High folks,
I decided to write this message to maybe save somebody else from making the same costly mistake. Ever since I installed the WE kit on my bike the kick stand created grief and concern. With all the added weight from the battery pack and all the stuff I was hauling in my rear baskets, parking the bike on the kick stand was scary… The bike was ready to fall over all the time and I had to be extra careful to position the bike and the front wheel just right or it was going down… I finally had enough and decided to pop the money for the heavy duty dual kick stand designed for heavy E bikes… I bought mine on line from Denis at Bernson EV. Denis is a good guy and sells his stuff at a competitive price. So I got the new kick stand and installed it… The bike was extra stable but the rear wheel with the battery on top was well off the ground by about 4 inches… I called Denis to confirm what I thought was right – to cut the kick stand legs down to a better height. Denis agreed it was the right thing to do but cautioned me to be careful not to cut it too short. He suggested I should cut it a little at a time… Well, I thought I’d be slick… got on the ground with a tape measure and verified the distance the rear wheel was in the air. I think it was about 4 inches… So I cut 3 ½ inches off; installed the kick stand and became immediately sick!!! It was way too short and worse than the kick stand I replaced… $56.00 “down the toilet” ($46 + $10 shipping) …arg!!!! I decided to get creative and take a trip to Home Depot to see if I could come up with some solution to lengthen the legs that were cut too short. If I had the $50 tap and die set they sell I would have threaded the cut ends and screw extensions on that were less than $2 a piece… After much searching I gave up and called a metal and welding shop I used before… They agreed they could weld the aluminum legs back on but for a minimum charge of $47.00 (more than the kick stand costs before shipping). I was about to call Denis back and beg for a price cut on a second kick stand but first called one more welding guy… The second guy did the welding for me for $27.50… So there you have it my $30.00 mistake by the time you add the gas to and from the welding shop in… ARG!!! This time I cut little chunks off the end of the legs several times until I now have a pretty good height. It’s still a little long but I’m not going to risk cutting any more off… With all said and done, the stand does work a lot better holding the bike more stable… I would recommend this stand if you are having the same wobbly problem parking… Check the pics below and notice the weld job…. I told the guy I wasn’t looking for pretty as much as strength… Oh Well… Maybe this will help somebody else out….
Cheers,
Matt
If Denis truly wants to be "the man" he should sell these with the tubes' inside diameter already threaded by running a common-sized tap into it. If a customer chops it shorter, you could insert two bolts of the proper thread pitch, (with jam-nuts to hold them in place).
If I had been in your position, I might have also "JB-Weld" (epoxy'd) a section of a snug-sized ID threaded pipe union onto the stubs. Cheap bolts could've been adjusted to the perfect height after that...
Thanks for posting, Arno!
I solved the problem by using two cheapie kickstands. One bolts to the rear hub and really holds the bike up well compared to the one under the crank, which I left on for insurance. With both down, its pretty bombproof.
Be the pack leader.
36 volt sla schwinn beach cruiser
36 volt lifepo4 mongoose mtb
24 volt sla + nicad EV Global
This one looks pretty good. Adjustable too..
Double Leg Kickstand, Screw Adjust, Black
I have something similar to this from an old EV Warrior..they work good, but you may sacrifice a little ground clearance.
Also, this one looks like what Dogman was talking about:
Greenfield Stabilizer Rear Mount Alloy ATB Kickstand, Black
And lastly, a ton of options:
assortment of bike kickstands on NexTag
Thanks you guys... Scotty, I wished I would have talked before I bought.. Now got $80.00 tied up in my stand and I like the adjustable one you linked to better.... Arg... Someday when I forget about my stupidity on this I might go ahead and buy the adjustable one anyway... Speaking of KICK stand, if I could only KICK myself!!! ha. ha..
Thanks again,
Matt
Arno J. Wulfert
Don't be too hard on yourself, dude!... this is all unexplored country. I can't tell you how many "$80 mistakes" (and much more!) I've made. It's all part of the learning experience. I just did some searches as a result of your post, that's all. I'm personally thinking of the double kickstand concept proposed by Dogman. Think of it this way: You learned something, I learned something, and we shared it with everyone interested ---It's all good! (end, Kumbuya moment... :) )
Keep up the good work and your posts!
I wish all my ebike mistakes had only cost $80 each. As long as you end up with a usable bike, I call all the mistakes entertainment budget.
Be the pack leader.
36 volt sla schwinn beach cruiser
36 volt lifepo4 mongoose mtb
24 volt sla + nicad EV Global
About entertainment budget... I was surprised by my insurance man yesterday, dropping off some life insurance quotes. While he was here I took out the e-bike to show him and ask about insurance coverage... I told him he was looking at my $2000.00 toy (the bike, the WE kit, the Ping, the $80.00 mistake..ha. ha.,and rest of accessories) and asked him about a rider to cover that amount if it gets stolen... He advised it would be covered under my homeowner's insurance but I might have a $500.00 deductible (not sure)... Anyway he said it would be cheap and he's going to check it out and send a quote... I have one of those cable combination locks I use, but not always able to lock it around something when parking out and about. So, someone could just pick up the whole thing and be gone... So, we'll see what he says... Good to know the homeowner's will cover most of it...
Cheers,
Matt
Arno J. Wulfert