If you have been reading HOT ROD BIKES for the past two years, you have no doubt seen our '92 Sportster in various articles where we have brought you information and techniques which would take the stock-looking bike and transform it into a machine that not only performs very well, but could easily hold its own when surrounded by any number of Big Twins.
One of the articles we did back in July of '03 was to set the bike's suspension to a 2-inch-lower-than-stock height with the help of some Race Tech components. One ofthe side effects of this modification would show up each time we would flip the JiffyStand (who the hell named it that?) out and set the bike on it. Based on the lower stanceof the bike's frame, the stock kickstand stood the bike up much straighter than normal,too much as a matter of fact. Each time we parked the bike, we needed to be sure theground was level or going down hill slightly to be sure the bike didn't fall over. Whilewe knew we needed to address this issue, we never quite got around to it until now.
Why now you ask? With the number of miles currently on the bike we have noticedrecently the kickstand when in the retracted position would hang down from the framea bit. Not only was this unsightly and noisy as it rattled around, it would drag on theground in some cornering situations, creating a dangerous condition. To remedy thiswe installed a new spring, but to no avail. As it turns out, due to the design of thestand's mechanism, mainly the way the pivot pin interfaces with the bracket weldedto the frame, a certain amount of wear occurs on the top plate. Unfortunately, this pieceis a non-serviceable item according to many mechanics we have spoken to. When weasked the guys at the dealership, we got the same answer. Unlike Big Twin kickstands,there was not much we could do to remedy the problem on the Sportster.
While Harley couldn't help us, we knew exactly where to turn, Matt Hotch, ofHotMatch Custom Cycles. By now you have seen Matt pop up on the tube as a twotimewinner of Discovery's Biker Build-Off. We ran his first Discovery champion in ourJune '05 issue and our pals at HOT BIKE magazine have his current Discovery creationplastered all over their July '05 cover. We have known Matt for a long time. Before allthis TV stuff got started, he began a parts line that to this day is an integral part of his business. In addition to his flush-mountgas caps, Matt developed the SpringlessKickstand. It actually has a hidden spring(MSRP $200) that not only works well, butalso looks great on just about any motorcycle.As a matter of fact, in Matt's latestBuild-Off, his competitor Rick Fairless ofStrokers of Dallas used one of Matt's kickstandsas well as gas caps on his TV bike,nice compliment Rick.
While HotMatch has been quietly producing thousands of kickstands, many others have tried to duplicate his products, but in the end they never quite measure up to hisultra-clean style and patented design. With this in mind, it was a no-brainer when we finally got around to replacing the old wornout kickstand.
 1. HotMatch's kickstand is...  1. HotMatch's kickstand is available as a weld-on application or as a bolt-on piece designedfor Softails. The stand itself can be ordered straight or with a bend at the end as seenhere. Whichever you choose, all the parts are included with the kit. |
 2. We wanted to be sure the...  2. We wanted to be sure the bike had nochance of toppling over as it sat on thekickstand. To make this happen we neededa kickstand that allowed the bike to lean a bitmore to the left. |
 3. When the bike was new,...  3. When the bike was new, the kickstand washeld tightly against the rubber-covered stopby the spring. The many miles and wear have takentheir toll. Matt told us one of the biggest factorsregarding kickstand wear is hauling the bike in atruck or trailer strapped down on the kickstand.This should be avoided -- use straps to hold thebike upright, off of the kickstand. |
 4. The stock mount was very...  4. The stock mount was very close to thebottom of the primary. In order to havegood access to it, the front of the bike wassecured and the back was lifted high in the air. |
 5. A while back, we tried...  5. A while back, we tried to eliminate theplay in the kickstand by installing an oversizedbolt to replace the pin. While this helped, itwas not the answer we were looking for. Withthe bolt removed, the spring and stand were thenext to go. |
 6. An angle grinder and cut-off...  6. An angle grinder and cut-off wheel wereused to remove a portion of the stockkickstand bracket. |
 7. This slotted piece was...  7. This slotted piece was the culprit of theexcess wear, exhibiting signs of erosionalong its sides. Once removed, the remainingpad was cleaned up with the grinder, and thespring post was removed. |
 8. The weld-on bracket was...  8. The weld-on bracket was designed to fittightly around a frame tube. Since wewould be welding it to a flat surface, Matt grounddown the backside of the chrome bracket toassure there would be plenty of surface to weldto. You might ask how can you weld chrome?These pieces are plated with hard chrome, likefork tubes. This plating process introduces nomaterials to the metal that would contaminatethe weld, making it a perfect choice. |
 9. The bracket was tacked...  9. The bracket was tacked in place andchecked for proper positioning... |
 10. ...prior to it being welded...  10. ...prior to it being welded all the wayaround with the TIG welder. |
 11. Next, it was time for...  11. Next, it was time for the stock stop to beremoved. |
 12. A little bit of anti-seize...  12. A little bit of anti-seize on the springhelped lubricate it and will keep it workingwell for a long time. |
 13. You might think keeping...  13. You might think keeping the ball on theindent for assembly would be a problem.It's not. A bit more anti-seize on the ball and itwill stay put, making assembly much easier. |
 14. Matt slipped the leg over...  14. Matt slipped the leg over the bracket,compressed the spring, and slid the pivotpin (complete with a drop of red threadlocker)into position prior to threading it in place... |
 15. ...and locking it with...  15. ...and locking it with the small setscrew.The bare metal was then treated to someprimer and black spray paint. |
 16. Here's what the stand...  16. Here's what the stand looks like in theretracted position. Very clean with no visiblesprings or tabs to take away from its good looks. |
 17. When it was all said and...  17. When it was all said and done, the bikehad a much better stance than before. Inaddition, we would not have to be so particularas to where we parked the bike. |