Raked or not raked

I have an 08GL18HPN with 2013 M/T Adventure kit. When I got it the dealer said it had a rake kit installed. But at speed it takes some muscle to make it turn the corners. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Greenhornet said:

I have an 08GL18HPN with 2013 M/T Adventure kit. When I got it the dealer said it had a rake kit installed. But at speed it takes some muscle to make it turn the corners. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Hopefully a trike person will come along and offer more help. However, I can share this.

If yours came with a rake kit, it may have come with the rake angle M/T recommends ... 4.5 degs. I believe 4.5 is the lowest angle made, with other kit going as high as 6.5 deg. The greater the angle, the easier they are to steer. The easiness to steer is also relative to your trike's overall wheel base. In other words, your wheel base is only 69" and they use a 4.5 deg rake kit, while a RS is 78" and they use a 5.5 deg rake kit. The add'l angle helps RS overcome a longer wheelbase, and steer more like yours.

Increasing the angle also has it's down side and increases the likely hood of other problems showing up. For example ... the greater the angle, the greater the need for longer throttle cables. No rake kit that I am aware of comes with longer cables. It often means the trike fails a "throttle operation inspection" when it comes in for a service. According to Honda, a throttle operation inspection is important enough to be needed every 8,000 miles. Your throttle should always be able to snap back on full right and left turns, as well as when the bars are pointing straight ahead. The greater the angle, the faster steering head bearings wear. On the ones with 6.5 deg, the bearings wreath as quick as every 20k. On some with a rake kit of 6.5 deg, the flexible hoses that run from lower triple tree down to the top of the front fender are often taught when the forks are fully extended. Such hoses should never, ever be taught.

Bob I suspect your MT does indeed have the 4.5 degree rake kit. Even if you had the 6.5, which is not recommended for shorter wheelbase trikes, some effort is needed to corner. The faster you go the more muscle is required. Part of the cure is time and experience and part is searching and learning from others.

Two things I would point out and suggest you try. First keep you body as centered as possible. Using you feet and legs push down on the outboard foot peg/running board to counter the centrifugal force effect while pushing with your hand & arm on the outside handle bar to negotiate the curve/corner. Second thing is to get use to lane position while cornering. Some riders like to cut off the curve/corner and others like to swing wide then cut back. To be honest I find myself doing both depending on the situation. Practice those two skills and you will feel a lot more comfortable. :xszpv: :xszpv:

My new Roadsmith came with the 5.5 deg. rake and even as a new trike rider I took to riding like a "fish in the water"

My bike steers very easy, w/o much strength, and at the end of the day I'm not all tired out riding..

I'm glad I did my homework and listened to many of you "seasoned" trike riders... You all were truely correct, when saying to rake it out...

I've been riding motorcycle(s) for over fifty years, so I'm not a newbe to riding two wheels, BUT three wheels I'm still learning (with a smile)....

Things I learned:1) Watch out for gas pumps smashing into them with your fender

2) Allow more time at a gas station, cause every bodies coming up to yea

3) stay behind that windshield, cause bugs will fly into your mouth, cause you can't wipe that smile off your face..

4) steer into that corner, don't lean

5) Many questions will be asked too you

6) Most important thing is learn to stop smiling before entering your home, cause your wife will think, "somethings up", and you did something wrong, and she's going to a want a complete explanation on why your smiling :wave4::wave4::wave4:

Gotta love it!

Ronnie

Thanks for all the answers. I guess I am just too new to trikes. Now that the weather is changing I will start racking up a lot of miles and get use to the new ride.

Burnerboy said:

My new Roadsmith came with the 5.5 deg. rake and even as a new trike rider I took to riding like a "fish in the water"

My bike steers very easy, w/o much strength, and at the end of the day I'm not all tired out riding..

I'm glad I did my homework and listened to many of you "seasoned" trike riders... You all were truely correct, when saying to rake it out...

I've been riding motorcycle(s) for over fifty years, so I'm not a newbe to riding two wheels, BUT three wheels I'm still learning (with a smile)....

Things I learned:1) Watch out for gas pumps smashing into them with your fender

2) Allow more time at a gas station, cause every bodies coming up to yea

3) stay behind that windshield, cause bugs will fly into your mouth, cause you can't wipe that smile off your face..

4) steer into that corner, don't lean

5) Many questions will be asked too you

6) Most important thing is learn to stop smiling before entering your home, cause your wife will think, "somethings up", and you did something wrong, and she's going to a want a complete explanation on why your smiling :wave4::wave4::wave4:

Gotta love it!

Ronnie

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Come down and ride with our group on a typical ride thru the Arkansas twisties and I'll guarantee you will learn what tired shoulders feel like. BTW, it also a lot of fun.

mhgoldwing said:

Come down and ride with our group on a typical ride thru the Arkansas twisties and I'll guarantee you will learn what tired shoulders feel like. BTW, it also a lot of fun.

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I might be riding them twisties in June. My GF's got a wedding to go to in Mobile, AL. From there to New Orleans, and then up to AR to ride the twisties. I've not road there since 1990.

