Front end rake

[Gold Rush]

Re: rake kit

new on board, going to trike gl 1800 what rake kit should i order its for a roadsmith

- - - Updated - - -

new on this board. would like to know what rake kit to buy for gl1800

- - - Updated - - -

for got its for a roadsmth kit

Howdy pre48.. You've come to the right place. ZOOK be the man when it comes to raking and the science behind it. To top it all off he'll make you one heck of a deal on the kit itself. I've installed several of his rake kits on GL1800s and they go in smooth as can be. Believe me, you won't get better advice or rake kit anywhere else.

BTW -- You'll love the rake kit. Especially if you have any upper body strength issues.....

 

[Rick Kay]

Re: rake kit

Howdy! Welcome to Trike Talk! :wave4:

Zook's your man - get you rake kit from him! ThumbUp

 

[pre48]

Re: rake kit

I would recommend a 6 degree rake kit for your Roadsmith.

thanks for the info, i well be ordering one in next few days. going to order roadsmith kit mybe monday

 

[SMSgt]

Re: rake kit

thanks for the info, i well be ordering one in next few days. going to order roadsmith kit mybe monday

Hey and welcome to the forum. I sent you a PM on my experience. A rake kit is a must. You didn't say if you were building it yourself or having an installer. Good luck and keep in touch.
SMSgt
Kent

 

[Ssssnake]

Rake Kit?

OK here goes, I know I'm opening myself up to possibly big time rants. I have an 03 Honda VTX 1300. Bought it brand new & assembled right out of the crate. 33XXX miles. My first wife passed away a few years ago & I have since remarried. My new wife has never been on a motorcycle but said she would try it. She is very nervous & I found a company in Dade City,Florida that custom builds a removable trike kit that with four bolts & a disconnect of a plug for the light wiring on the kit, converts back to a two wheeler in less than ten minutes. I bought it and am Very Pleased with it & so is the wife! My question is: It's quite hard to steer at very slow speeds. I really don't expect it will go back to two wheels very often or at all. What amount of fork degree would help the steering? I prefer the least amount so if I do want to go back to the two wheels configuration I could still handle it! Sorry to be so long winded but I figure the more info you have, the better the response & reply. Thanks in Advance, Tom

 

[Gold Rush]

Re: Rake Kit?

Tom I believe you will find that no modification is recommended. I'm betting several will jump in and tell you more.

 

[tfdeputydawg]

Re: Rake Kit?

When I started my quest for a trike or ?, I started by investigating Voyager and Tow Pac. I also found them very hard to steer!
That led to asking about a rack kit.
With no hesitation what so ever, I was told the bike would be to dangerous to ride as a 2 wheeler with a rake kit!!!
This seemed to be the response from those that should know.
It has to do with altering the trail measurement, which apparantly makes the bike unstable to ride as a 2 wheeler.
None of those that told me this could explain why custom motorcycles are built w/raked frames/extended front ends and are OK?????????????

 

[gilroy]

Re: Rake Kit?

I seem to recall that folks have been riding raked out bikes for generations. Many with more rake than you are likely to use to rake a trike. It will handle a little differently for sure, but I think it is a bit over the top to call it "dangerous". Unless maybe if you do the knee dragging thing!

 

[pcombe]

Re: Rake Kit?


First go to the right side of the forum and click on the triple tree to see what rake is recommended.
Contact zook with any questions.ThumbUp

:Shrug:I have built and ridden many choppers and raked the front ends.
Yes it handles different. It will be more responsive in turns , you may feel at first as if it falls into turns etc.

This is not a condition that you can't overcome with experience, and It makes the trike handle easier, My advice would be leave it as a trike and not concern yourself over how it acts as a bike.:Shrug:
There are plenty of lower cost used bikes out there if you also want a two wheeler.

Your looking for the best of both worlds, and wonder why you would want to threaten the safety of someone who is not an experienced rider?

My second thoughts on the subject are: I really dont care for how the voyager type trikes ride and behave, please consider doing a full conversion to begin with for her sake?
Scare her and you have lost her willingness.

 

[Veritas44]

Re: Rake Kit?

+1 to pcombe & Dep. Dawg ThumbUp

The Voyager, Trigg Trike, and Tow-Pac type "Trike add-ons" are VERY different from true Trike conversions. You CANNOT equate much of anything from one to the other.
Not knocking them at all-just calling it like it IS.

Due to it's nature, you will Never get it totally satisfactory on how it handles both at low and high speed/conditions. You just can't. You need to decide which you prefer, accept and live with the other, and leave it at that.

Whatever you choose, all the best and hope your needs are satisfied with your decision.

 

[pcombe]

Re: Rake Kit?

View attachment 16793First go to the right side of the forum and click on the triple tree to see what rake is recommended.
Contact zook with any questions.ThumbUp

:Shrug:I have built and ridden many choppers and raked the front ends.
Yes it handles different. It will be more responsive in turns , you may feel at first as if it falls into turns etc.

This is not a condition that you can't overcome with experience, and It makes the trike handle easier, My advice would be leave it as a trike and not concern yourself over how it acts as a bike.:Shrug:
There are plenty of lower cost used bikes out there if you also want a two wheeler.

Your looking for the best of both worlds, and wonder why you would want to threaten the safety of someone who is not an experienced rider?


My second thoughts on the subject are: I really don't care for how the voyager type trikes ride and behave, please consider doing a full conversion to begin with for her sake?
Scare her and you have lost her willingness.

One other thought on the subject::Shrug:
Try to keep the trike in a gear where it is always pulling, I have ridden trikes that behave much better that way at low speeds.ThumbUp
It doesn't give it such an opportunity for front end wobble and if it does begin to shake a little throttle may bring it right out of it?

