When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
It has been years since I rode a Sportster and I would like t get some advice.
I have seen more than one Sportster on the side of the road with a kickstand issue.
I got a 1998 1200C for my son. I don't like the way that the kickstand works. I am wondering the following:
1. Putting an extension on the kickstand seems to be a bad idea since springs are a common problem which would cause an extension to be an even bigger problem than the stupid desing in the first place.
2. Adding one half turn to the spring would increase the kickstand's ability to 'snap' into position (up or down) which is an approach that I used on my 2006 Nightrain but the Sportster's kickstand length still doesn't do well. As it is the only way to secure the stand 'in place' is to flip up the foot peg and >place< the stand on the ground and get weight on it or it will pop back under the primary. It seems that this design expects you to shuf off the bike, get off on the low side while holding the bars, and place the kickstand on the ground by sticking your foot under the primary to reach the stand.
3. Bend the mount and/or the spring pin to better locate the stand in the upright position.
Definitely don't understand why the Sportsters don't have the excellent jiffy stand that the Softails and other models do. No advice to offer, just commiserating with you.
My 06 1200 Custom's jiffy stand is hard to find to let down and I have to push it all the way and keep my foot on it until the weight of the bike is on it. Its terrible compared to my softail. I just live with it. I have broken off kickstand brackets on other bikes messing with them and could not ever get repaired satisfactorily. I live with it.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Kickstand Education
