Harley Rake Kits

[Bill1BigDog]

Sorry for the slow response to the rake install to my tri glide. The project has been further extended due to more floods here in northern Ohio. The Park has been quite busy and with the Holidays now upon us, my time in the shop has been really slim. I am not a commercial installer just a handy old hot rodder with a good mechanical aptitude to work on most anything.

So far, the removal of the Harley tree was quite a job due to the harnesses and all the brackets and fairing. Once the tree was out then working on installing the kit tree was trying. Probably the hardest part was installing the tube extensions. Removing the Harley tube plugs was pretty straight forward and easy, spring loaded, so be careful here. Next installing the tube extensions with spring tension was the hard part. I had to think about it and then made a tool similar to a valve spring tool used to work on engine heads.

This tool was used in conjugation to my bench vise.

The vise holds the leg tube, and the tool pushes down the tube extension while threading it into the tube down spring tension. A chore but I did it. Fork legs are installed now and will work on it as more time comes soon.

Later,
Bill

[hazel]

Just bought my 02 Dyna Wide Glide with Frankenstein kit. Asked the shop I bought from if it had a rake kit and he said no. He said the bike, in his opinion, handles like a super glide and highly recommended not raking it. He felt it would be more dangerous because the driver would lose too much of the feel of the road. I'm inexperienced so I guess I'll ride it like it as-is and decide for myself once I have some experience. I just don't want to be in a situation where by the time I get this experience, it's already been in a ditch...or worse. Any others with experience with a Dyna WG and Frankenstein?

[DanDolfn]

I'm just starting my learning curve, too. Got a Hannigan kit installed on my 2011 Road King. I held off on the rake kit since it was extra $$ and despite the comments, I wasn't really sure I needed it.

On my first couple of rides, I felt like I was actually wrestling with the trike when I went into turns. The last couple of rides haven't felt as bad. I don't know if I'm just getting used to it.

Anyway, I've got to sell the take-offs before I spend any more money.

At worst, I should build up some good arms!

:-)

[Bill1BigDog]

Happy New Year to all of you fellow trikers.

Well, with the Holidays I have made some progress with the install of the rake kit from BAZOOKA. First of all I must say the kit was first class, instructions could use some finer details but it is helpful. All parts with the kit were all spot on and good quality.

Completed the install today and just took a very short ride on my street, being that the rain is lite and cold today. All seems fine but a road test on the on and off ramps will tell if there is a major difference. Just riding around the neighborhood was a good feeling and the rake kit did not have any ill effects, as of yet.

Tomorrow we start a winter change here in Cleveland, as we have not had any real snow to speak of yet. They are calling for some real cold temps, high winds, heavy snows and then blowing and drifting snow thru Tuesday. Snow accumulations are predicted to 12".

So there won't be any test rides the early part of the week for sure.

I would recommend anyone wanting a rake kit to have it professionally installed. With doing the install myself, it was a slow process with the problems I had with work, dealing with home and medical issues with myself and my mother, I could not devote all my time & attention as I should have. Plus I did run into some problems here and there with tearing down the Tri Glide's fairing, wiring harnesses and other items that I was doing at the same time during the project.

Like changing over my tires to wide white walls front and rear, changing out my wheels for chrome wheels, adding more bling, GPS install into fairing and wiring, and adding a GPS module to interface with the factory radio and few other detail touches as I went along on the project. I had to fabricate a tool to compress the fork legs springs while threading the tube plugs into the extensions. There were some put it together moments and take it apart again moments after finding out I had to re-route wiring, brake lines and clutch cable. It was just some trail and error issues. Had this project been done on a open fork bike vs a full touring Harley, it would have been a piece of cake.

Well, enough for now, I will update this again later, but my trike is back together again!:Coffee

[Bill1BigDog]

Well, today in Cleveland it was 53' and partly sunny with slight snow melted damp streets. After having lunch with a friend, I came home and washed my truck and then was tempted to take the trike out for a better test drive.

I rode the raked trike around the local streets with a few fast curves to test and weed out a few tweaks needed after the rake project, since the cold and snow recently. I need to adjust the handlebars forward a bit and rotate the clutch and brake controls slightly also.

My first findings about Zook's rake kit...awesome! No front end shakes, no hands not a problem, steered straight and turning was fine too. The next test was to see how it handled in the curves with a more aggressive steering pressure, then just riding the normal casual way around town.

My findings so far are well founded. I get the feeling that it does handle the faster curves much better with less effort than stock! I will verify this hopefully next week going to work perhaps Tuesday. Weather appears to be forecasted to be around 45 - 48' and sunny before cooler and more snow by the end of the week. I take the Ohio Turnpike to work and taking the on and off ramps will be my final test. I will also being traveling at speeds on the straight away, at up to 75 - 80 MPH. This is my normal travel speed on the turnpike and will be my gauge for all my type of riding.

My initial riding has me feeling like everything is a big success and I would recommend Zook's rake kit to other Tri Gliders out there in the future.

Please let me check out my other findings here soon, hopefully next week if the weather holds out for my final testing.

Thank you,
Bill

[Papa Zook]

Good job Bill! Its got to steer much easier than stock...Keep us posted!

