Harley Kickstand Spring R&R

Let's take a look at what is usually a very difficult process. What I see people have a tendency to get in the most trouble with, and what is really a very important component, the kickstand spring, or the jiffy stand as it's commonly known. This assembly must work correctly for two reasons. One, you depend solely on it to hold the motorcycle up when you are not riding. Secondly, the spring has to retain the kickstand tightly up against the outer primary, beneath the frame, when you're riding.

You'd wouldn't want this kickstand flapping around possibly contacting the pavement in a corner or coming straight out when you're riding. Most people, at least most commonly what I see people do, the kickstand spring gets weak. The kickstand will start hanging or flopping or just not being held tight or correctly the way it was. First thing I see everyone grab is a locking plier, vice grip-style plier. They'll try to bend the end of the spring out.

They'll try to pull the spring ahead, get it to release. It's easy enough to get it off. It's nearly impossible to put it back on with the kickstand installed on the motorcycle, pulling the tension out of the spring. You can do it, don't get me wrong. If you happen to purchase a chrome plated kickstand spring you will break all the chrome wherever you grab it with the locking pliers.

I've removed the floorboard so we've got a good clear view. First thing I like to do is always clean up where I'm gonna work. Just a little Spectro Suspension Cleaner will remove any residue. It dries quickly. It doesn't leave any film behind.

Then I can send a kickstand out in the position it would be in if the motorcycle was resting on it. We can loosen the 1/2-inch bolt. In order to do that, engage it up against the stop and just loosen it. It's only torqued to about 20 foot pounds. Remove the bolt completely.

You'll note there is a small washer and a larger flat washer beneath it. Keep them in the correct order. Make sure you reassemble things the same way you take them apart. The small washer on the top is a lock washer. From there you can gently remove, and again, it's important to note not only location up and down, but direction of how the components are assembled.

Service manuals are priceless. You need to be able to refer to something, if for some reason you didn't pay attention when you took it apart. You can now remove the upper tab. Again, if it's easier make a mark. Make sure you know where things go back together.

Set the top locking tab that engages into the kickstand mount aside. At that point, you can roll the kickstand all the way forward into an unnatural position. The kickstand would never be there. Again, be careful. It can swing all the way out and contact the fender.

Keep a hand on it. You can see just by rotating it forward, the spring already came away. You're this far in, you can always just reattach a new kickstand spring, swing it back around, call it a day. But trained to do things correctly, to service things when you have something apart, you want to drop the whole kickstand assembly away from the mount. You want to clean up any road grime, any debris from the pivotal section of the stand.

And you want to apply a nice liberal amount of Loctite Silver Anti-Seize. You'll also prep the retaining bolt with a little bit of Klean 'N Prime. Make sure the threads are nice and clean. And you can apply just a little bit of Loctite Blue. Whether it's the stick or the liquid, always use Blue.

It's a serviceable piece of hardware. Make sure your washers are cleaned up. At this point, you can reassemble the washer stack the way it belongs. Clean up the locking tab. At this point, you have everything cleaned, prepped, ready to go back together.

Do not forget to clean up the inner portion of the kickstand mount. Same will apply, just the nice light mist. If it has a lot of road grind built up in there you can use a nylon brush. You can carefully fold a towel and just clean up inside where the kickstand rides in the mount. The back half of the kickstand, it's as simple as engaging into a small hole in the bottom of the tab.

Again, with the kickstand spring off, take the time and clean it up. Clean up all around it. It's a perfect time. You're not in this area that often. It's a good time to get things clean.

If you're replacing the kickstand spring just install it into the mount, leave it hanging. From here you'll re-install the kickstand arm assembly. Again, you're gonna rotate it. This is pretty difficult to put it in the wrong way. I mean, obviously you can go that way.

I don't think we're that far back in service. Install it the correct way. Send it forward into the unnatural position. At that point, all you need to do is pick up the spring itself, rotate it back into the position. Now hold on to it because it is under slight spring pressure.

Re-install the stop. Now you'll know that's not on right because that kicks is not gonna work correctly. That is correct because when there's pressure put on it it'll lock up into the mount. With it all together, keep a hand on it. Re-install the retaining bolt.

You've prepped it, cleaned it, prepped it. A little Blue Loctite. As with all threads, tighten them down by hand. Just snug it down with a wrench. Check for proper operation.

Make sure it's swings up nice and tight against the rubber stopper. You can actually see this kickstand operates much better just being cleaned. The same spring has been re-installed, but it holds to the frame much better than it did when the mount and the arm was full of road grime. Last in line, all you need to do is torque it to a factory spec of 15 to 20 foot pounds. Again, it's critical that you read your service manual.

You understand the difference between inch pounds and foot pounds. 20 inch pounds on a component like this aren't gonna hold it tight for long. With that retorqued in place. Again, I'll check operation one more time. I can re-install the floorboard, torque the two retaining bolts on the floorboard to correct factory specs.

And what we've done here is replaced a very important, very integral component. Not so much when we're riding, but when we're not riding. This kickstand has to work correctly without causing any damage or getting injured. I've seen a lot of people with locking pliers slip, cause damage to chrome or painted components, cause damage to themselves, hurt themselves or hurt someone else. But if you review your service manual and you use a little bit of common sense, to change a kickstand spring is really very painless.