My KDX220 Gets a Kickstand!

[SpudRider]

As you might know, my recently acquired, Kawasaki KDX220 did not have a kickstand. 8O After considering the acquisition of an OEM kickstand, I finally decided to install a Trail Tech kickstand. Trail Tech does not manufacture a kickstand designed for the KDX220, but one can modify the KX125/250 kickstand to fit the KDX220 motorcycle. ;)

Once installed, the Trail Tech kickstand was much too long. :roll: Therefore, I enlisted the help of my Christian Brother Andy, a professional mechanic, to shorten the kickstand. After cutting two inches off the kickstand, it seemed about the right height. :) I took the KDX220 for a ride this afternoon, and the kickstand worked great!

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/KDX%20220%20Project/KDXKickstand012.jpg

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/KDX%20220%20Project/KDXKickstand013.jpg

I am very happy to finally have a kickstand installed on this motorcycle. 8)

Spud :)

[FastDoc]

Looks great Spud!

Nice to not have to lay it down on its side or lean it on a tree or a signpost.

Are those new graphics? I see you removed the rear blinkers.

That's a great bike.

I've been trying to spot another one, and I've seen nothing even remotely like the deal you got.

Enjoy!

[SpudRider]

Looks great Spud!

Nice to not have to lay it down on its side or lean it on a tree or a signpost.

Are those new graphics? I see you removed the rear blinkers.

That's a great bike.

I've been trying to spot another one, and I've seen nothing even remotely like the deal you got.

Enjoy!
Thank you, Brother Bill. :) I removed the rear turn signals because the hot exhaust was destroying the blinker closest to it. :roll: Therefore, I am going to remount the turn signals in a safer place. ;) I'm considering flush mounting the turn signals for greater strength, but I also want to maintain high visibility, so I will probably stick with the stalk-mounted signals. :? I have not changed the graphics. ;)

P.S. I'm absolutely delighted to have a kickstand! :D

Spud :)

[SpudRider]

Doc, you inquired about the front brake rotor in another post, but I forgot to reply. :roll: I took the brake rotor off the spare, KDX220 front wheel, and attached it to the KX500 front wheel I have mounted on this bike, which has received a KX500, USD fork conversion. :) The "new" brake rotor works great! :D

Spud :)

[Weldangrind]

That's an ideal dual sport bike; light enough to toss around, powerful enough to climb anything you point it at and small enough to be cheap on insurance. It looks great, and I hope it gives you many happy miles.

I'm guessing there is no steering lock. Do you carry a cable lock with you?

[FastDoc]

Doc, you inquired about the front brake rotor in another post, but I forgot to reply. :roll: I took the brake rotor off the spare, KDX220 front wheel, and attached it to the KX500 front wheel I have mounted on this bike, which has received a KX500, USD fork conversion. :) The "new" brake rotor works great! :D

Spud :)

Awesome, Spud, and the price was right too!

You got a great deal on this bike. I'm looking forward to following the Spudifications it will doubtless receive over the winter.

Winter, BTW, is God's way of annually reminding us we live in a fallen world. :cry:

[MICRider]

You don't realize how important a kickstand is until you have a bike that's missing it :lol: . Kawi looks awesome! Is that one of the infamous Kenda Trakmasters I see on the back? :)

[FastDoc]

Speaking for Spud, yes it is! It was brand new when he got the bike but knowing its powerband I don't expect it will be long for this Earth. 8)

[SpudRider]

Doc, you inquired about the front brake rotor in another post, but I forgot to reply. :roll: I took the brake rotor off the spare, KDX220 front wheel, and attached it to the KX500 front wheel I have mounted on this bike, which has received a KX500, USD fork conversion. :) The "new" brake rotor works great! :D

Spud :)...You got a great deal on this bike. I'm looking forward to following the Spudifications it will doubtless receive over the winter...
I'll keep you posted on the modifications, Doc. ;)
...Winter, BTW, is God's way of annually reminding us we live in a fallen world. :cry:
As if we need any more reminders. :roll:

Spud :lol:

[SpudRider]

That's an ideal dual sport bike; light enough to toss around, powerful enough to climb anything you point it at and small enough to be cheap on insurance. It looks great, and I hope it gives you many happy miles.