 

[Veritas44]

Re: Rake Kit?

+1 to That too pcombe. BIG difference between "coasting" & constant or increasing velocity and acceleration.

Rake is different than Steering Angle. Rake is the angle of the Frame Neck. Steering Angle is Angle of Forks. Swapping Trike Triples (called by many Names by Manufacturers) modify the Steering Angle which changes Trail. Increasing Steering Angle reduces Trail. The Rake is not actually changed by switching or modifying Triples.

Custom Cycles/"Choppers" are designed and produced from front to back with the correct Geometry (ALL lengths and angles), in concert to proper proportion and dimension. IF, they are done Right. THAT's how they can be as they are and still operate correctly and safely. Even with all that, They are still quite different in regard to handling and performance characteristics and must be operated as well as respected accordingly.

This Overall Geometric Dynamic principle is the Real Reason Trikes change Triples. Easier/Lighter steering is a nice and desirable effect but is not the primary function/requirement of and for them. Triking changes the Rear Operational Dynamic in and of itself. To be "correct", the Front must be changed as well to bring the Overall Unit's geometry into proper proportion. There are no Cookie-Cutter answers regarding Trikes due to the different Bikes and Trike conversions. There are Definitely no such "One Size Fits or is OK for All" practice when comparing Bikes to Trikes.

Just ain't that Simple. Be nice,,, But it just ain't

 

[pre48]

Re: rake kit

just got rake kit in mail today, that is a nice tree , zook you done good , really like it, so it to some of the other guys and they agree it is no 1 tree, have not got roadsmith kit yet, there to ship it the week of dec 16th. i have wing apart waiting on kit. thanks for all the info i got off this forum

 

[Gold Rush]

Re: rake kit

just got rake kit in mail today, that is a nice tree , zook you done good , really like it, so it to some of the other guys and they agree it is no 1 tree, have not got roadsmith kit yet, there to ship it the week of dec 16th. i have wing apart waiting on kit. thanks for all the info i got off this forum

What a GREAT way to spend a couple of your WINTER months!!! You will have the pleasure and pride of doing it yourself. That is just plain GREAT !! :xszpv:

 

[Veritas44]

Re: rake kit

Looks like you got all the Pieces of your Puzzle laid on. ThumbUp

Have fun with it and you will be enjoying the fruits of your efforts soon enough.
All the Best to You!

 

[Ssssnake207]

Rake Kit?

Does anybody on here, know where I could get a rake kit installed in or near Saginaw,MI?

I'm willing to drive 50 or 100 miles when the weather permits, sometime in mid-April to have it done. Honda VTX 1300 with a removable trike kit on it. Will be getting a 6 degree kit from Zook(aka Randy) on here. Thanks, Ssssnake207 aka "Tom".

 

[Veritas44]

Re: Rake Kit?

Call Central Motorsports in Mt Pleasant.
989-773-6025

 

[Jonesy]

Re: Rake Kit?

I don't think you would want a rake kit on a part time trike, you'd be taking your life in your hands riding it on 2 wheels. I remember seeing that some where.

 

[Papa Zook]

Re: Rake Kit?

I don't think you would want a rake kit on a part time trike, you'd be taking your life in your hands riding it on 2 wheels. I remember seeing that some where.

The OP will not be removing the trike kit but even if he did, people rake their VTXs all the time actually. Go to any of the VTX forums and you will see a lot of guys who have customized their VTXs to include a 6 degree rake kit. The manufacturer of the rake kit I sell for the VTXs, sells more rake kits by far to two wheeler VTX owners than trike owners. I am not saying I recommend this, but tens of thousands of bikes out there run from mild to extreme rake kits on all kinds of bikes from VTXs to choppers to baggers. A 6 degree on a VTX is not dangerous.

 

[msocko3]

Re: Rake Kit?

The OP will not be removing the trike kit but even if he did, people rake their VTXs all the time actually. Go to any of the VTX forums and you will see a lot of guys who have customized their VTXs to include a 6 degree rake kit. The manufacturer of the rake kit I sell for the VTXs sells more rake kits by far to two wheeler VTX owners than trike owners. I am not saying I recommend this, but tens of thousands of bikes out there run from mild to extreme rake kits on all kinds of bikes from VTXs to choppers to baggers. A 6 degree on a VTX is not dangerous.

:Agree:They've been raking bike for years, some of those folks have put many miles on them raked.

 

[tfdeputydawg]

Re: Rake Kit?

The OP will not be removing the trike kit but even if he did, people rake their VTXs all the time actually, go to any of the VTX forums and you will see a lot of guys who have customized their VTXs to include a 6 degree rake kit. The manufacturer of the rake kit I sell for the VTXs sells more rake kits by far to two wheeler VTX owners than trike owners. I am not saying I recommend this, but tens of thousands of bikes out there run from mild to extreme rake kits on all kinds of bikes from VTXs to choppers to baggers. A 6 degree on a VTX is not dangerous.

To bad I didn't know you back when I triked!!!
My initial desire was a Voyager or a TowPac to be removed once I reached a destination, such as Deal's Gap. After ridding one it became very apparent a rake kit was needed. Both, advised at the time, adding the rake kit would make the bike very dangerous to ride as a 2 wheeler.
I asked, then how could such radical rakes be added to choppers. The answer was the neck angle was changed, not just raked triple trees.
I moved on.
Now comes another question. What is the stock rake and trail of a VTX vs the 1800 Wing?
My understanding, as the trail is reduced, so is the "highway" speed stability. 0 or negative trail results in a very dangerous chance of "tank slappers" at speed.
Is there any truth to this?