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A scooter / a motorbike often has 2 supporting structures to help itself to stand alone.

1- The 1st supporting structure could be a V or U shape steel one that helps the scooter / motorbike stand up straight without leaning aside. It seems like people call it "kick stand". See the 2 pictures below:

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2- The 2nd supporting structure could be a steel bar that helps the the scooter / motorbike to stand by itself but not up straight. The scooter / motorbike may lean a bit to the side that has that steel bar. It seems like people call it "defensive spike".

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What are they called: the kick stands and the defensive spike of a scooter / motorbike?

Or do we have more general terms for them?

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  • I used to call the stand that makes the machine stand upright the centre stand, and the single leg that is hinged, upon which the bike leans, the prop stand or side stand. These are British terms.
    – Michael Harvey
    Jan 20, 2020 at 7:46
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    2 - It seems like people call it "defensive spike". No, it's called a side stand (UK) or kickstand (US). The term "Mad Max defensive spike" in the photo is a spoof name. Look at the other terms: "Pedestrian-seeking radar array", "10 kilowatt battery pack" etc!
    – Weather Vane
    Jan 20, 2020 at 10:24

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You've kind of answered your own question. It doesn't matter what shape it is - if it is fixed to the bike and folded away by "kicking" it, then it is a kickstand (usually styled as a compound word, rather than as 'kick stand'.

A removable stand that goes in the middle of the bike used for maintenance is called a centre stand. This is not "kicked" away, but the bike is pulled up and onto it.

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    As a UK biker since the late 1960s I have heard kick stand, side stand and prop stand for the hinged one on the side that you extend with your foot.
    – Michael Harvey
    Jan 20, 2020 at 13:20

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