What is a Side Stand & Centre Stand?
The folding legs that hold the bike upright when parked, with a safety cutout to stop it being ridden away in gear.
Simplified animation — not to scale.
In plain English
The side stand is a simple pivoting leg that props the bike at an angle when parked; many bikes also fit a centre stand that lifts the rear wheel clear of the ground for chain maintenance.
“The bike's kickstand, doing exactly the job you'd expect — with an added safety switch most riders never think about until it fails.”
How it works
A spring holds the stand either folded up against the frame or extended to support the bike's weight. Most modern bikes wire a side-stand switch into the ignition system, cutting the engine or preventing it pulling away in gear if the stand is still down.
Signs of trouble
- ⚠Stand feeling loose or wobbly when extended
- ⚠Spring too weak to hold the stand retracted
- ⚠Bike cutting out unexpectedly, a stand switch fault
- ⚠Visible bending from being knocked or dropped on
What affects the repair?
We don't publish a generic price for this part because a responsible estimate needs a named motorcycle and a recent quote. These are the factors a qualified technician will weigh up.
- •Diagnosis: intermittent or system-wide faults may need dealer-level tools before the actual part can be identified.
- •Accessibility: some parts are quick to reach; others require significant fairing, tank or engine-cover removal.
- •Model differences: prices and labour times vary widely between manufacturers and specification levels.
- •New vs used: a genuine OEM part fitted at a franchised dealer costs more than a serviceable used or aftermarket part.
- •Calibration / coding: some parts require post-fit calibration, coding or a road test, which adds labour time.
Technical review pending