TOPIC:

After the suspension mods the bike now leans too much on the kickstand. I'm looking around and I think a kickstand from a KZ440 will be a bit longer, maybe just what I need.

Someone told me that the center stand on this bike is longer, but didn't give me any facts about the kickstand.

Can someone confirm this for me?

Nobody around here has a KZ440?

Just knowing the length of the kickstand would be enough to compare it to mine.

I had the same issue with my kz650 when I installed longer shocks.
I was using a piece of 2x4 under my sidestand.
Someone suggested why not have a welder lengthen the side stand.
Just so happens I bought a second side stand as mine was missing the little leg to assist deploying it:

Had just over 2" cut off one and added to the other:

Feanor_twh wrote:

Nobody around here has a KZ440?

Just knowing the length of the kickstand would be enough to compare it to mine.
 

Sorry - I have a couple of them. Let me get into the shop and measure the 440B and 440LTD kickstands.

I checked Partzilla: they have different part numbers so they might be different sizes. Also rstnick has a good idea.

rstnick wrote:

I had the same issue with my kz650 when I installed longer shocks.
I was using a piece of 2x4 under my sidestand.
Someone suggested why not have a welder lengthen the side stand.
Just so happens I bought a second side stand as mine was missing the little leg to assist deploying it:
Had just over 2" cut off one and added to the other:


 

Thanks mate, that's a great idea, a bit of polishing and painting and it will look like the stock kickstand. For the moment I made a fix that will work, although it invalidates the solution you propose:




"Stalin" was useful only to extend the kickstand hehe. Maybe it's really only good for that.

Nerdy wrote:

Sorry - I have a couple of them. Let me get into the shop and measure the 440B and 440LTD kickstands.

I checked Partzilla: they have different part numbers so they might be different sizes. Also rstnick has a good idea.

In fact there is also a model with automatic return based on the clutch lever.

Thanks, I'll wait for your measurement to compare.

Seems to me that Germany (and Italy???) was the only country to get the automatically retracting side stand, but it was fully mechanical and had no connection to the clutch lever. You may be mistaking the starter lockout switch that prevents the starter from operating unless the clutch is disengaged, for a side stand retractor.

Here is a discussion about the mechanism on the BMW K100RT. It clearly has an interface with the clutch release mechanism, so I may be remembering incorrectly about the KZ system.

www.k100-forum.com/t1281-1988-k100rt-side-stand-auto-retracts

TexasKZ wrote:

Seems to me that Germany (and Italy???) was the only country to get the automatically retracting side stand, but it was fully mechanical and had no connection to the clutch lever. You may be mistaking the starter lockout switch that prevents the starter from operating unless the clutch is disengaged, for a side stand retractor.

 

The US KZ400s had that mechanism as well. I removed it from the '79 because it made moving the bike short distances around the shop a PITA.

Interesting. I had a 400, but it did not have that feature.

Feanor_twh wrote:

Nobody around here has a KZ440?

Just knowing the length of the kickstand would be enough to compare it to mine.
 

Okay, I finally got the measurements:

1980 KZ440B - the kickstand is 9 inches / 23cm from the center of the pivot bolt to the end of the foot

1981 KZ440LTD - 11.5" / 29cm [measured the same way]

I hope that helps!

TexasKZ wrote:

Interesting. I had a 400, but it did not have that feature.
 

There is a post that screws in to the OEM countershaft sprocket that actuates the automatic retractor; if a PO replaced the chain and sprockets at some point, the actuator might have been removed at the same time.

I stored the original sprocket and mechanism in a baggie in case I ever need to re-install the darn thing.