Just finished assembling & installing the Alta MX kickstand (p/n 8203563-00, $130) on my MXR. It was a very different
experience than the Pro Moto Billet unit on my '08 YZ250F (unbolt LH peg, install kickstand, replace peg). I was amazed to
find bags of parts, an arm without a foot, etc. Having worked on many kickstands over the years, I knew exactly what I was
in for.
If you trust your dealer not to muck it up, I'd suggest asking them to assemble it for you when it arrives as a courtesy; they'll
likely have some tools you don't, and if there's assembly damage you'll at least have some recourse. If you'll be doing it
yourself, here's some stuff that may at least help with what not to do.
The complete kit, minus instructions:
The kit comes with a 12-step assembly instruction pamphlet. Most steps are fine, but IMO several aren't.
Swapping out the peg bracket was no biggie. The bolts came right out with an impact gun (lots of LocTite on threads), and
the HD peg cotter pin came out with some coaxing. A new one is supplied, which I definitely needed.
Step 5: 'Press foot into kickstand' - easy! Uh, right. Long story short - I ended up pushing a long nail thru the foot's center
hole hard into my drill chuck, then sanding down the foot's ribs (on the holding peg into the arm) with a fingernail sanding
board. By applying enough heat to turn the HDPE brown and bearing down on the foot as hard as I could into a floor/wall
transition, I'd managed to squash one foot rib into the arm hole earlier, which gave me a rough rib height for sanding (remove @
.5mm / .020" total from the rib OD; if possible try a sanded one into the arm first before doing the rest). After sanding, the same force
applied earlier (no heat) eventually got the foot fully inserted and at the proper angle (pointing forward slightly).
Step 7: do step 8 first, and maybe save yourself some grief. The inner spring can block the big spring's hook gap, making
it difficult to get the link onto both springs (make sure the link's curve matches the drawing!).
Step 11: 'Slide the kickstand onto the foot peg bracket pin'. My version: "After making sure the bike won't topple over on
you, pull down on the slippery kickstand arm as hard as you effing can at the fully-extended angle while pushing in on the
pivot bushing with all your might at the exactly-correct alignment (an assistant would be priceless for this), being careful not
to gouge the arm bearing surface on the mount or allow the razor-sharp cotter pin ends to scratch off the arm's clear coat.
If you don't immediately succeed, ABORT with full force applied and try again, do not let the springs damage the arm!"
I'd strongly recommend protecting the top of the arm with steel (not aluminum) tape or thick plastic, and wrapping the peg-
pivot area with HD tape. A small crowbar didn't help me at all.
I think I'd prefer another 15mm of length, but it works fine as-is and folds up completely out of the way. That old
shooting pain in my elbow is now back with a vengeance, but kickstand damage was minimal and the unit is high-quality.
NOTE: footpeg mounts are painted silver, solvent-type cleaners remove it instantly.
None of this should've been necessary. Alta's production line is already set up to assemble EX & SM kickstands, this
would've been cake for them. If I order a complete kickstand assembly, I expect to receive an assembled kickstand.
Ray
experience than the Pro Moto Billet unit on my '08 YZ250F (unbolt LH peg, install kickstand, replace peg). I was amazed to
find bags of parts, an arm without a foot, etc. Having worked on many kickstands over the years, I knew exactly what I was
in for.
If you trust your dealer not to muck it up, I'd suggest asking them to assemble it for you when it arrives as a courtesy; they'll
likely have some tools you don't, and if there's assembly damage you'll at least have some recourse. If you'll be doing it
yourself, here's some stuff that may at least help with what not to do.
The complete kit, minus instructions:
The kit comes with a 12-step assembly instruction pamphlet. Most steps are fine, but IMO several aren't.
Swapping out the peg bracket was no biggie. The bolts came right out with an impact gun (lots of LocTite on threads), and
the HD peg cotter pin came out with some coaxing. A new one is supplied, which I definitely needed.
Step 5: 'Press foot into kickstand' - easy! Uh, right. Long story short - I ended up pushing a long nail thru the foot's center
hole hard into my drill chuck, then sanding down the foot's ribs (on the holding peg into the arm) with a fingernail sanding
board. By applying enough heat to turn the HDPE brown and bearing down on the foot as hard as I could into a floor/wall
transition, I'd managed to squash one foot rib into the arm hole earlier, which gave me a rough rib height for sanding (remove @
.5mm / .020" total from the rib OD; if possible try a sanded one into the arm first before doing the rest). After sanding, the same force
applied earlier (no heat) eventually got the foot fully inserted and at the proper angle (pointing forward slightly).
Step 7: do step 8 first, and maybe save yourself some grief. The inner spring can block the big spring's hook gap, making
it difficult to get the link onto both springs (make sure the link's curve matches the drawing!).
Step 11: 'Slide the kickstand onto the foot peg bracket pin'. My version: "After making sure the bike won't topple over on
you, pull down on the slippery kickstand arm as hard as you effing can at the fully-extended angle while pushing in on the
pivot bushing with all your might at the exactly-correct alignment (an assistant would be priceless for this), being careful not
to gouge the arm bearing surface on the mount or allow the razor-sharp cotter pin ends to scratch off the arm's clear coat.
If you don't immediately succeed, ABORT with full force applied and try again, do not let the springs damage the arm!"
I'd strongly recommend protecting the top of the arm with steel (not aluminum) tape or thick plastic, and wrapping the peg-
pivot area with HD tape. A small crowbar didn't help me at all.
I think I'd prefer another 15mm of length, but it works fine as-is and folds up completely out of the way. That old
shooting pain in my elbow is now back with a vengeance, but kickstand damage was minimal and the unit is high-quality.
NOTE: footpeg mounts are painted silver, solvent-type cleaners remove it instantly.
None of this should've been necessary. Alta's production line is already set up to assemble EX & SM kickstands, this
would've been cake for them. If I order a complete kickstand assembly, I expect to receive an assembled kickstand.
Ray