I'm guessing there is no steering lock. Do you carry a cable lock with you?
Thank you, Weld. :)

You're correct; the bike doesn't have either an ignition key, or a steering lock. ;) I currently don't have any plans to carry a lock. The threat of theft isn't a big issue where I live, and I usually don't leave the bike unattended for long when I ride it into town. However, I might change my mind. ;)

Spud :)

[SpudRider]

You don't realize how important a kickstand is until you have a bike that's missing it :lol: . Kawi looks awesome! Is that one of the infamous Kenda Trakmasters I see on the back? :)
Thank you, Stew. :) I am practically giddy to finally have a kickstand on this bike! :lol: The Trail Tech kickstand is quite nice, but I can tell I will need to check periodically to ensure the bolts are still tight. ;)

As Doc confirmed, the rear tire is a new, Kenda TrakMaster, size 100/100-18. The front tire is a Maxxis, MaxxCross SI, size 80/100-21. Both tires work great off road, and also work surprising well on the street! :D I also got a practically new, Michelin, S12 front tire, size 90/90-21. ;)

Spud :)

[SpudRider]

Incidentally, the OEM kickstand for this bike is greatly maligned by its owners. :roll: The stock kickstand attaches to the rear portion of the swingarm, not the frame, and gets sloppy from all the punishment it receives back there. :? Also, many riders complain the stock kickstand is not the correct length, and allows the bike to fall over a lot. :(

As I stated previously, I needed to modify this Trail Tech kickstand to fit my bike, but I am glad I took the effort to do so. This kickstand is very light, yet very strong, and it seems to work well. :D You can read more about this Trail Tech kickstand at the following link.

http://www.kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6152&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

Spud :)

[FastDoc]

That's an ideal dual sport bike; light enough to toss around, powerful enough to climb anything you point it at and small enough to be cheap on insurance. It looks great, and I hope it gives you many happy miles.

I'm guessing there is no steering lock. Do you carry a cable lock with you?
Thank you, Weld. :)

You're correct; the bike doesn't have either an ignition key, or a steering lock. ;) I currently don't have any plans to carry a lock. The threat of theft isn't a big issue where I live, and I usually don't leave the bike unattended for long when I ride it into town. However, I might change my mind. ;)

Spud :)

If someone ever tries to steal it, which I TOTALLY can't see happening in Spudland, just follow the trail of smoke and you'll find it right away! :P

[SpudRider]

That's an ideal dual sport bike; light enough to toss around, powerful enough to climb anything you point it at and small enough to be cheap on insurance. It looks great, and I hope it gives you many happy miles.

I'm guessing there is no steering lock. Do you carry a cable lock with you?
Thank you, Weld. :)

You're correct; the bike doesn't have either an ignition key, or a steering lock. ;) I currently don't have any plans to carry a lock. The threat of theft isn't a big issue where I live, and I usually don't leave the bike unattended for long when I ride it into town. However, I might change my mind. ;)

Spud :)

If someone ever tries to steal it, which I TOTALLY can't see happening in Spudland, just follow the trail of smoke and you'll find it right away! :P
:lol:

Spud :lol:

[Weldangrind]

That's an ideal dual sport bike; light enough to toss around, powerful enough to climb anything you point it at and small enough to be cheap on insurance. It looks great, and I hope it gives you many happy miles.

I'm guessing there is no steering lock. Do you carry a cable lock with you?
Thank you, Weld. :)

You're correct; the bike doesn't have either an ignition key, or a steering lock. ;) I currently don't have any plans to carry a lock. The threat of theft isn't a big issue where I live, and I usually don't leave the bike unattended for long when I ride it into town. However, I might change my mind. ;)

Spud :)

If you intend to use the bike for quick commutes to the store, etc, it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of disabling device. Generic ignition switches can be had for cheap, but there is another effective method. Study the CDI and choose a power wire that you intend to interrupt, then cut it and connect both ends to a Molex-style female connector. Loop a wire between the two mating terminals of the male connector and plug them together.

As long as the connector is plugged in, the bike will run. If you want to ensure that nobody can kick start it, just unplug the connector and put it in your pocket.

