Question of the day - rake kit with Tow Pac

[dadztoy]

OK guys - so here is the question... Suppose I rake the front end of the bike so that it steers easier with my Tow Pac kit installed... I would use probably a 4.5 degree rake kit...

OK, so now I want to ride on 2 wheels for a while but I still have the rake kit installed... I know I won't "instantly die" if I try to ride it with the raked front end, but is there anyone out there with "real world" experience doing this???

If so, I would love to hear your experience riding on 2 wheels with a 4.5 degree raked front end...

Please guys and gals - only real world experience here - no doom and gloom responses of I'm going to instantly die if I do this...

Thanks in advance

Les

[dadztoy]

Well, guess no one has any experience along these lines... Didn't find much myself but a detailed search did find this comment by our own "zook"... Hope you don't mind the quote zook...

03-24-2013, 06:56 PM


"Im gonna have to throw my 2 cents in here...Do not adjust your Voyager or Towpac kit to raise the outside wheels off the ground. I've been installing trike kits including Voyager kits for many years and I speak from experience. I finished a Voyager install this past Friday on a Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic.


Use the factory recommended settings which is designed to have some pre-load. No one knows their kits better than the people that have engineered, built and tested them for all these years. They have thousands of customers out there who have provided feedback and you can trust the manufacturer's advice.

The outrigger trikes will always be a good bit harder to steer than a three wheel trike. Yes you can rake a bike with an outrigger kit. I have done so a dozen or so times over the last 9 years and have sold kits to quiet a few members here who have done so. Most never intend to remove the kit, but some occasionally do. I have done so for testing. You wont crash and die if you take the outrigger kit off occasionally and ride it as a two wheeler. Its a myth.

I would recommend leaving the kit on, but as long as you dont go to an extreme rake or ride it in an unsafe manner you will be fine. I have never, ever, ever heard of anyone wrecking their bike due to adding a rake kit on a Voyager and taking the kit off and I personally know of many who have done so."

[Papa Zook]

To err on the side of safety and to cover their butts, the outrigger trike kit manufacturers do not recommend raking an outrigger trike, though they know many do so. If you choose to rake your bike and ride it as a two wheeler I would recommend a 4.5 degree and ride it at a slow to moderate speed though all types of roads until you get a feel for any differences the change of steering geometry has made on your specific bike. I do not recommend high speed riding, though I have not heard of any serious problems doing so. Many Valkyrie two wheel owners routinely change the stock trees to 6 degree raked trees and ride at all speeds and say it improves the steering and handling at all speeds. I sell a lot of rake kits to Valk 2 wheel owners. I think for them it is as much for looks as handling.

[keepinon]

Hey 'Zook... I resemble those remarks....

On several 2-wheel Valks, I raked 'em, 4-1/2 on one, then 6 on the other two. Yeah, it turns a little wider in p/lots, but you don't notice it on the streets. The only noticeable difference was the smoother ride.

JMO, I wouldn't be afraid to rake it, even ride it without the Tow-Pack.

(But then, JR (trailblazer) would tell you I'm nuts, anyway) I AIN'T.

[dadztoy]

Thanks for the comments guys... It will be my winter project, and a 4.5 degree is what I will go with... Not that I am an expert on the subject, but I figured if all those chopper guys are riding, it must work, albeit requiring exaggerated steering inputs over stock... If I don't like it, I can always change back and sell the 4.5 degree kit...

Les