Have the bike at the shop being customized, thinking about changing the rake on it, somewhere between 3 and 5 degrees. Anyone have any experience doing that???? still stable and solid ride? should i put a fork brace on while i do the forks? which kit would you recommend?

thanks for the input.

Ted

 

How are you planning on doing the rake job? There's right and wrong ways; right way will keep the shiny side up, and the wrong way will leave dark brown smears in your drawers if you are lucky.

There are several guys on the forums with kits that increase the rake while maintaining correct trail. The trail is way more important than the rake.

Some like the looks of the kits and others don't. But at least they are properly engineered!

 

I'm not a chopper style fan but like 3-5 deg. rake on sportys. You should check over on www. xlforum.net as a lot of guys ofer there have raked fronts using everything from beraing cups or trees to complete kits like Seeger, AME sells.

I've been thinking about it myself and most that I found through research and asking others is that a raked tree is best for 3-5 degree with no ill handling affects (in other words not affecting the positive or negative trail). Of course lowering or raising the back with shocks affects the outcome alsodepending upon whether or not you use raked trees with stock length or plus or minus length legs.

 

Raking with trees 3 to 5 degrees will most definately affect the trail. It will decrease it; whether to the point of ill-handling (high speed tank-slapper) depends on many other things. Raked trees are good for correcting trail on a raked frame, raked cups, etc. Have riders used them by themselves? Yep. I've survived a tank-slapper. I try not to do something that will point me in that direction again!

 

I rode a friend's 05 1200 Custom with 5 degree trees only, no cutting the neck.
I took it on 35mph roads, 55mph roads, and interstate travel.

It handled fine, which is why Im going to buy 5 degree trees for my 06 883 Custom.

I would not go over 5 degrees though

 

I think most that I've heard from say 3-5 handles well and that slamming or raising the rear at the same time depending upon length fork tubes plays into it. There are a couple guy over on XLforum that have had their stock rake sportys for like 12yrs. and upgraded in the last couples to raked trees (one 3 degree and the other 6) and like rides like its on rails feeling with no side to side play even cornering hard. Course I'm not disputing Pococj's claims either. Suposedly HHI makes some of the better raked tree setups for a good price and you can run a rake/trail calc. and decide what you want but I think they say for keeping within allownces 5 is max. I've seen some good looking chopper kits from http://www.seegercycle.com/though I dont like extreme rakes but I don't quite like the contraption they incorporate tokeep the trail under control.

Here's a good looking HHI 3 degree rake with stock length tubes and mid glide front end from a guy I know over on XLF...

 

I have 3 degree trees on mine they work fine, I have had them on the bike for about 6 years now. If you lower the bike in the rear it brings the trail back in line. But even if you don't it doesn't hurt a thing.

 

thanks for the info...i am gonna go 4 degrees with the HHI.