I've wondered in the past why Harley would design a kickstand that seemed prone to giving owners the heebie-jeebies. You throw it down, get off the bike, and then the whole thing rolls forward just enough to make you nervous. Most manufacturers simply use an overcenter stand, and I've wondered why we never had that.

They say if you ride long enough, you'll do it all when it comes to doing it wrong, and tonight I learned another lesson ALMOST the hard way. Got home from work, threw the stand down while idling and climbed out of the saddle while letting the clutch lever out to open the garage door.

Turned out the bike wasn't in neutral, and when I let the clutch out the whole machine lurched before dying. After gathering my wits and checking to see if any neighbors witnessed this idiocy, I looked down and noticed that the bike hadn't fallen BECAUSE the Jiffy stand hit the lock tab - the driveway had a drag mark that was about a foot long, but the stand did it's job.

Thanks to HD for anticipating stunts like this, and now I see why it's designed the way it is. Just thought I'd post in case this question has ever crossed anyone else's mind...

 

Yep. Good design. My Suzuki will roll of the stand with just the slightest down hill.

 

haha, when I got my first HD it took me a while to realize the jiffy locks itself with weight on it. I always thought it was gonna roll forward. Once I realized it locked in position , it dawned on my how great the design is.

 

The older Harleys (mid to late 80's) DID have an overcenter stand, meaning it swung forward past 90 degrees as compared to the newer ones (and they also had the locking tab). The bike wouldn't roll forward at all unless parked on a downslope. I think they shortened up the swing because of the difficulty those with short in-seams had reaching the stand to retract it while seated.

...And yes, I do keep it in gear when parking on an incline.

 

That's good to hear, I always pictured myself doing the same thing...haha
Glad it held, says a lot for the design.
When I park, I always push the bike forward until it locks before I get off the bike,
saves that oh shiet moment, when it slides into place on it's own....

 

yep always amazes me when guys complain about the design. it works like it should and its solid

 

You can still get an aftermarket center-stand if you want. It will reduce your ground clearance in turns according to some, but you can get them.

 

Well there's something I didn't know.
I always get that nervous feeling when jumping off my bike and it moves forward.
Glad to know it locks.

Thanks for letting us know!!

 

I was taught to leave the bike in first gear. This acts as a parking brake, and keeps the motorcycle from rolling.

 

got to understand how it works, before you can appreciate its design. I think half the problems people have is because they get in a hurry.