Conversely, you could interrupt the CDI ground kill circuit with the same connector. In that case, the bike won't run if your added Molex connector is plugged in.

In either case, you could use a 12 pin Molex connector and add wires of different colours to the remaining 10 terrminals, and have them routed up under the tank and connected to nothing. The only purpose is to confuse a thief to the point that they move on.

[SpudRider]

That's an ideal dual sport bike; light enough to toss around, powerful enough to climb anything you point it at and small enough to be cheap on insurance. It looks great, and I hope it gives you many happy miles.

I'm guessing there is no steering lock. Do you carry a cable lock with you?
Thank you, Weld. :)

You're correct; the bike doesn't have either an ignition key, or a steering lock. ;) I currently don't have any plans to carry a lock. The threat of theft isn't a big issue where I live, and I usually don't leave the bike unattended for long when I ride it into town. However, I might change my mind. ;)

Spud :)

If you intend to use the bike for quick commutes to the store, etc, it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of disabling device. Generic ignition switches can be had for cheap, but there is another effective method. Study the CDI and choose a power wire that you intend to interrupt, then cut it and connect both ends to a Molex-style female connector. Loop a wire between the two mating terminals of the male connector and plug them together.

As long as the connector is plugged in, the bike will run. If you want to ensure that nobody can kick start it, just unplug the connector and put it in your pocket.

Conversely, you could interrupt the CDI ground kill circuit with the same connector. In that case, the bike won't run if your added Molex connector is plugged in.

In either case, you could use a 12 pin Molex connector and add wires of different colours to the remaining 10 terrminals, and have them routed up under the tank and connected to nothing. The only purpose is to confuse a thief to the point that they move on.
Thanks for the great tip, Weld! :D

Spud :)

[SpudRider]

I'm really enjoying my kickstand! Having a bike without a kickstand detracts a great deal from the enjoyment of riding. ;) Taking advantage of the last, few, warm days of fall, I have been riding my KDX220 into the mountains before the snow falls. ;)

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/KDX%20220%20Project/LMtnRidesLateOctober130.jpg

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/KDX%20220%20Project/LMtnRidesLateOctober133.jpg

Since I modified a KX250 kickstand to fit my KDX220, this Trail Tech kickstand had an extra tab in front. ;)

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/KDX%20220%20Project/TrimmedKickstandModel.jpg

After today's ride, I removed the kickstand, and used an angle grinder to cut away the extra tab. After the extra metal was removed, I re-installed the kickstand. :)

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/KDX%20220%20Project/lastscout2011035.jpg

The extra metal wasn't causing any problems; I merely removed it for cosmetic reasons. ;)

Spud :)

[Weldangrind]

How does that upper bolt stay tight, if it needs to be backed off enough to support the spring?

[SpudRider]

How does that upper bolt stay tight, if it needs to be backed off enough to support the spring?
I have tightened the upper bolt against the spring, which serves somewhat the same purpose as a lock washer. After several hundred miles of riding, both bolts were still tight, but I am going to continue to inspect both bolts regularly. ;)

Spud :)

[Weldangrind]

May I make a recommendation? I would be inclined to allow the spring to move on the mounting surface, and have the mounting bolt fully tightened.

I would accomplish that by choosing a bolt that is threaded all the way to the head, that is also perhaps a bit longer (not sure what bolt length you have). Thread a nut onto the bolt, leaving the desired space between the head and the bolt. Screw the bolt in until the nut makes contact with the kickstand mount, and tighten the nut against the mount while holding the bolt still. A washer between the nut and kickstand mount is also a good idea.

This method would have the existing arrangement stick out more, by the thickness of the nut you choose. That can be minimized by selecting a jam nut, as they're quite thin. The result would be a free surface for the spring to pivot around as the kickstand moves through its arc, and the bolt could be securely tightened.

[FastDoc]

+1 on Weld's idea.

I'd also paint the raw edge where the tab was cut off.

I'm so glad you are enjoying the KLX. I bet starting is even easier with the kickstand!

[SpudRider]

May I make a recommendation? I would be inclined to allow the spring to move on the mountaing surface, and have the mounting bolt fully tightened.

