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Most new dirt bikers assume that all dirt bikes would have a kickstand to support the bike when you’re not out riding. Unfortunately, this is not always true.
While some dirt bikes do come with kickstands, many do not. The reason why is that it shaves a little weight off the bike, is one less piece to get caught in vegetation, and it costs the manufacturers less money. The primary reason is weight savings.
- Weight Savings – Motocross riders will do anything to shave a few pounds off a bike. Throwing the heavy weight of the bike around slows riders down and makes the bike harder to maneuver, so a little weight savings is welcomed. It seems rather extreme to worry about 2 pounds, but they’ll get what they can.
- Kickstands Aren’t Secure – Often times, dirt bikes fall over when on kick stands. They force the bike to be leaned to one side, and the kick stand can sink in soft dirt and eventually cause a fall, or someone could bump the bike and the little kick stand isn’t always enough to stabilize the bike. Some avoid kick stands because they are less secure than putting it on a stand.
- Can Get Caught On Things – This seems a little silly to me because there are already 100+ spots on a dirt bike that can pick up vegetation, but some argue that kick stands can get caught on things while you’re riding enduro. This is the thinking carried over from the mountain biking world.
- Saves Money on Manufacturing – This is another dumb reason. A kickstand costs manufacturers $2 to put on a $6,000 dirt bike. I’m not sure this would really deter them.
So How Do You Support Your Dirt Bike?
There are several ways to support your dirt bike when not in use. Fortunately, all of these solutions are cheap and easy. You’ll just have to pick the one that is best suited to your style of riding.
- Get a Dirt Bike Stand – This is probably the most common solution. You get a stand that you bring with you in your truck when you go riding. When you are done riding, you simply lift your bike up onto the dirt bike stand. You can buy the flimsy $20 things, but I recommend spending just a few more dollars to get this quality Tusk aluminum stand on Amazon that will last you 20 years.
- Get a Triangle Stand – A triangle stand works similar to a built-in kickstand on a dirt bike, but it provides a wider base for the dirt bike to lean on and consequently is more secure. I don’t love this solution because I feel like I’d lose it all the time, but a lot of people use them. Amazon has this triangle stand for a very reasonable price.
- Install a Traditional Kickstand – The trouble with this solution is that not all dirt bikes are the same height, so you need a kickstand that is built for your bike. You may find one, but for many bikes there simply isn’t one available that is custom-tailored to the bike. Also, you’d have to drill holes.
Don’t Stress This
If you expected your dirt bike to come with a kick stand and this really bugs you, it may be tempting to go drilling holes in your bike and creating a custom kickstand and bickering about why the manufacturer should have included one in the first place. Just embrace it.
Millions of other dirt bike riders got used to this and nobody seems to have a problem supporting their bikes. Just buy a simple dirt bike stand, set your bike on it after riding, and you’re set.
The only people who will be royally annoyed by not having a kickstand are those who use a dirt bike for transportation. In this case, it’s not practical to carry a stand or a triangle stand with you, LOL. In that case, you need to find a way to install a traditional kickstand or to just lean it up against walls (which is what a lot of people do).
Oh, and if all else fails, do this… (video)