Rake question?
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Outstanding HDF Member
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From: Brunswick, MD
Rake question?
I am thinking of getting a new complete front end with a 5 or 7 degree rake and my question is.... should I go with longer tubes or will it be OK with stock tubes? What about trail, Myself I don't really understand what all trail is all about or what it can cause by not having it right. Also what else needs to be done if anything to make the bike ride correctly at low and high speeds? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks, Donnie
Thanks, Donnie
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,302
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From: SW Corner of NW Corner
RE: Rake question?
that much rake, without making other changes, will **** your ride.... I'm not an expert in this area by any means, all I can say for sure is that if you are going to go down this road, get with someone that knows what they are talking about, has done mods like this before, and has a proven track history of putting together front ends that are still rideable.
For more information, try Google'ing "rake and trail calculator"
This is one of the first hits that comes up...
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/rakeandtrail.html
For more information, try Google'ing "rake and trail calculator"
This is one of the first hits that comes up...
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/rakeandtrail.html
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 559
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From: north carolina
RE: Rake question?
With that much rake in the trees you will be decreasing your trail a good amount. Not dangerously, but enough to make it handle like ****.
If you were to go 5-7 degree rake you would definitely want to lengthen the tubes. More to increase the trail than for looks. By puting longer fork tubes on you would raise the frame and neck back up to change the angle of the neck rake. The thing is you would need to raise it higher than stock height to do any correction to the trail.
By decreasing trail from stock significantly, you would make the bike exremely responsive. It would make it very quick to turn when you move the bars. If you increase the trail from stock significanly, you would make the handling sluggish. It would feel like you are fighting the bars to get it to turn.
If you want to do the raked trees, I would suggest 3 degrees at most and probably go with 3-4 inch longer fork tubes. This would put it close to a stock trail.
All of this is assuming that the raked trees are using HD stock offset. That is more than I have time to explain right now though. I will try to come back later with the offset correlation.
If you were to go 5-7 degree rake you would definitely want to lengthen the tubes. More to increase the trail than for looks. By puting longer fork tubes on you would raise the frame and neck back up to change the angle of the neck rake. The thing is you would need to raise it higher than stock height to do any correction to the trail.
By decreasing trail from stock significantly, you would make the bike exremely responsive. It would make it very quick to turn when you move the bars. If you increase the trail from stock significanly, you would make the handling sluggish. It would feel like you are fighting the bars to get it to turn.
If you want to do the raked trees, I would suggest 3 degrees at most and probably go with 3-4 inch longer fork tubes. This would put it close to a stock trail.
All of this is assuming that the raked trees are using HD stock offset. That is more than I have time to explain right now though. I will try to come back later with the offset correlation.
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Outstanding HDF Member
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From: Brunswick, MD
RE: Rake question?
Thanks both of you for the replys that's what I wanted to hear.... I really wanna know more about this trail thing.... The way I take it is the way I use to do with my bicycles... added another set of forks and when turning is was quick and it took a while to learn to ride it correctley? Is that what we are talking when we are talking trail?
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Joined: Jun 2007
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RE: Rake question?
That's exactly what they are talking about except way more critical. You are not going to ride that bicycicle 100+ MPH. I have a V Star that I lowered and raked 6 deg in the trees. I extended the forks 3" to get the trail back toa managable dimension. Before I did that, it was likeriding a crotch rocket, way too responsive for a cruiser.
catfish
catfish
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