I would accomplish that by choosing a bolt that is threaded all the way to the head, that is also perhaps a bit longer (not sure what bolt length you have). Thread a nut onto the bolt, leaving the desired space between the head and the bolt. Screw the bolt in until the nut makes contact with the kickstand mount, and tighten the nut against the mount while holding the bolt still. A washer between the nut and kickstand mount is also a good idea.

This method would have the existing arrangement stick out more, by the thickness of the nut you choose. That can be minimized by selecting a jam nut, as they're quite thin. The result would be a free surface for the spring to pivot around as the kickstand moves through its arc, and the bolt could be securely tightened.
Thank you for your excellent suggestion, Weld. :)

Spud :)

[SpudRider]

+1 on Weld's idea.

I'd also paint the raw edge where the tab was cut off.

I'm so glad you are enjoying the KLX. I bet starting is even easier with the kickstand!
Thank you. :) I agree; I should paint the raw edge of the kickstand. ;) I don't have any paint which matches the current paint. Perhaps I can find a small bottle of Testor's model paint at a local hobby shop?

Spud :)

[FastDoc]

I've done that. Apply with a Q-Tip and you're done. :wink:

[Weldangrind]

Thank you for your excellent suggestion, Weld. :)

You're welcome. :)

I'd remove and paint the bracket with liquid Rustoleum in semi-gloss black; it'll match your kickstand. I use a foam brush and get good results with no clean-up. I buy bags of foam brushes at the dollar store for that purpose.

[SpudRider]

Thank you for your excellent suggestion, Weld. :)

You're welcome. :)

I'd remove and paint the bracket with liquid Rustoleum in semi-gloss black; it'll match your kickstand. I use a foam brush and get good results with no clean-up. I buy bags of foam brushes at the dollar store for that purpose.
Once again, thank you for your excellent suggestion, Weld. :) How long do you think I need to wait for the paint to dry before I can re-install the kickstand?

Also, I am pretty sure I am going to get the frame sandblasted, and repainted this winter. I will start another thread on this subject, but I am considering silver paint, instead of green, for the frame. ;) Given this information, what color do you think I should paint the kickstand?

Spud :)

[Weldangrind]

I like semi-gloss black Rustoleum (Tremclad in Canada) for most bolt-on stuff, like peg mounts, kicker, kickstand, etc. It usually dries to the touch within a couple of hours, but 24 is better. Flat black dries before your eyes, but it develops a chalky texture, and it easily absorbs fingerprints.

Silver sounds good, although that green looks sharp as well.

[FastDoc]

I think silver paint or powdercoat would be awesome. That's such a nice bike it deserves to be prettied up over the long cold Idaho winter.

[SpudRider]

A few days ago I went shopping for jam nuts, and a longer bolt for my kickstand. Most of the longer bolts I found were not threaded to the end of the bolt, and would not work with a jam nut. :( However, I did find one stainless steel bolt that is probably long enough. :D

I also could not find any jam nuts at my favorite, local hardware stores. :( However, I remembered to check the Fastenal website, and I found a nice selection of different jam nuts! I'm sure the local Fastenal store will have at least one of these jam nuts in stock. :D

I continue to enjoy my Trail Tech kickstand! Here are a few more photos I took of the kickstand during Sunday's ride. :)

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/LMT%20Last%20Ride%202011/LastLMtnRides2011081.jpg

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq146/spudrider/LMT%20Last%20Ride%202011/LastLMtnRides2011083.jpg

I plan to paint the kickstand in a few weeks, when I disassemble the bike for its winter cleaning, lubing, and repainting. :)

Spud :)

[Weldangrind]

Notice the area that the paint gets rubbed off by your boots? I recommend plastic frame protectors after your colour change. You'd hate to see the new colour rubbed off after all that work.

[SpudRider]

Notice the area that the paint gets rubbed off by your boots? I recommend plastic frame protectors after your colour change. You'd hate to see the new colour rubbed off after all that work.
Indeed! I certainly do intend to add frame protectors. ;) I don't know why the previous owner didn't add them. :roll: Besides plastic, I've also seen metal frame protectors for the KDX220. :)

Spud :)