I spoke with Jeff aka inmate: Hellsickle about his invention, the Swiftkicker. This gadget addresses a problem  anyone who has ever ridden in the dirt will understand the issue: How do I use my kickstand on ALL uneven terrain?

Generally, you have to find an area that is flat or lower than the bike, allowing your machine to lean on its stand—not anymore! See our chat with Jeff below!

How long have you been in business?

We first incorporated in 2014, the same year we made our first patent applications. US patent US9623925B2 was granted in 2015.

To create something new and useful takes skill and training; what is your background?

Both my partner Mike and I are licensed professional engineers with degrees in mechanical engineering.  Combined, we have over 80 years of engineering experience. Mike runs a small engineering company and has been accused of being a serial entrepreneur.

I have worked in the computer industry for over 40 years. After watching the tech industry shift most design and manufacturing offshore, Swiftkicker allows me to keep playing with mechanical CAD tools.

Why do you make parts for motorcycles, what inspired your passion?

Both of us have been riding dirt bikes since we were kids and have over 100 years of trail riding experience between us. I helped form Northern Colorado Trail Riders (NCTR.net) 30 years ago. NCTR clears about 200 miles of single-track trails in Colorado every year. Photo: Swiftkicker

The idea for an adjustable kickstand came up while doing trail clearing.  When you come across a downed tree, you need to park there, regardless of the terrain.  We’re all familiar with the drill of finding a stick or rock to put under your stand or digging a hole with your boot if the stand is too long.

Worst case, you need to shut off your gas and lay the bike on the ground, invariably forgetting to turn your gas back on until the bike starts sputtering a mile later.

Where are your parts made?

All components are manufactured in the USA.   With his engineering business, Mike has developed many part suppliers in the “rust belt” states.  Mike does the final assembly at his shop in Ohio.

Was this invention because of necessity or suggestions from friends?

Inventions are most often born from inconvenience.   Our personal experience demonstrated the need for an adjustable kickstand.  I did my own exhaustive search on prior art, and we obtained a US patent on our design in 2015. Photo: Swiftkicker

Describe the Swiftkicker and the advantages it has over stock kickstands?

The standard model for dirt bikes has a 6” range of travel that can be changed with just the toe of one foot.   No manufacturer offers a kickstand that can be adjusted on the fly.  Existing aftermarket adjustable stands require moving a pin to change the length, usually requiring tools and putting the bike onto a stand.

To deploy the stand, you swing it downward as you would with any kickstand.  Once lowered, you put a toe on the raised corner of the kickstand foot and extend the stand to the desired length.

If you overshoot, simply push down on the release tab and the stand retracts to the shortest length so you can pull it out again.   To put the stand up, you simply sweep your foot across the release tab and simultaneously swing the stand upward.

The stand can be easily deployed whether you are on or off the bike.  Here is a video of the stand being deployed while sitting on the bike.

Here is a video of the stand being deployed when off the bike

As someone who does light adventure touring on dirt bikes, I often have my bike loaded with gear, making it more difficult to get a leg over the bike.  I frequently climb off and on my bike with the kickstand down.

Because the stand is adjustable, you can get the bike close to vertical to minimize stress on the kickstand.   We discourage this behavior, except in emergencies.  

Some users have tried this with the bike leaning too far over, causing damage to the head.  The very few users who have broken our stand sheepishly confessed to having the bike leaned over excessively while climbing off and on.

Because of the modular nature of these stands, individual parts can be easily replaced if they get damaged or become too worn.

When the bike sits lower because it’s loaded with far more stuff than you should be carrying, the stand can easily accommodate the different resting heights.

Another benefit that someone pointed out to me was when loading bikes in a van or truck. If you forget to put the stand up before you tighten the straps, all you need to do is release the kickstand retractor to allow the stand to swing up.

Can you show some of the design processes?

The first step in the design process is to take several measurements on the factory stand.   After completing measurements, the kickstand head is designed on a 3D CAD system.  This is the CAD image for the KTM 790/890 that is in development. Image: Swiftkicker

3D printing is then used to verify the fitment of the head.  The same 790 head created with 3D plastic printing is shown below. Photo: Swiftkicker

The plastic printed heads clearly don’t have much strength, but they are in an invaluable check of the clearances on the bike, with very little expense involved (my printer guy works for pizza and beer). Cutting the aluminum is where it gets expensive.

I often go through two or three revisions of 3D printed parts before I’m happy with the fit. Once the fit is satisfactory, we will build the first small batch of heads from 6061 billet aluminum.

While our stands are made from light aluminum alloy, they do weigh a few ounces more than a stock stand.  For this reason, we pay close attention to the design of the spring used to hold the stand up while riding.

Spring machines are a wonderful way to produce custom springs at a low cost with no hard tooling involved.  Where we find the stock kickstand spring is sufficient, we ask the buyer to simply reuse the spring that was on his bike from the factory.

