Side Stand Question

[potter0o]

I was doing my scheduled maintenance and noticed some play in the side stand. I wasn't sure if it was there before so thought I would bring it to the forum. With my speed square against the foot pad, I measured the horizontal movement at 5/8". How much outward play do you have in your side stand?

 

[670cc]

My NC side stand was notably sloppy at 50,000 miles. I did not measure the movement, but I was able to insert a shim washer on the pivot bolt to take up the play. I don’t remember the thickness of the washer, but it allowed the stand to still pivot freely, but with no remaining wiggle present.

It was something that definitely needed attention.

 

[potter0o]

Interesting idea. I think I will try to take it apart tomorrow. I have looked it up in the manual. It doesn't seem difficult provided I take care of the switch. The amount of of play was concerning.

 

[670cc]

Here is a photo I posted of my side stand pivot with the added shim washer. The important thing, obviously, is to use the correct thickness washer. I did need to file the stand “U” to be sure it’s sides were parallel and the gap was sufficient for the washer I had

 

[potter0o]

Thank you very much. The repair looks good. This confirms I was visualizing correctly. l had gotten to "That would probably take a big flat washer, I wonder where I could get one of those..." Do you recall where you got yours and the size? I have researched the replacement pin in case I am not happy with its condition when I take it apart.

 

[Bskicrash1]

This video helped me. I recommend you watch it. The channel has a lot of useful information regarding the NC.

 

[potter0o]

This video helped me. I recommend you watch it. The channel has a lot of informative information regarding the NC.

Thanks for that. It is always nice to see a video of the job. I had not considered the "gentle persuader" as an option.

 

[Bskicrash1]

A vice may be a more viable option.

I always thought that my side stand moved like that because I pivot my motorcycle on the side stand to maneuver it in tight spaces. Once I realized it wasn’t due to that, I was relieved.

 

[670cc]

Thank you very much. The repair looks good. This confirms I was visualizing correctly. l had gotten to "That would probably take a big flat washer, I wonder where I could get one of those..." Do you recall where you got yours and the size? I have researched the replacement pin in case I am not happy with its condition when I take it apart.

I don’t recall what size washer I used, but I do know where I got it - out of the big thin washer drawer of my miscellaneous hardware chest.

With my sloppy sidestand, none of the parts (sidestand, bolt, and frame tab) appeared to be significantly worn. It seems like the gap in the sidestand U was just too big, like it may have been built too loose in the beginning.

 

[potter0o]

Thank you both. Just waiting a bit for the garage to warm up more. My concern was that the bolt or hole was wearing and I had not noticed. Your experience makes me feel better.

 

[MrNCRider]

I was at a dealership last year for some items and had a chance to check the play of the side-stand on a brand new 2021 model. It had enough side-to-side movement to convince me to leave mine alone.

 

[potter0o]

That is why I had started the original question. I wanted to see what others had. I didn't know if I missed the wearing or if it had always been like that.

 

[Bskicrash1]

These may help. I used a vice to squish the kickstand closer together for a very snug fit. I included a picture of the back of the kickstand where the kickstand switch fits into. I included the after pic showing the finished assembly.

Edit: I removed one picture that may have been misleading.

 

[potter0o]

On checking the "U" in the side stand, the gap is equal in the top and bottom. I couldn't easily find a washer that would fit and didn't want to open the "U" more to slide in a thicker one. The side stand bolt did show some signs of wear. I will order one next time I am in the dealer for parts.

Decided to pack it with good grease and leave it. I can monitor it now that I am aware of the issue. I will check to see if there is a difference when <i replace the bolt.

 

[bigbird]

Looking at all the fresh grease on the bolt, experience tells me it will turn into a mud cake in short order.
I would use a thin coat of anti seize.

 

[670cc]

These may help. I used a vice to squish the kickstand closer together for a very snug fit. I included a picture of the back of the kickstand where the kickstand switch fits into. I included the after pic showing the finished assembly. View attachment 48347View attachment 48348View attachment 48349View attachment 48350

I preferred to have the sides of the side stand U parallel to keep the spacing and wear surfaces even on the top and bottom of the frame tab, as well as have the bolt and nut evenly contact the stand all the way around, thus I instead filed and verified parallel U surfaces and added a shim to take up the extra space.

It looks like, as expected, the squeeze method leaves a gap at the bottom and is tight at the top, looking at a cropped copy of your photo, or maybe I just can’t see it clearly enough. Either way the stand will be better than before.

 

[Bskicrash1]

Prior to removal, there was a thin layer of chain wax and road grime that had to be wiped away with a rag. Experience tells you well! It did collect road grime and sand. Several uses of the power washer and nothing but a thin layer remains. I didn’t think of anti seize, however, I do agree with its application here.

I did not measure, however there is no side stand play since using the vise. I do agree having the shim from the washer would be the better solution and probably would have been better on my part if looking for even wear characteristics. It was not something I had thought about at the time. I will say that my frequent pivoting of the motorcycle from the side stand has not shown any play in the side stand and no wear that I can report. If that changes, I will report it here in this thread in case this comes up in a search.

 

[showkey]

Be careful some of the slop and friction in the stand is built in……..to allow the bike to lean in when sitting on the stand. Some of the friction is also to minimize the chances of being blown off or roll off the stand in high winds on slight slope.

The stand should move with little or no friction when the bike is off the stand and snap up to the stowed position.

 

[dduelin]

The 2013 I bought in June of 2021 has always leaned over further than it should when on the side stand and the foot is not parallel to the ground. When the weight of the bike comes on the stand it leaned over alarmingly. When I noted this I looked closely at the play the stand had and noticed the stand itself had a tiny sticker on the back side "Made in China". Hmmn, country of origin doesn't bother me but I wondered why the stand was replaced with an aftermarket one before 7300 miles, and one that was too short or else the bend in the stand was not correct. At the time I shimmed the stand jaw with a thin washer and it helped but did not totally fix the slop and the incorrect angle to the ground. I checked my dealer to order the Honda part and found the side stand was back ordered with no expected purchase order fill date. That was last June or July.

Last night I removed the stand and checked the parts out for wear or incorrect fit. The bolt is OK and the jaws are parallel. I shimmed it with two washers which removed all but the smallest measure of play. When on the stand the foot is still quite a bit "not parallel" with the garage floor and the lean is still way too much. It appears the side stand is just not made to the OEM designed shape and bend. Otherwise the welding and paintwork is excellent. I called the dealer today and the side stand P/N 50530-MGS-D31 is available from US warehouses. The original part has been superseded by the current D31 revision so I ordered a new stand. We shall see.

 

[Possummanj]

Put a cheap universal one size fits most foot on it. It will lift it a tiny bit and helps when you park in grass or dirt