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Trike Rake Kit

15K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  ETC 
#1 · (Edited)
Being new to a full-blown trike I've got a question to you trike owners or anyone for that matter. How can I tell if our new to us trike has a rake kit? First of all, it has been a trike since it had 1 mile on it according to the title. It's not hard to steer, but then I didn't think our red bike with the TowPac Insta-trike kit on it was either. Just seems like it takes a little more push-pull in a hard corner than I was expecting. I hear/read all these reports that a rake kit makes it like power steering. Are they blowing smoke or? Is there a measurement I can take to tell if the front end is raked?
 
#2 ·
Al,

Measure the distance from the leading point of the lower timing cover cowl to the rear-most surface of the front FENDER.
The distance on a stock OE 2001-2010 GL1800 will be right at 1.5 inches.
A Steering Angle/Trail modified (Triple-Tree changed) GL1800 will have an approx. 3-3.25 inch (depending on whether 4.5* or 6*) distance at that same point.
**For GEN II (2012 & Up)**
Measure from leading point of the lower timing cover cowl to the rear-most surface of the front TIRE.
The distance on a stock OE 2012 & Up GL1800 will be right at 1.375 inches.
Safe to assume that a Steering Angle/Trail modified (Triple-Tree changed) GEN II will add about 1.5-1.75 inches to make a the modified measurement approx. 3 inches as well.

Les
 
#3 · (Edited)
Looks like Les has you fixed up. If you still have your other 1800, put them next to each other and you should be able to tell almost immediately if it has one.


Simple Dumb Plumber Solution :wink2:


By the way I personally have never felt the need to install one. I don't mind bulling the ole girl around (psst...not jaNice either). Having said that if I bought a trike that had a rake kit on it, I most likely would not take it off either.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the measurements Les. That should help. Al, the manufacturer should be able to supply you with the rake information if a change was done. My 1500 trike had the "easy steer" on it and visually I really couldn't tell unless a non-modded bike was parked next to it.
 
#5 ·
The lady I got the trike from found the paperwork where they bought it and it does have a 5-degree rake kit on it. Thanks Les, for the measurement info. I did ride the 08 with the Tow Pac today just to see the difference and the 05 does steer a little easier.
 
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#6 ·
Your welcome Al and congratulations on the full trike kit... I'm still riding my 2009 with Tow Pac conversion but maybe some day I'll go full trike as well...

Have fun and ride safe!!

Les
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the technical description, but most of us know that a rake kit really modifies trail... A true rake would involve re-positioning of the steering stem which of course is highly impractical unless you are building a bike from scratch... Guess you can blame the manufacturers of the kits as they refer to them as rake kits in their advertising... Just an FYI...
 
#10 ·
Yes and it's interesting that Fonda actually built the Captain America bike and said it was virtually impossible to ride and Dennis Hopper actually hated motorcycles and said this was the worst part he ever did. :surprise:
 
#12 ·
Fonda did not build that bike.
Benjamin F. "Ben" Hardy was an African-American custom motorcycle builder who made the Captain America and Billy choppers for the 1969 Peter Fonda road movie Easy Rider.[1]

The Captain America bike, made from a then 20-year-old, heavily customized Harley-Davidson panhead is considered one of the most iconic motorcycles ever built, one which captured the zeitgeist of a generation and became an anti-establishment symbol.[2][3]
Working with another Black motorcycle builder, coordinator Cliff Vaughs, Hardy built two 'Billy' bikes and three 'Captain Americas', one of which was destroyed in the making of the movie, the rest of which were stolen.[4] The 'Billy' bike was typical of the custom motorcycles Black bikers were riding at the time.
Hardy and Vaughs remained largely unknown and uncredited for 25 years as they were not accepted as being equal due to their color and, as African-Americans, were not welcomed into the mainstream white motorcycle world in the USA.[5]
Known locally as "Benny" and "King of Bikes" Ben Hardy's Motorcycle Service was located at 1168 E. Florence in Los Angeles. He was a mentor to many of the local motorcyclists in South Central, Los Angeles.
His work was featured in the “Black Chrome” exhibition at the California African American Museum.[1]
 
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