I've found that it's a trade-off. The stock kickstand is great for washing your bike, leaving it in tech, waiting for your buddies (riding mx conversions) to catch their breath, stopping outside of a local convinience store, or (the most common) parking your bike so that you can pull your friends out of mudholes, lift them over trees, or help them change plugs. But it absolutely sucks for racing HS or GNCC, when you are forced to dive into deep muddy ruts, or get clipped on the left by local pros (sucks more so for them). I used to remove mine for races, then put it back for training/ trail riding (super glue worked great as a thread locking agent). However, it screwed me often enough while turning around on failed rutted hilclimbs, snagging tight roots, rocks and trees; and while pedaling backward in loose brush/debris; that i eventualy removed it for good. I now carry a stand in the truck (for the pits) and I simply keep a strap in the toolbag for the trail (hook one end on the handguard, and tie or hook the other on a tree, another bike, a rock, whatever, then lean the bike so it is held by the strap's tension). I do miss it at times, but it is much better this way. It never came down on me after hard landings or any of the other stories that you hear, but it will screw you eventualy if you do any technical off road riding. I'd love to get a stand similar to what's on the KTM exc's or like the aftermarket one's I've seen for the YZ/YZFs (the ones that are mounted at the front of the swingarm and fold up parallel to the tubing of the lower subframe). Oh well, maybee it will be on the new model KDX along with the 48mm inverted KYB fork and hydrolic clutch.
-Nick