What Ever Happened To The Centerstands??

[Hrdly-Dangrs]

I was jumping around on my 'Favorite' links and hit the 'Sporty Specialties' site: www.sportyspecialties.com. (you may have to punch in this site manually to get to it, clicking onto the above listing doesn't seem to work). I clicked onto their 'New Products' and was greated with their latest offering; a Reproduction aluminum Sportster Center Stand Part #49700-57 from 'K' Models thru 1981. Wow, talk about a nice hard to find part. I believe there was a similiar center stand available for the swingarm Pans and Shovels. It seems to me that this was a great aid in maintenance of early Harleys and likely a better design then the Harley rear frame/fender mounted design as used on Hardtails. Still as I think about it, I don't recall ever seeing one actually used on any street stock, never mind a modified, Sportster or Pan/Shovel. Were these an Option at the time they were offered? Did they fall out of favor or just never fit in the American biker scene? If you look at any British or Foreign made motorcycle, the 'center stand' still remains a staple of keeping the motorcycle up-right when parked or when the rear wheel or chain required adjustment! Were they purposely faded out or left off H-D motorycles because of low popularity or perhaps H-D was looking to cut costs? I would definitely purchase one for my 74 XLCH except for the fact all the Drag Bike classes require removal of all kickstands...wonder if that means 'centerstands' too? Anyone know the history of these little gems??..... ...Hrdly-Dangrs

[61 panman]

Hrdly,
I have attempted to purchase some of these centerstands on ebay. I never won one yet. But they always show up in like new condition.
If you look at www.collectorcarsandbikes.com and click on harley then click on the 1972 Superglide then click on picture #2 I believe you will see why very few people use them.
By the way this is the most "Mom and Pop" version of the Superglide I have ever seen. I emailed Dave the owner to inquire about the bike and he told me he sold it for over the asking price.
If I did not have so many bikes already I would have liked to have bought it.
While I am at it I regularly check out the BSA sites on the web and they like to poke fun at the Hardly-Davidson name. Like Hardly-Worthit etc. Some cheeky lads those British.
Doug

[HJahn]

The centerstand position on that '72 Super-Glide don't look right. I wonder if the crashbars are keeping it from fully retracting.

That '72 could be put back to stock pretty easy. I liked that year. It was after they got rid of the alligator seat but before they went to dual chopper pipes and that stupid Sprint gas-tank. The '72 still had the kickstart, the fat bobs, and single-muffler. Nice bike.

AS to centerstands, I think the pre-58 Big Twin centerstand mounted at the rear of the frame was the best ever devised. You had your motorcycle lift right there with you for oiling your rear chain or fixing a flat (of which several I had). Gotta say the Harley sidestand was the best as well. Isn't that one item they have left pretty much the same from the Knuck-Pan era?

[61 panman]

HJ
The '72 superglide was a great year. Many changes during that year. The Boattail was still available and in some ways it was a frankenstein bike from the factory. They used up a lot of parts that were lying around to finish off the bike and in '73 they began to standardize production.
In a way it was one of the last of the purely simple bikes HD made.
No starter motor, no blinkers, no external throttle cable. It retained the 3.5 gallon fatbobs with the single speedo and the drum front brake. It was the last year for a USA made fork. The frame is the heavy duty Duo-Glide frame with minor changes.
The bike has all the grunt of a FL yet handles like a corvette.
I have a '72 and I love it ,
Doug

[HJahn]

Originally posted by 61 panman
HJ
The '72 superglide was a great year. Many changes during that year. The Boattail was still available and in some ways it was a frankenstein bike from the factory. They used up a lot of parts that were lying around to finish off the bike and in '73 they began to standardize production.
In a way it was one of the last of the purely simple bikes HD made.
No starter motor, no blinkers, no external throttle cable. It retained the 3.5 gallon fatbobs with the single speedo and the drum front brake. It was the last year for a USA made fork. The frame is the heavy duty Duo-Glide frame with minor changes.
The bike has all the grunt of a FL yet handles like a corvette.
I have a '72 and I love it ,
Doug

Yes, the 72 S.G. had the lean simplicity and more of the look of the 36EL Knucklehead which had been lost over the years in the Big Twin. The non-boatail non-alligator '72 was the best Super Glide for several years -- until the Low Rider came back with the 3.5 tanks.

The only thing the 72 lacked was foot-boards!

IMO pegs ****....

[L. A.]

I rarely use my center stand...in fact, I didn't have it put back on after the resto...I can't get the dang bike up on it anyway! LOLAM

I'll have it put on this spring, though...I reckon....

[Kojack]

You've mentioned an interesting point, L.A. I have the centerstand on my '76 FLH and I haven't been able to use it either. Some people have told me that it's possible and some have told me that the stand is purely ornamental. Does anyone out there have a method that would allow one person to get the bike up on the stand? I have no problem with my Indian Chief but the same method doesn't seem possible with the FLH.

[p aiello]

center stand

hey guys my 47el's stand predates center stands it hooks on the rear fender but you need some brute musle to get the bike up on it but when you do you can clean the rim or adj the chain hard tail so noone got to sit on it and they also made the m for the front but it don't look so good on the front pat

[Hrdly-Dangrs]

I don't think that the centerstand on the FL's were designed necessarily as a one man operation like the lighter 'Sportster' models and the Bitish bikes. The FL's are lower to the ground plus their heavier weight require a little extra 'oomph' to get them up on the stand. Especially some of those fully 'Xcces' sorized 'Dressers' out there!........Hrdly-Dangrs