in a jiffy.

I believe it was because it was a quicker and easier way than using a center stand. Thus it could be used in a "jiffy"

Harley Davidson. It was their 1st attempt of "Branding". Everyone else in the world calls it a kick stand.

Although several have tried to give an explanation I don't remember ever seeing one from H-D Motor Company. I think they just like to be different and use funny words to make them a little bit exotic. I've called it a kickstand as long as I remember and never heard anybody else use the jiffy nomenclature except a bonafide dealer.

Who gives a shit what "everybody" else calls it? It's a jiffy stand if you ride a Harley. If you don't get that, we cannot explain it to you. "Jiffy" is a nice old-fashioned word that was in use in the 19th and early 20th Century. It is one of those anachronisms that are associated with all thingsd H-D...

I gave a shit once... but my ex threw it away, the ungrateful bitch.

I have always wondered what was the origin of that term also.

[QUOTE=bjewell;9640034]Who gives a shit what "everybody" else calls it? It's a jiffy stand if you ride a Harley. If you don't get that, we cannot explain it to you. "Jiffy" is a nice old-fashioned word that was in use in the 19th and early 20th Century. It is one of those anachronisms that are associated with all thingsd H-D...[/QUOTE Dude, next time grab the decaf.,,

BeeCee, I'm having a cup of decaf as I write this...

Here's the original ad for "jiffy stand" from H-D.

And this from an early catalog:

http://www.mikesindianparts.com/JDJifStnd-web.jpg

:icon_denk: I think she gave it to my wife, I'm always catching it.

Two girls, one cup?

Well the true story is, and this isn't published too often. A motorcycle cop was attending to a call about a hit and run. It was a little ol lady that was carrying a bag of groceries across the street. Well, a guy hit her and sped away, scattering her groceries all over the place. The cop arrived and in his haste to park his bike he put the side stand down onto a smashed jar of Jiffy Peanut butter. From then on it has been known as the Jiffy stand. True story.

The stuff you can learn here. WoW! Amazing. And to think, without Al Gore, none of this would be possible without him inventing the internet....

I think the thing people overlooked is that you're from Australia and maybe you don't use the word "jiffy" much there, but here it just means a very short time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiffy_(time)

And the peanut butter is Jif, not Jiffy.

He must have been thinking of Jiffy Pop, the popcorn. :icon_lol:

Jiffy,sounds a little swishy to me! I think I will go on calling it a kick stand,as I have for 50+ years!:icon_doh:

Yuor first mistake was moving to Florida... ;- ) Jiffy stand has a nice archaic ring to it. I liked the originals which looked like bent soda straws...

[QUOTE=brenn;9641833And the peanut butter is Jif, not Jiffy.[/QUOTE]

http://preparednesspro.com/wp-conten...om-176x300.jpg


Oh sorry I should explain... They used to write the whole name JIFFY across the jar, until some dumb ass cop split the label in half with his kick stand, ever since it's been called JIF. :icon_beerchug:

Have you ever thought of a political career?

In my house it's called a kick stand. So not everyone here calls it a jiffy stand.

If your bike does not have a kick starter , is it really a kick stand?

Is it a kick stand because you kick it in and out? Quick and ez in a jiffy?

I've never kicked my kickstand. Does that mean it's a jiffy stand? And I've never kicked my electric starter, what does that mean?

It means you don't need an anger management class... :icon_lol:

JIF peanut butter ???
Know it more as this
http://static.productreview.com.au/p...9ef7d49c46.jpg

I call it a kick stand, like I have since Moby Dick was a minnow. Just like I call the choke a choke knob, not an enricher knob.

"You'll have it up in a Jiffy"

pretty well wrapped this one up..

Now I am wondering what U call the Engine Guards over there???.:icon_denk:..:icon_look:



.

Never heard the term Jiffy Stand until about 2-3 years ago. As for the engine guards, I have always called them crash bars.

Jiffy is one more sylable than kick so I will continue to use kick stand.

So am I the only one who noticed how much HD wanted for the first jiffy stands? 3.50 in WWII era dollars. I bet today they would probably go for about 250-300. Is inflation really that bad or is Harley just that much more proud of their stuff nowadays? I call it a jiffy stand mostly because that's how I learned it when I started riding a couple of years ago. Also my previous experience with two wheels was on mountain bikes where kick stands were considered a gay accessory for a real mountain bike. :icon_duck:

as a Harley "newbie" that was my first question. its even a "kick stand" on bicycles.
My second question is this:
When you set it the bike seem like it wants to, or is suppose to, shift.... making me think the bikes falling. Do all Harleys do that?

yes, they do. if you look at the way the 'jiffy' stand is constructed, you'll notice that there is a top tab that will settle into a notch when the bike is leaned over. unless the top bolt has loosened up and is ready to fall off, its very sturdy.

Yes, they do. It will not fall over, the "jiffy" stand is locked as long as the weight of the bike is on it (and the stand is fully engaged).

Crash bars.

They used to be called crash bars here also. That was until liability reasons caused the name change.