kickstand extention

[ckahler]

My 98 Valkyrie has a mean lean when on its kickstand. I measure 20 degrees from straight up. Is this right?  My two other bikes in the garage, 85 V65 Magna is 12 degrees, 81 KZ305 is 15 degrees.
It takes alot of muscle to stand the bike up. This is on a level garage floor.
Putting a 2 x 4 block under the kickstand gets it to a good attitude.
Are there longer kickstands or extentions?

[sandy]

Check the bracket the stand is bolted to. Is it bent? Also, what rear tire do you have? A larger tire raises the height of the bike which needs more tilt.

[Jess from VA]

Someone used to sell a little shoe that slip fit or screwed into (after drilling a hole in) the flat part on the bottom of the stand.

Similar to this.


I have two '99 Interstates with no kickstand bracket (cross member) damage, and one leans more than the other.

[hubcapsc]

MarkT, a current poster, Valkyrie-parts-fabricator, and site vendor makes those things...

His ad rotates at the top of the page.

Valkyries lean at different angles, but the advice to look under there for anything bent
is good...

-Mike

[Pluggy]

When the frame goes up it makes the kickstand effectively shorter.  Motorcycle frames get raised by increasing: front or rear tire diameter, rear shock length, and to some extent front springs. You can check to see if these have been changed from stock sizes.

New or old, Valkyries with original-sized parts (and nothing damaged) should lean at the same angle.
 
Choose to lower the bike? You'll find the kickstand is "too long".  As we have seen, it is easy to make stand longer and more difficult to shorten one.

[Jess from VA]

New or old, Valkyries with original-sized parts (and nothing damaged) should lean at the same angle.

Actually, given that frames were welded up on a jig, some minor variances in builds is to be expected.

[da prez]

  Not a good idea to have the bike sit up to straight. Strong winds or unwanted attention may cause a bike to topple.  More than once I have found children on my bike with parents taking pictures.  Good images for children  to be taught to trespass.  If I OK it , then I will hold the bike , just ask.

                                                  da prez

[Jess from VA]

Had Japanese tourists putting their kids on our bikes for pictures in front of my DC federal building (VA) once.

We made it known this was not acceptable behavior.

Then we had a 105yo vet back his car into the last bike in MC parking one day and knocked it over.  I happened to be looking out the window when it happened.  He got out and tried to lift it (no joy), so I ran down and lifted it for him.  Then he wandered in for his hearing.  Thereafter, no rider ever wanted to take that last parking spot.

I thought he was about 10 years too old to be driving at all.   

[Challenger]

My I/S lean was perfect until I installed stock length Progressive shocks. They didn't sag as much as the originals and now it leans pretty far. A lot more than my Std.  I like it when on sreets with off camber parking,  just a bit heavier to lift off stand now.

[98valk]

low cost fix I did. zero problems for almost six yrs now

https://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,93955.0.html

[ckahler]

I like nothing better than a low cost fix, but maybe I'll put just a little effort into appearance.
I'll probably end up fabricating something that will give both more extention and more surface area.
Those bolt on shoes look like they more than double the foot print but don't give much extention.

[Jess from VA]

I looked at Mark T's website and couldn't find his kickstand shoes on there.

Mark makes good stuff; why don't you contact him and ask for details.

http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Valk_Products/M2W_Exhaust__System/m2w_exhaust__system.html

7 two 0-851-8455.

Valkstuff@horseapple.com 

[Nightflight99]

I'm interested to hear what solution you come up with. With the new shocks installed, the lean angle is definitely a bit more severe than it used to be.

[WintrSol]

I found a metal shoe, meant to make the footprint wider. It isn't very thick, so I added a wedge made from some leftover synthetic decking (click to enlarge):


I didn't measure the lean angle, but now I can put some weight on the right peg and ease it up without straining my back.

[Valker]

One of my Valks is raised quite a bit so the lean is severe. I found that if I turn the handlebars to point the front of the front tire to the right, it makes it easier to raise. Pressing down on the right foot peg with my foot makes it easier to raise. I also added a hockey puck to the kickstand foot (three screws through drilled holes in the foot). Sometimes the puck needs shaped with a jigsaw to not cause clearance issues.

[psckam]

My bike was starting to list to the port and it turned out to be the kick stand bolt  was loose.

[ckahler]

I tested Valker's statement. Since the fuel tank is presently off the bike, I hooked a luggage scale to the frame of the bike, next to the air cleaner box. The force needed to raise the bike off the kick stand was: 85lbs with front wheel turned to the left, 80lbs with the front wheel pointed straight, and only 60lbs with wheel turned to the right.
With kickstand on a 2x4 readings were 55lbs wheel to left and 28lbs wheel to right.

[Valker]

I tested Valker's statement. Since the fuel tank is presently off the bike, I hooked a luggage scale to the frame of the bike, next to the air cleaner box. The force needed to raise the bike off the kick stand was: 85lbs with front wheel turned to the left, 80lbs with the front wheel pointed straight, and only 60lbs with wheel turned to the right.
With kickstand on a 2x4 readings were 55lbs wheel to left and 28lbs wheel to right.

Nicely done research!

[Jess from VA]

  Not a good idea to have the bike sit up to straight. Strong winds or unwanted attention may cause a bike to topple.  More than once I have found children on my bike with parents taking pictures.  Good images for children  to be taught to trespass.  If I OK it , then I will hold the bike , just ask.

                                                  da prez

Another issue, without enough lean, is getting a rear flat when the bike is parked (and this can easily happen with an undetected slow leak, returning from a ride).  Too upright and it falls over into your car, wall, etc. 

[Challenger]

           
[/quote]

Another issue, without enough lean, is getting a rear flat when the bike is parked (and this can easily happen with an undetected slow leak, returning from a ride).  Too upright and it falls over into your car, wall, etc. 
[/quote]


Thats why I slide a milk crate under the RH crash bar of both bikes when parked in the garage. Dont need them falling into my car or each other.

[Avanti]

A center stand solves almost all parking and repair problems. Kids can not tip it, wind can not tip it, flat tire can not tip it, will not tip on hot pavement, cleaning made easier, repairs made easier anywhere……

[sidecarwilliam]

Mounting a sidecar eliminates all of the tipping over problems

[rafalc]

Here is my solution. 1" high piece of aluminum, shaped to the bottom of the kickstand, attached with 2 bolts.