Soft terrain motorcycle support fixture

A motorcycle side-stand accessory (10) enhances the effectiveness of a motorcycle side-stand (28) by allowing an operator to leave a motorcycle supported by the side stand on relatively soft terrain (24). The accessory comprises a thin, flat, steel, plate (12) to be placed under the side stand and a relatively long steel chain (14) attached to the metallic plate having an aluminum spring clasp (16) on its end for allowing the chain to be attached to a motorcycle foot peg (38), with the chain being relatively taut between the plate and the foot peg.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to the art of motorcycles and, more 
particularly, it relates to the art of accessories for enhancing the 
effectiveness of motorcycle side, "kick", stands. 
The ineffectiveness of side, "kick", stands for heavy motorcycles on soft 
terrain, such as mud, sand, soft asphalt, and the like, has long been 
recognized and, in fact, a number of suggestions have been made to improve 
the effectiveness of such side stands. Most prior-art suggestions for 
improving the effectiveness of side stands have involved placing a plate 
under a side stand to increase the surface area on which the side stand 
acts. Such suggestions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,521,031 to Huth, 
4,474,387 to Maranell et al., 3,955,829 to Bussler, 3,970,330 to Norcross, 
3,712,640 to Shipman et al., and 3,998,470 to Houston. However, all of the 
devices described in these patents have serious shortcomings which have 
prevented the devices from coming into more widespread use. For example, 
pads such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,521,031 to Huth and 
4,474,387 to Maranell et al. are often forgotten and left on the ground 
when a motorcycle operator drives away. Thus, the motorcycle operator 
encounters an expense in obtaining the pad, but the pad is quickly 
thereafter lost. 
There are a number of prior-art pads which attach to the ends of the side 
stands themselves, such as are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,829 to 
Bussler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,330 to Norcross, U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,640 to 
Shipman et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,470 to Houston. However, the pads 
of these devices are also often overlooked by operators when they start 
the motorcycles and they are sometime then vibrated loose from the side 
stands and lost and/or their relatively large sizes get in the way of 
operators and/or operating parts of the motorcycles. 
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a motorcycle side-stand 
accessory for enhancing the effectiveness of a motorcycle side stand on 
soft terrain but yet which is not easily lost and does not impede a 
motorcycle operator or the operation of other motorcycle parts. 
It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a motorcycle 
side-stand accessory which is safe in operation, effective in use, and 
relatively inexpensive to manufacture. 
Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a motorcycle 
side-stand accessory which can also be used for locking a motorcycle to 
thereby prevent theft. 
SUMMARY 
According to principles of this invention, an accessory for enhancing the 
effectiveness of a motorcycle side stand comprises a thin, relatively 
flat, metallic plate having one end of a metallic tether attached thereto 
extending away from the plate for removably fastening the metallic tether 
to a member of the motorcycle. The metallic tether includes a 
length-adjusting arrangement for allowing the reduction of slack in the 
tether extending between the plate and the motorcycle-member fastening 
point. Thus, a motorcycle operator can park his motorcycle on a soft 
surface with the metallic plate under his side stand and the metallic 
tether extending tautly to the motorcycle frame at a position close to the 
side stand so that when the operator kicks the side stand up he will feel 
the tether and be reminded that the accessory is present. In the primary 
embodiment, the length-adjusting means of the metallic tether includes a 
chain having a clasp at its outer end. Thus, the chain can be doubled over 
a motorcycle frame member and the clasp attached to an intermediate chain 
link with the chain being relatively taut between the plate and the 
motorcycle frame member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, a motorcycle side-stand accessory 10 
includes a flat steel plate 12, an 18 inch steel chain 14 and an aluminum 
spring clasp 16. The steel chain 14 is attached to the flat steel plate 12 
by means of a one-half inch long, 5/16 inch self tapping bolt 18 and a 
5/16 inch washer 20. 
The flat plate 12 is a 3-1/2 inch.times.3-1/2 inch plate cut from 3/16 inch 
sheet steel stock. Prior to assembly, a starter hole (not shown) is made 
at a point close to an edge 22 of the plate 12 in which the self tapping 
bolt 18 is screwed to cut its own threads. 
The chain 14 is constructed of 3/16 inch thick welded links. 
The spring clasp 16 is of a size such that it can be engaged with the links 
of the chain 14 as is depicted in FIG. 2. Also, the clasp 16 is 
particularly constructed of aluminum so as to be frangible and thereby 
automatically release its grip on a chain link should an unusual amount of 
force be placed upon the side-stand accessory 10. 
Describing now operation of the side-stand accessory 10 with reference to 
FIG. 2, the plate 12 is placed on marshy terrain 24 and the outer end 26 
of a side stand 28 of a motorcycle 30 is placed thereon to support the 
motorcycle 30 when the motorcycle is leaned sideways against the side 
stand 28. The side stand 28 is pivotally attached at 32 to a motorcycle 
frame portion 34 so that the side stand 28 is rotatable upwardly and 
backwardly as indicated by arrow 36 to a position approximately parallel 
to the motorcycle frame portion 34 when an operator desires to drive the 
motorcycle 30. The chain 14 is extended tautly about a foot peg 38, as 
shown in FIG. 2, and doubled back on itself with its clasp 16 being 
fastened to one of its links 40. Thus, the chain 14 remains taut between 
the plate 12 and the foot peg 38. The plate 12 increases the effective 
area of the outer end 26 of the side stand 28 so that the side stand 28 
provides sufficient support for the motorcycle 30. 
When the operator wishes to again drive his motorcycle 30, he must rotate 
with his foot the side stand 28 as shown by the arrow 36 to the stored 
position adjacent the frame member 34 and in doing so, his foot contacts 
the chain 14 and he is reminded that the side stand accessory 10 is in 
place and that it must be removed and stored. Should the operator drive 
away without lifting the side stand 28 (which he should not do under any 
circumstances, with or without this invention) he will immediately realize 
that the side-stand accessory 10 is present because it will be dragged on 
the ground by the chain 14. 
With regard to storing the accessory 10, this can be done by wrapping the 
chain around a motorcycle frame member and attaching it to itself or, as 
is obvious, by putting it in a motorcycle saddle bag or on the operator's 
person. 
In further use of the side-stand accessory 10, since the chain is 18 inches 
long, the chain can be used in combination with a padlock (not shown) to 
lock a motorcycle at a parking place by wrapping it around a motorcycle 
frame member and a pole or rack, or by extending the chain through 
motorcycle spokes, or the like. 
It will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art from the above 
description that the side-stand accessory of this invention enhances the 
effectiveness of a motorcycle side stand while always reminding the 
operator that it is present when the operator is about to drive off. 
Further, the side-stand accessory of this invention is universal in 
application in that it can be used with motorcycles of many sizes and 
shapes. 
A major feature of this invention is that the effective length of the chain 
14 can be adjusted so that that portion of the chain extending between the 
plate and the motorcycle frame is taut. In this manner, the chain can be 
placed near the side stand and also the accessory provides safe operation 
because the plate 12 is not dangling from a long tether so that it is free 
to go to the rear wheel or the like. Should the plate somehow get caught 
in an operative part of the motorcycle, the aluminum clasp 16 will easily 
bend to release the accessory 10 from the motorcycle frame member. 
Thus, the side-stand accessory of this invention is easy and inexpensive to 
manufacture, is effective in operation, is safe in operation and can be 
used universally with motorcycles of various sizes and shapes. 
It will also be understood by those of oridinary skill in the art that this 
invention has a dual use as a lock which can be used by the operator for 
locking his motorcycle at a location. 
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with 
reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those 
skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made 
therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.