How do you test your products before offering them for sale, any unique methods?

Once the first aluminum heads are available, we will give one or two stands away for product testing.  We like to see a few months of heavy use before ramping up to higher volumes.

I should mention that one of my titles at Single Track Innovations is the “Corporate Crash Test Dummy.” I once rushed a prototype design to fit on my KTM 450 before going out to arrow the course for an AMA dual-sport event in Colorado.

I didn’t bother to wait for our custom heavier spring.  I ended up with a concussion and lacerations when it unexpectedly deployed as I launched off a water bar.   That was a sky-dirt-sky-dirt-sky-dirt moment.  I now pay very close attention to the spring design. Photo: Swiftkicker

Is the Swiftkicker stronger than a stock kickstand?

I’ve concluded that most factory kickstands were designed by the marketing department, rather than engineers!

Most kickstands have tiny feet that seek out the molten core of the earth when you park on soft ground. The Swiftkicker has a foot that is about 2X the size of a stock stand. The highest stress on any stand is in the head. Being machined from billet aluminum and of increased cross-section, our heads are significantly stronger than most stock kickstands.

What are some of the challenges in designing the Swiftkicker?

Mostly straight stands are the best candidates. Because of the telescoping nature of our stands, any factory stand with a bend will reduce the amount of travel available. Bikes with shorter stands also limit the available travel.

Most dirt bikes can accommodate our standard 6-inch total travel. Most adventure bikes are likely to be closer to a 4-5 inch travel.

For bikes that have been lowered, we offer minus one-inch and minus two-inch options on most stands. The shorter stand will also have less travel.  For example, a stand with 6-inch standard travel shortened by 2 inches will then have 4 inches of travel.

The other big challenge is getting into the Adventure motorcycle market.  Not only do many of these bikes have a stand with a bend, but the weight of a loaded adventure bike presents additional challenges.

To meet this challenge, we recently retooled the plastic part that holds the one-way ratcheting mechanism. We changed from a two-piece design that used ABS resin, to a single-piece design using a high-strength glass-filled polymer. This change was essential before we could build robust stands for large adventure bikes. An added benefit is increased resistance to oil and other chemicals.

What about suitability for normal wheels vs. supermoto wheels: Do I need to buy two kickstands?

This stand is perfect for riders that go both ways.  With a 6” range of travel, this stand will easily accommodate switching wheels back and forth. If someone has lowered their suspension and is using motard wheels, we will usually recommend purchasing the shortened option.

Pictures of my KTM 500 swapping between motard and dirt wheels Photo: Swiftkicker Photo: Swiftkicker

Do you focus your products on small bikes or big bikes?

Our market to date has been for dirt and smaller dual-sport bikes.

We wanted to start with the smaller bikes to prove the design on a bike that wasn’t a shiny $20k adventure bike loaded with farkles.

Now that we have upgraded components to leverage into the ADV bikes, I expect to start releasing ADV models after testing this spring.

What is your current list of models you cover?

We have stands for all the popular brands of single-cylinder dirt bikes. The initial focus was on KTM, but we since have branched out to the popular Hondas, Betas, Gas Gas, Husqvarnas, and Yamahas.

Our website at swiftkicker.net has a full product listing. If you don’t see your model listed, we often have something designed and ready to release, or another model of bike can be leveraged. Drop us a line with any questions on fitment.

What other models are currently in development?

I have just completed the design of a KTM 790/890 and KTM 690 stand. We are getting bids for materials and should have them available early this summer.

Due to popular demand, we have also designed and are getting ready to release a version for the Suzuki DR650. The Yamaha T7 model is designed and in the fitment phase now.

We are also looking at the Honda CRF250/300L models.

Can I suggest a model of bike?

We are always open to suggestions.

Due to limitations with the stock design, some models may not be practical. We also get requests for some bikes that aren’t sold in a sufficient volume to make an aftermarket stand commercially feasible.

For some bike models, we are looking into using a GoFundMe type model to speed up the initial launch. Once we have 10 confirmed buyers, we will pull the trigger and build the first batch of heads. This allows us to fund new development as we go along, facilitating the organic growth of the company.

These initial models will come with a lifetime warranty to encourage new buyers.

Do ADVrider and its inmates play a big part in your business, do you offer any kind of incentive or discount for inmates?

Our vendor page on ADVrider is here in the vendor’s forum: Swiftkicker adjustable kickstand – dirt parking made easy

I would also encourage people to visit and like and follow our Facebook page. Our eCommerce page can be found at Swiftkicker.net

At this time, we do not have a discount for ADVrider members but will consider that in the future. We frequently give discounts to those who are actively involved in promoting and maintaining opportunities for motorized single-track trails.

Also available from TacoMoto.co in their online store

We have done limited business through dealerships, we specifically choose shops that have the same mindset and fundamentals we do.