Installing center stand

In the box of stuff that came with my KZ400, I found the center stand which is good since I don't have any other way to lift the bike to work on it.

I can't figure out how to install it though. Does anyone have pictures of an installed one or a guide? I have the stand and the pin/bushing thing that goes in the middle (and I am hoping that I have the spring somewhere in the box...

It looks like I need some cotter pins to hold the bushing in place--or is this supposed to be a screw that goes through there? Do I need to remove the exhaust on one side? I tried feeding it in but couldn't get it all the way in with the exhaust in place.

Thanks

You most likely have to remove the exhaust. One tip is to put the spring in a vice and bend it over with vice grips. Place a penny in the spring winds then bend the spring the other way and put another penny in. Keep doing this until the spring is long enough to put into place. Then using the grips pull the pennies out of the winds. Pennies or washers will work.

Proxy wrote: You most likely have to remove the exhaust. One tip is to put the spring in a vice and bend it over with vice grips. Place a penny in the spring winds then bend the spring the other way and put another penny in. Keep doing this until the spring is long enough to put into place. Then using the grips pull the pennies out of the winds. Pennies or washers will work.

Thanks for the tip on the spring. Does this look like the right spring (it is the only one in the box of parts)?

It was covered in a similar amount of road grime as the centerstand itself...so I am thinking it is the right one.

Is the whole thing then just held together with a cotter pin?

There's lots of good info on kawasaki.com, including parts diagrams, part numbers, models sharing same part, availability, etc.

Could check out the center stand diagram.

Here's a link for help with navigating the site and finding information.

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...w&catid=13&id=376734

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Thanks, that's the kind of thing I was looking for. Couldn't find any discussion of the center stand in either of the shop manuals I have (since it is the sort of thing that if you remember taking it off, it will be obvious how it goes back on).

Maybe it's just me but that looks like a side stand spring. Could be wrong.

Proxy wrote: Maybe it's just me but that looks like a side stand spring. Could be wrong.

In the parts diagram for the 1979, it looks more like the side stand springs, but in the parts diagram for whatever year patton posted, it looks a lot like the center stand spring.

I understand that the guy I bought the bike from got it from a guy with a garage full of kzs (and he made it sound like there was an alcohol-related incident keeping him from riding them but not from rebuilding and selling them)...so it wouldn't surprise me if the bike has some parts from previous model years attached to it.

I guess I am missing the two 6x35mm bolts that support the mounting bracket (and maybe tighten it down against the bushing) and stores near me are terrible about stocking metric...so it will be a little while before I can test if the spring will work.

Proxy wrote: Maybe it's just me but that looks like a side stand spring. Could be wrong.

No, you might be right. I was looking at the bike today and it only has one spring on the side stand but mount points for two. Do I need both springs? It stays up but I suppose it could require more force.

If I need both springs and/or this one won't work with the center stand, I suppose I will have to buy a new spring...the only ones I saw on ebay came with the bushing and cost almost as much as an entire centerstand kit