Dear Harley Davidson,
What's the name of the dude who decided that jiffy stand was a good name for a kick stand? We'd all like to take him out back and beat his ass (in a jiffy).

Yeah, it sounds so,,,gay.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Actually, the first use of the "jiffy stand" name goes back to an ad that appeared in magazines around 1923.

The Harley brothers moved to a center one-point stand as opposed to the old stand which raised the rear tire off the ground.

You're close with your comment, because the sales pitch was that the motorcycle was on it's stand in a jiffy instead of having to get off and lift the bike onto the full rear stand.

J.W.

Just for the purists in the crowd...

I got the year wrong. It was 1925 when the "Jiffy Stand" ad appeared in nationwide magazines and newspapers.

Here is a copy of what the ad illustration looked like:

6775

We've come a long way since that 81-year-old ad....

J.W.

Thanks for the interesting info. I guess the word "jiffy" wasn't so "queer" back in 1925. Peanut Butter??

Glad you liked the info... The history of motorcycles is really incedible, and it's truly amazing to go back reading up on the "used to be times."

My sons recently bought me a book on the first hundred years of Harley motorcycles. I've been a lifelong fan of all bikes, no matter who's logo they're wearing. The Harley brothers and Bill Davidson definitely found themselves a niche when they put that simple single-cylinder engine on the bicycle frame in '03.

- - - Ride safe... With fists in the wind.... :tour

J.W.

Where I come from we call it a side stand.

I went to the dealer to get a spring for my new Sporty "Jiffy Stand" .... the parts man called the manager and he told me that if I install the freakin' spring it cancels my NEW BIKE warranty - in a JIFFY - now you know
LOL

I've always called it a Kick Stand............Duh :doh