Fork rake 0 degree
- Thread starter jerry574
- Start date
Jersey Big Mike
100K mile club
Rake is not the most important measurement.
The resultant TRAIL as mleach72 points out is.
Messing with the rake will change your trail and will change how the bike handles.
Generally trail is int the range of 0 to 6" -- If you get negative trail for some reason, basically you are going to crash and burn.
0" trail is considered the easiest to handle in a tight parking lot situation but suffers severely at highway speeds.
6" is stable and smooth at highway speeds but will make you work more when doing low speed maneuvers.
Before changing the trail of a bike I would recommend doing a bit of research and locate the trail calculator that is online where you can input your numbers and get an estimate.
Also things like changing the front tire size will effect your trail, lengthen fork etc.
Basically -- DO THE MATH -- then have someone check your math!
And there are many triple trees on the market that are 0 degree, raked trees are less common.
And FrankBDPS is correct -- most triple tree I know of go from 0 to maybe around 9 degrees. (9 degrees for stupid large wheels these days or trikes)
Mikeinjersey
Well-Known Member
Welcome from NJ
This website may explain it for you http://www.thompsonchoppers.com/rake-and-trail-calculator/
john sachs
Well-Known Member
When you USE raked trees, you change the rake and NOT the trail. That WILL hurt hi-speed handling. 0 degree trees WILL help handling.
John
Jersey Big Mike
100K mile club
John, I do believe you are incorrect about that. Rake and Trail are directly related.
Using a trail calculator and changing ONLY the tree rake also changes the trail.
mleach72
Well-Known Member
I hate to disagree with you John, but that just doesn't seem correct to me. Trail is the distance between the centerline of the front tire and the plane of the steering head if you draw a line through the steering head to the ground. A raked tree would push the front tire forward while the steering head would remain at the same angle. This seems like it would certainly change the trail. Again, I never claimed to be an expert, just my general understanding of the subject.
Twincam8888
Member
RB Racing Professional Rake and Trail Calculator
Yep, that RB racing site is very helpful. Zero inches of trail would be nimble and light steering but VERY unstable. No factory bikes come with zero trail. . Six inches of trail would be VERY stable but heavy sterling. If memory serves around 3.5" or 4" of trail is good. Stock Harley's like Dyna and Softail have 29 to 31 degree of rake and no rake in the trees. Early Dyna Wide Glides had about 32 rake in the neck and used 2 degree trees as I recall. A 34 to 36 degree rake neck probably need 3 degree trees to get the trail where you want it and 38 to 41 degree rake in the neck probably needs about 5 degree trees. I studied this back in the early 2,000's "chopper hay day" when i built 7 or 8 "choppers"
Yep, that RB racing site is very helpful. Zero inches of trail would be nimble and light steering but VERY unstable. No factory bikes come with zero trail. . Six inches of trail would be VERY stable but heavy sterling. If memory serves around 3.5" or 4" of trail is good. Stock Harley's like Dyna and Softail have 29 to 31 degree of rake and no rake in the trees. Early Dyna Wide Glides had about 32 rake in the neck and used 2 degree trees as I recall. A 34 to 36 degree rake neck probably need 3 degree trees to get the trail where you want it and 38 to 41 degree rake in the neck probably needs about 5 degree trees. I studied this back in the early 2,000's "chopper hay day" when i built 7 or 8 "choppers"
Twincam8888
Member
Twincam8888
Member
What is the rake in your neck? (short answer is that zero degree rake in your trees on a Ridgeback would make for VERY heavy floppy steering)
mjsk9
Well-Known Member
Hey Jerome.... A lot of responses to your question already posted by some very knowledgeable members on this forum. Sounds like the consensus is that the handling would definitely be affected by this modification. The following is additional information / opinion and photo showing before and after (although it was questioned whether real or photo-shopped) from a thread started in late 2018. Only posting for your review and edification.... Hope it helps.....
The entire thread is here......
Rake
I have a 03 chopper .If i go with a 5 degree triple tree and 12 over forks will my stock speedo and tack still clear tank when mounted?
www.bigdogbiker.com
Minuteman
Well-Known Member
Jérome , question, what are you trying to accomplish with these changes, it would seem to really figure out what you want to do with the bike which would make easier to figure what your true plan is? There has been a lot of great information put out, but not sure what you really want and why.
Minuteman
Well-Known Member
That is a big circle/roundabout, some of us have circles even tighter then that as to where large trucks with trailers actually have to ride up on the circle as some of ours do not have any landscaping. To maneuver through these is to brake a little and give some throttle at the same time. Just a little more insight for you to think about.