Jiffy Stand versus Kick Stand
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,286
Likes: 3,429
From: Idaho Panhandle
Until 1980, when my FLH had electric start, all my previous motorcycles were kick start, with a kick start lever. I just assumed that since i pushed the stand down with my foot, not kicked it, that Jiffy made sense.
If you never had a kick start Harley, and you have a dead battery, then maybe kicking your stand makes you feel good. "I'm pissed and Kicking my stand" could become, kick stand in retelling the story hundreds of times. Then again, many Brits and metrics had to kick their stands down because they were so hard to deploy.
But I never, ever lost a seconds worth of sleep over this question. I think this is due to another fu@king week of rain here in the Northwet and my friend in Minnesota just saw they cored Lake Winnibigoshish, 28" of ice. It is small wonder to me that we are talking about stands, PMS and cabin fever are taking their toil.
If you never had a kick start Harley, and you have a dead battery, then maybe kicking your stand makes you feel good. "I'm pissed and Kicking my stand" could become, kick stand in retelling the story hundreds of times. Then again, many Brits and metrics had to kick their stands down because they were so hard to deploy.
But I never, ever lost a seconds worth of sleep over this question. I think this is due to another fu@king week of rain here in the Northwet and my friend in Minnesota just saw they cored Lake Winnibigoshish, 28" of ice. It is small wonder to me that we are talking about stands, PMS and cabin fever are taking their toil.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,173
Likes: 12,740
From: South Carolina
When Harley came out with the "Jiffy Stand", there was no such thing as a kick stand, side stand etc, on any brand of motorcycle...
At the time bikes only came with a center stand, and it was a chore to get the bike up on those stands.
So HD called the new invention a Jiffy Stand, because you could get the bike on the stand "In a Jiffy".
At the time bikes only came with a center stand, and it was a chore to get the bike up on those stands.
So HD called the new invention a Jiffy Stand, because you could get the bike on the stand "In a Jiffy".
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Apr 12, 2018 at 04:40 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,286
Likes: 3,429
From: Idaho Panhandle
OH, bicycles had kick stands.....many of us just never grew up...and thank goodness for that.
We just got bigger better toys, traded our clothes pins and cards for real sound and power
We just got bigger better toys, traded our clothes pins and cards for real sound and power
Last edited by son of the hounds; Apr 12, 2018 at 04:45 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,173
Likes: 12,740
From: South Carolina
When Harley invented that stand, bicycles did not have any type of kickstand.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,173
Likes: 12,740
From: South Carolina
Now I am going to start calling those types of stands "Iffy Stands"...
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 10,287
Likes: 7,773
From: West Central FL
I started calling that thing a kick stand way back when I was riding bicycles and I ain't 'a gonna stop calling it a kick stand just because I ride a motorcycle now. It does the same thing now as it did back then. 
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 605
Likes: 96
From: SW Colorado
I think it's more likely that Harley wanted to protect their patent at the time by differentiating it from other designs.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1675551
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1675551