The Mighty Kickstand Spring
September 18, 2003
While
getting off Interstate 81 to enter the rest area, I hit a huge pothole. The
bike bottomed out and the impact bent the kickstand spring. What ensued in the
next five minutes and over the next two days was characteristic of this group
of motorcycle riders. They are a very caring bunch of people -- always eager
to lend a helping hand to a fellow rider. Several of them approached me with
tools and an offer to help. Duane brought a bungee cord and this helped support
the kickstand until our lunch stop. Then out came the pliers and ingenuity
of a number of the group. Unfortunately, the spring, which was not actually
broken -- just bent -- refused to be bent back into the original shape. The
curved hook on each end is what holds the spring in place. (You can see the
right hand part of the spring in
the picture and how it was bent straight).
The Ultra Classic Electra Glide weighs just a bit less than 800 pounds as shipped form the factory. With a few added accessories and chrome plus my briefcase, clothing and other things, the total weight must be close to a half ton. That is the weight supported by the kickstand and why the kickstand is so important. At each stop it was necessary to disconnect and then reconnect the bungee cords. This was no fun but my riding partners cheerfully helped at each stop.
As we passed by the assembly line during the factory tour at the Harley-Davidson factory, I could see kickstand springs hanging from the bikes waiting to be connected. Unfortunately, they were not for sale. While the group visited the gift shop, I headed over to Laugerman's Harley-Davidson about two miles away. I had visited their web site and sent them an email late the night before. The service manager said she was expecting me and they cheerfully brought my bike into the shop and installed a new spring.
I have been to a number of Harley-Davidson dealers over the years and they all share at least one common trait -- honesty. I had heard that the spring was available in both black and chrome. I asked about the chrome version and the service manager said that they had them in stock but they didn't last as long and they didn't recommend them -- even though they knew I was from Connecticut and that they would likely never see me again. Installing the spring is non-trivial. The mechanic worked on it for a half hour. He also inspected the bottom of the bike to make sure there was no other damage from the pothole impact.
I gave the service manager my credit card to pay for the repair. She suggested cash since the total bill was $3.52! Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealers are like H-D riders -- they love to ride and they respect fellow riders. It is a community that is a pleasure to be part of.