[Bill1BigDog]

Well, a update because it was sunny today and about 43'. So we took a ride to Medina, OH Century HD dealer. Had both my wife and I on the trike with no ill effects. The curves and on and off ramps were a peice of cake. I would honestly say, "I would recommend Zook's trike rake kit for the Tri Glides!". It does steer easier than stock with no bad side effects.

So if there is anyone out there sitting on the fence about getting a rake kit from BAZOOKA, jump on it! It will make the trike steer easier in the curves, with less effort and less tiring on those trips.

Other then being a Harley Tri Glide guinea pig for the cause, I have no direct connection to BAZOOKA for his selling his rake kits, but he is offering a discount to the Trike Talk Forum members. I did purchase mine from him and I had no problems with the purchase and shipping was great too! He has plenty of trike experience and knows the rake types recommended. The product he carry's is top notch and high quality too!

My only recommendation for most of you out there, have a professional do the install. I did my own and had no real big problems that I could not solve but it is not a quickie job on the Tri glide.

Thanks,
Bill

[msocko3]

Well, a update because it was sunny today and about 43'. So we took a ride to Medina, OH Century HD dealer. Had both my wife and I on the trike with no ill effects.

If your local roads look like the rest of the roads the State of Ohio maintains, you may want to give your trike a good flooding wash top to bottom including the under side. In my neck of the woods there is literally tons of road salt and gallons of calcium chloride on the roads, will eat the daylights out of aluminum and get into places just waiting to rust steel. Know a guy who took a short trip and didn't wash his bike for a week, his reward was pitted aluminum and some surface rust in places.

For those who haven't seen what Ohio does to the roads here is a picture of RT20 taken today, you can see the salt and calcium chloride residue on the roads. This is mild compared to some of the other state maintained roads, while driving on it kicks up like dust on a dirt road.

[Bill1BigDog]

Yes, I have been an Ohio resident all my life and the trike is now cleaned from top to bottom. I cleaned up today due to the salt and working on it for about a month off and on. My new wide white walls are gleaming, the newly chromed wheels are all cleaned and waxed, all is dry and detailed.
Thanks for the advice but none of my toys stay dirty, as I am in a habit of over detailing my things due to my years of the show circuit with anything from boats, trucks, various types of cars and motorcycles alike.
Happy Winter time to all!

time NOW

[Winchester]

I seen a lot of posts concerning the rake kit making it steer easier. I have a '01 Ultra Classic with CSC kit and presently have no rake kit. My issue is low speed wobble. I also saw a post that says the CSC needs a 11-deg rake and mine is the factory that another post says is 3.5-deg. If I spend the money, I want what will take out the wobble and increase easy of steering. What deg rake do I want?

[Papa Zook]

What you need is a +5 degree rake kit. What CSC is calling an 11 degree is a raked tree that increases the stock rake plus their 5 degree rake which yields an 11 degree overall rake increase. Id be happy to send you one if you need a rake kit. Hundreds of satisfied customers will vouch for the quality and price.
(334)648-0157
Zook

[bikerart]

I always use 5 deg. on my builds. I am dealing with 45 - 50 deg. necks on the frames. Need that to keep the trail in around 6".

I don not believe you should just add a raked tree, only. I am of the opinion that you have to change the length of the tubes to deal with the proper trail for wobble and heavy steering.

[bikerart]

There is a set of great calculators from RB Racing. Find them on the web.

[Papa Zook]

I always use 5 deg. on my builds. I am dealing with 45 - 50 deg. necks on the frames. Need that to keep the trail in around 6".

I don not believe you should just add a raked tree, only. I am of the opinion that you have to change the length of the tubes to deal with the proper trail for wobble and heavy steering.

On most trikes I would agree with the fork tube extensions, thats why all of mine come with fork tube extensions engineered for each particular application. I have seen a few cases in which a particular make and model kit dropped the rear height when installed and no extensions were needed.

[bikerart]

I have a set of HD 5 deg. raked trees with 0 offset I am thinking about putting on a guys tri glide, should handle a lot better than stock. will post results if we do it!

[flynng]

ZOOK,

CSC rake kit is +8 degrees. Stock is 3.5 and they add 8 to that. I talked to Kyle at CSC. I have an 08 that is +5 made by them. He said they now have a +8 that they recommend for the Daytona kit. Total rake is 11 degrees or about 8 degrees over stock.

What you need is a +5 degree rake kit. What CSC is calling an 11 degree is a raked tree that increases the stock rake plus their 5 degree rake which yields an 11 degree overall rake increase. Id be happy to send you one if you need a rake kit. Hundreds of satisfied customers will vouch for the quality and price.
(334)648-0157
Zook

[viper]

I have a Harley Streetglide trike FHLXXX. i need help with the steering also. I'm disabled and not much strength. Its a 2010 model. What do you recomend and what is the cost? Can i install myself? ty!

[Papa Zook]

I have a Harley Streetglide trike FHLXXX. i need help with the steering also. I'm disabled and not much strength. Its a 2010 model. What do you recomend and what is the cost? Can i install myself? ty!

Give me a call at (334) 648-0157

Zook

[mrplumr1]

do you have 6" rake kit for 02 harley road king

[DanDolfn]

I'm ready to order but I want to make sure that the Harley rake kit will fit a 2011 Harley Road King.

Also, I want to have it drop shipped to my mechanic. Is that OK?


Dan