Question: What Is Rake Angle On A Motorcycle?

What is rake on a motorcycle frame?

Rake is the angle, in degrees, that the steering head of the frame —not the forks—is tilted back from the vertical. For example, the rake angle on all the Harley-Davidson Touring models is 26 degrees.

Where is the rake on a motorcycle?

OFFSET: Centerline of the top steering neck to the centerline of the top of the fork tubes. RAKE: The angle in degrees of the steering neck from vertical. FORK LENGTH: The distance between the top of the fork tubes to the centerline of the axle.

How does rake affect handling?

1) When you change rake, you are moving a VERY SMALL amount of weight. That has almost no effect on handling. 2) When you change ride height ( rake ) you are moving the roll center and CG. If you started at the ideal point for front and rear grip, changing the roll center reduces grip on that end.

How does trail affect motorcycle handling?

The bottom line here is that the more rake and trail we have, the more stable the bike will become, although both steering and maneuverability may suffer for it. Conversely, when rake and trail are reduced, the bike will steer quicker and become more maneuverable, though it’s usually at the expense of stability.

Does lowering a motorcycle improve handling?

Even if you lower your bike by the book, handling can be affected to some degree. “When you lower a bike, you also lower its center of gravity, so it’ll handle a bit better in certain circumstances,” says Langley. “The negative is that your initial ground clearance is decreased.

What is the difference between rake and trail?

Rake (also called caster) is the angle of a motorcycle’s steering head of the frame (A). Trail (B) is measured in distance (inches or millimeters) between the point of the front wheel’s contact with the ground and a line drawn through the axis of the steering head.

How do you measure forks on a motorcycle?

Fork length is measured from the base of the frame neck to the center point of the axle mounting hole. For any off-the-shelf motorcycle this standard measurement for the front forks is considered stock length.

How does ride height affect handling?

For a higher ride height, the center of mass of the car is higher, which makes for less precise and more dangerous handling characteristics (most notably, the chance of rollover is higher). Higher ride heights will typically adversely affect aerodynamic properties.

What is reverse rake?

reverse rake is when the front of your car sits higher than the rear.

How does stack height affect bike handling?

The idea seemed to have worked, as it’s a pretty standard way of measuring bikes and how they fit a rider now. The height of your handlebars affects the way a bike rides. If the stack is low it keeps your weight over the front, if its higher it means you sit up more and your weight shifts backwards.

How does wheelbase affect motorcycle handling?

In general, wheelbase affects a motorcycle’s handling and feeling of stability. Shorter wheelbases usually feel more lively in terms of cornering, but can feel less stable at high speed. Conversely, a long wheelbase will usually feel very planted when moving fast, but may feel slow to respond to steering inputs.

How does wheelbase affect bike handling?

A vehicle with a longer wheelbase will require a greater turning force to have the same steering effect as a shorter one. A tandem takes more effort to steer but is very stable going downhill, while a crit bike will have as short a wheelbase as possible for increased agility.

What is a fork on a motorcycle?

A motorcycle fork connects a motorcycle ‘s front wheel and axle to its frame, typically via a yoke, also known as a triple clamp, which consists of an upper yoke joined to a lower yoke via a steering stem, a shaft that runs through the steering head, creating the steering axis.