Kick stand maladies!

[viclioce]

I bought a used kickstand on eBay, for the Wombat, which was bent in the middle. When it arrived, I used my propane torch again, heating it up to straighten it out. The kickstand was bent in the middle & near the top just below the weld. I worked straightening both areas successfully enough to be happy with the stand & mounted it up a couple of days ago.

Today, I moved the Wombat to reinstall the carb, start it & test it after changing the spark plug. Kicked the bike twice and it fell away from me to the floor. Luckily, a plastic storage bin caught it so it didn’t do any more damage than break the clutch perch. I pulled out a spare and replace the perch & remounted the mirror.

But this kickstand bent like a licorice stick! It literally folded almost 90 degrees! So I ask, is it necessary to heat treat a kick stand like a knife? Do you need to heat it hot and dip it into an oil quench to harden it after heating it to bend it? See picture as to how much and where it bent! The red dash line was the original alignment before it bent. Victor

[givergas]

always something, when i took off the kick stand off of my wombat looked like somebody reinforced it might might be something that might help you....albert

[thrownchain]

Yes heating it weakens it.

[Bullfrog]

A few tid-bits on this issue (with a disclaimer - I am not a metallurgist).

1. I'm pretty sure the frame and kick stand are made of mild steel - which is not a hardenable steel. So no, heating and quenching the kick stand will not improve its strength.
2. Heating and correcting a "damage bend" in mild steel is probably better than not-heating and correcting a "damage bend" (ie, cold bending) - but too much bending will permanently damage the steel . . . and over-heating can be bad too (may not be at issue here).
3. The "repair" shown in the photos from "givergas" is NOT a repair. The welded on thin strap is a standard part of Hodaka kick stands. It serves dual purposes. It does strengthen the stand a bit AND the un-welded upper end (which stands free from the main part a little bit) works in concert with the threads on the bolt, the threads in the kick stand and the threads in the nut to result in a pretty darn reliable "thread locker system" for the nut.
. . . and finally . . .
4. That's a bummer Vic! It looks like you'll be in search of a replacement stand again.
Ed

[givergas]

wow a guy can learn more here by accident then any where else...

[viclioce]

Well talked with Bruce & he is sending me one. I may just go ahead and reinforce the one Bruce sends me before it has a chance to bend. I’ll look for some hardened steel with which to reinforce it.

This bike is the only one which keeps bending kick stands. I think it’s because of the taller frame & wheels. What was the original length of the 03 Wombat stand? Every one I buy is 12” long & just seems too short. This bike seems to lean much farther left with a 12” kick stand. Maybe it should be 13” or 14”???

Hmmm maybe cut some tubing with an ID which matches the stand’s OD & weld a section in the middle to make it longer? Hmmmmm. Maybe cut a 14” length and then cut the bottom & top 2” off the old kick stand, inserting & welding it to stronger pipe ???

Let you know what gets done & how it works. Maybe longer will be better & hoka tge bike more upright, keeping more weight in the wheels instead of the kick stand........
Victor

[viclioce]

The old stand is back on for now, without a spring. Because the hook which holds the spring is broke off. So the one from Bruce should arrive in a couple of days. I may try to cut the hook off the newly bent stand & weld it in place. But it’s a small piece and a small spot. Not very forgiving. If you don’t get it right the first time, the hook could burn up. Maybe I’ll get my son in law to try it. He’s a much better welder than me. Victor

[matt glascock]

Hi Victor. I drilled, tapped, and installed a small eye-bolt to replace a broken off spring hook on a Super Rat stand. Looks just a little bit wonky, but the stand is never on the bike anyway so no biggie. Worked like a charm and the whole process took about five minutes.

[viclioce]

Thanks Matt. Maybe I can drill a single hole, push in the eye bolt and tack weld it in place! I’ll give it a go when I have some more free time! Victor

[matt glascock]

Even better Victor. I did use red locktite on the eye-bolt threads but the tack weld should be bullet proof.

[dirty_rat]

I believe the kickstands are also hollow. You could cut one in two, find a hardened shaft (maybe a long bolt) that fits tightly inside and then weld the stand back together. Just an idea.

[viclioce]

Dirty_rat. Pretty much the reverse idea of what I was thinking. Victor

[viclioce]

Well the kickstand from Bruce was in the pack of mail which came in while we were gone to Phoenix. I pulled it out when we got home.

Like all the others, it was too short, being only 12” long. So what I did was take the first one I bought, which bent severely at the top, and cut several inches off of the bottom.

Then I took the one from Bruce & cut the very bottom of that kick stand. Then I measured my existing kickstand, which was 16” long. I measured off and removed 2” more from the bottom section and welded together a 16” kick stand.

I got very good penetration and was able to grind the welding back to make it appear nearly flush. Then I tested it. It’s holding & working well, so all I need to do now is get a can of black satin spray paint and paint it so it doesn’t rust. Here’s a photo. Victor

[viclioce]

Hey Matt! After I finished the kickstand I made today, I pulled the old one and ground away all the excess welding where the spring hook went. Then I ground a bit of a dip so it would hold a drill bit steady. Drilled a hole like you suggested & put a screw in it for now, not welded. I’m going to get a screw eye and try what you suggested & weld it in place. Then I’ll have a spare for the 03 Wombat. Victor

[matt glascock]

Cool Victor. I wouldn't use the little wire kind used for hanging pictures. Get a good eye bole from a hardware store. It really works well.

[viclioce]

Yep. That’s my plan! With my welder, a little one would likely melt trying to weld it in place. Victor

[matt glascock]

Good call.