If the throttle cables are routed correctly, there is no need for longer ones no matter what degree rake is added!

I was told adding rake of the larger degrees to a Harley would possibly need longer throttle cables

tfdeputydawg said:

I was told adding rake of the larger degrees to a Harley would possibly need longer throttle cables

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If you really mean throttle cables, HD touring has been Fly by Wire throttle since 2008. No cables

Greenhornet said:

I have an 08GL18HPN with 2013 M/T Adventure kit. When I got it the dealer said it had a rake kit installed. But at speed it takes some muscle to make it turn the corners. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Compare yours side by side to a stock GL1800 and measure distance between front fender at rear to lower cowl point.

If near same, no rake kit. If yours is 2-3 inches further away, you have a 4.5 or 6 degree rake kit.

Many bikes have been converted to trikes and NOT gotten a rake kit for several reasons. Many want to try it stock to see if they really need to spend $1,000 plus that could be spent on glitter or lights or murals instead .... as a rake kit doesn't show. Some dealers don't push a rake kit in attempt to low ball a sale. Some dealers don't themselves, value the rake kit because they themselves are just used to none.

Our '97 GL1500 was converted with a Lehman GTL kit by the original owner who was a new dealer then in 1998, he wanted to try it without and for years, got used to It and so did his 5'1" wife who road it a lot (but she always said it was her workout). He never pushed rake kits to customers either though he did sell a few as some customers asked. He just didn't see a huge value in them.

Then in 2004, we bought the trike. Got all the stuff with it, papers, records, take offs, etc. He had installed Comp-u-Fire, X-Tractor, lights, chrome, etc .... he was not "cheap" .... he and she just didn't know much about rake kits. I had it maybe a month and then one day on a ride on the BRP, took a buddy's CSC trike with 6 degrees for a short trial ride .... I was hooked on a rake kit. Had my buddy (the original owner of our trike) order a rake kit the very next day (he did so at his costs, by 2004 he was doing both Lehman & Champion) and within a week, I was installing it ....went with Champion EZ Steer 6 degree kit.

I was so happy with the result, no heavy steering, much lighter feel pulling out of parking lots on hard rights under throttle, much less tiring on long curvy rides, all that .... and I got him to ride his old trike one day .... and soon he had a rake kit on their personal GL1800 trike and he started encouraging customers to consider them. He and his wife had become staunch converts.

If it had not been for the install of that rake kit in 2004, I likely would have sold the trike years ago and likely have a GL1500 or 1800 Bike instead now as we didn't do the trike deal as a necessity ... Trikes just looked "FUN" ... and the rake kit is a huge reason that it is "FUN" with less "WORK".

In my opinion a rake kit is a necessary item. Because riding a trike should be fun and should not feel like you are wrestling with a bear. Many who do not install them get sore arms and shoulders from the effort to steer a 1000 lb vehicle. The rake kit is equivalent to 'Power Steering'. It may feel twitchy in the beginning until you get used to it.

orag:

Greenhornet said:

I have an 08GL18HPN with 2013 M/T Adventure kit. When I got it the dealer said it had a rake kit installed. But at speed it takes some muscle to make it turn the corners. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

I now know the dealer lied to me. I looked at the triple trees and they are black. From what I have read that means my bike is not raked. Thank you ALTUS MOTOR SPORTS Altus OK. Now I will be out XXXXX dollars for a rake kit plus installation.

How much will this cost me. Everyone please pass the word, don't deal with Altus Motor Sports.

Greenhornet said:

I now know the dealer lied to me. I looked at the triple trees and they are black. From what I have read that means my bike is not raked. Thank you ALTUS MOTOR SPORTS Altus OK. Now I will be out XXXXX dollars for a rake kit plus installation.

How much will this cost me. Everyone please pass the word, don't deal with Altus Motor Sports.

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Going to ask what may seem like a stupid question (but I've seen it more than once so don't get too upset with me). Are you sure you're looking at the triple trees themselves? Most shops re-use the black plastic cover that "hides" the top of the upper triple tree & there is a black plastic air dam that hides a portion of the lower tree as well.

Just thought it was worth mentioning; would HATE for anyone to buy a rake kit for their bike only to find out they already had one & the covers are what they were seeing.

I can see the triple trees from underneath. But thanks for the suggestion

Did they charge you for them and not install them? Was it a trike that was on the sales floor and they said it was installed?

That's not nice.

I bought it off the floor and was told it had the rake kit on it.

Sorry for your situation. If it ends up that you are going to change your trees please contact PAPA ZOOK the site owner he will sell you trees at a price no one can match. And they are great trees. I've installed a couple of them

Gorilla said:

Sorry for your situation. If it ends up that you are going to change your trees please contact PAPA ZOOK the site owner he will sell you trees at a price no one can match. And they are great trees. I've installed a couple of them

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Thanks for the info that's a big help

I measured mine because someone else had asked on a forum... I have a 4.5 degree Traxxion Rake kit on mine and the distance from the lower most part of the timing cover to the front fender is 4 3/4"... I have a fender extension on my front fender so other measurements even lower down on the fender will be meaningless unless you have the same type of Fender Extension I do...