Motorcycle kickstands are notorious for getting bent too much over time, which increases the lean angle of the bike when it’s on the stand. Setting it right again isn’t a big deal as long as you have a few simple tools, and you can follow a few basic steps to bend your motorcycle kickstand.
4 steps to bend your motorcycle kickstand at home are:
- Remove the kickstand from the motorcycle
- Lock the kickstand into a vise
- Heat the portion to be bent or straightened
- Hammer it into shape
The kickstand is an integral part of your motorcycle. With a little effort, it can be adjusted to lean at the perfect angle, so keep reading to find out how.
Why Would You Want To Adjust Your Motorcycle Kickstand?
Repairing your motorcycle’s kickstand when it gets bent is a task that many motorcycle owners will need to perform at least once in their life. Over time and with excessive use, a kickstand tends to bend, especially when the rider puts it on the stand and then sits on it. As the bend in the kickstand increases, so does the bike’s lean angle.
At some point, the kickstand angle increases too much, making the bike precariously balanced on the stand. This happens when the kickstand bends, or when the bracket that holds it to the frame has bent.
Should You Bend Your Motorcycle Kickstand?
If you think that the motorcycle’s lean angle after it is put on the kickstand is excessive, then you can attempt to bend it back if you have the right tools at home. Very slight bends can be straightened out with a hammer and without a vise. Bigger bends are difficult to repair even with tools as the stand will develop a kink.
If the stand has bent too much, you can always take a ride down to your local machine shop, take their opinion, and get it done there. If the stand has bent too much, they can weld on a reinforcing piece of metal over the kink so that it retains its strength. This repair is as good as buying a new stand, and it’s usually not too expensive.
4 Steps To Bend Your Motorcycle Kickstand
1. Remove The Kickstand From The Motorcycle
This may seem a bit obvious, but the kickstand needs to be removed from the motorcycle first. Sure, it might be possible to bend the kickstand without removing it, but since you are going to be using a lot of heat, it is better to remove the kickstand, its bracket, and spring to avoid damage to them, and to keep the blowtorch far away from any gas.
2. Lock The Kickstand Into A Vise
The kickstand is normally bolted onto the left side of the frame with a bracket and a spring. Kickstands are made of mild steel pipe and flattened at both ends, with a metal plate welded on the end that supports it on the ground. If the bracket is bent and is thin enough to be hammered into shape, put it in the vise and hammer it until it is straight.
If the bracket is bent, but it is too thick to be hammered into shape, take it down to your local machine shop and get it done there. If the bracket is alright, but the kickstand has extra bend in it, then lock it in the vise. Slight bends can be repaired without a vise if you can use the hammer carefully.
3. Heat The Portion To Be Bent Or Straightened
Using a handheld blowtorch, heat the bent part. This makes it easier to bend the kickstand to your desired shape.
KEY TIP: Avoid using excessive heat as this can cause irreversible damage to the metal4. Hammer It Into Shape
Hammer the kickstand back into the shape you desire. After you have restored the kickstand to its original shape, allow it to cool down. Then examine the spring to see if it has enough strength to hold the kickstand up without sagging.
Since the kickstand is bent, the chances are that the kickstand spring needs replacement as well. Any shop selling motorcycle spare parts will usually be able to supply a kickstand spring.
How To Straighten A Bent Motorcycle Kickstand
Straightening a bent motorcycle kickstand is more difficult than bending it because it is going to leave a kink in the steel tube. The method is the same as for increasing the bend, except that you have to go slowly, and back off if you see the opposite side of the kickstand developing a kink. The stand can still be used, although the kink is a weak spot and can break if enough weight is put on it.
If the kickstand is being used for a very heavy bike, it would be wise to buy a new stand rather than repairing the old one, because the cost of the motorcycle potentially falling on the ground is more expensive. Heavy bikes can be hard to lift to stand upright from a prone position by a single person too, so it’s just smarter to get a new one!
Final Thoughts
Your motorcycle’s kickstand is an incredibly important part of the bike, but it takes a lot of weight over its lifetime, meaning it can end up bending. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to repair your motorcycle’s kickstand at home in just a few steps.