Since the side stand has an 'arm' that sticks out to make it reachable, perhaps you could add a short 'arm' on the kick stand that sticks out beyond the muffler. That way it could be reached more easily from the sitting position. Just a thought.
My aluminum polishing work uses basic tools, but the real heavy work is performed by a 7 inch cotton buffing wheel mounted on my bench grinder. I used a different wheel for each type of abrasive. It still takes a little time, but the buffing wheel makes it a lot easier and faster.