Lowering the front end (part2)
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 577
Likes: 4
Exactly the same. It is critical to keep in mind that we are NOT changing the height of the rear of the bike. Therefore, if you lengthen or shorten the fork length, you change the angle of the forks to the ground even though you don't change the neck angle. Imagine if you had 6 feet long forks with the same rear shocks and rear height. This would tend to extend the forks forward..increasing the trail. Don't assume the rear and the front stay horizontal. If they were exactly horizontal before you change the forks, they will now be at an angle however slight..either up or dowm depending on whether you raise or lower the fork tubes.
Hope this makes sense. I wish I could draw pictures, or just write better.
Look at the attached article
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0310_art/index.html
perhaps this will clarify
Hope this makes sense. I wish I could draw pictures, or just write better.
Look at the attached article
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0310_art/index.html
perhaps this will clarify
Last edited by gregbenner; Feb 24, 2010 at 08:44 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 2
Exactly the same. It is critical to keep in mind that we are NOT changing the height of the rear of the bike. Therefore, if you lengthen or shorten the fork length, you change the angle of the forks.
If you change the angle of the forks by raising or lowering the forks, as you describe, the trail will change.
Look at the attached article
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0310_art/index.html
perhaps this will clarify
If you change the angle of the forks by raising or lowering the forks, as you describe, the trail will change.
Look at the attached article
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0310_art/index.html
perhaps this will clarify
If you read my second post I said assuming you keep the bike level. If you are only lowering the front then yes it would change trail even if there is no rake in the trees, but why would anyone just lower the front. Most of the time this question is posed by someone who has lowered the rear and wants to lower the front to even it up.
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,483
Likes: 39
From: Passaic County, NJ
I saw in the other topic about sliding the tubes up the trees about an inch. Has anyone here done this and if so what are the cons? Does it decrease the turn radius or increase the chance of high speed wobble? I don't want to lower the entire bike as my wife rides a lot. Any input would be appreciated and pictures would be nice. My bike is a 08 street bob. Thanks
I don't get it...
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 577
Likes: 4
Yikes, didn't catch that. I think we come from different backgrounds...in my experience the only reason someone would lower the front is to change the handling (i.e. "trun in" of perhaps headshake) by changing the trail. Not really used to situations where someone would want to lower the entire bike. Sorry for the confusion
greg
greg
If you read my second post I said assuming you keep the bike level. If you are only lowering the front then yes it would change trail even if there is no rake in the trees, but why would anyone just lower the front. Most of the time this question is posed by someone who has lowered the rear and wants to lower the front to even it up.
Last edited by gregbenner; Feb 25, 2010 at 06:06 AM. Reason: Spellin error
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