AJS & Matchless Owners Club

My R65 side stand flicks up. Rarely used as the centre stand iis a doddle to work.

This is an easy fix as I did mine. You must have the spring be able to pull the stand over center no matter how slight. If the spring is behind the stand, with the stand down it WILL kick back up. I was able to obtain a new factory spring and moved the two holes securing it to the frame just behind the right lug that bolts the forward header pipe to the frame. Its just forward enough that the stand will go over center and stay no matter if you take weight off it, and will pull it up no problem when kicked back. Mind you guys this is on my 61 G9 so you just need to find a spot to secure the spring so again, when the stand is down, the spring is angled forward of the stand just a little, not a ton.

I always considered a self retracting side stand the safest option. If one forgets and rides off with the stand in the down position it can have serious consequences. When I was at the IOM manx one year someone lost their life because of this.
That is why many modern makes have an ingnition cut out switch connected to the stand.
What advantage is there in having the stand stay put, so to speak, in the down position anyway? If the bike is altered to accommodate the stand as proposed and an accident should unfortunately occur then ones insurance may just have a few questions.

The stand will not stay down with little kick to the rear. It's just enough to keep it over center. In no way is there enough force to keep it that hard forward on that little spring. even if you left it down the first left turn will kick it back to stow. If it takes that much force to kick it back then you definitely have the wrong tension spring on it.

Its nothing to do with the strength of the spring. If the stand digs in the ground on a left hand bend it could have you off. It has happened.

1608 wrote:Its nothing to do with the strength of the spring. If the stand digs in the ground on a left hand bend it could have you off. It has happened.

Indeed, that is what happens in reality.
When even a slightly forward facing stand contacts the ground on a left-hander it not only digs in but the bike lifts and tries to ride up over it, being 'levered up' towards the vertical by the stand.
Try pushing the bike forward whilst it's stationary on the side stand. It will try to lift up towards the vertical - not what you want when halfway round a bend.