40 Degree Raked Neck & Raked Triple Tree

[rangerider45]

I bought a frame with a 38-40 degree rake. I need to lose 2 or even 3 inches to be less than the max 6 inches of trail. It's on the verge of flop, but don't want to fight re-positioning the neck. Whoever did the neck made it SOLID.

Has anyone been through this and purchased a raked tripe tree? Hoping to benefit from someone else's knowledge/experience with this and if possible.

 

[fredintoon]

I bought a frame with a 38-40 degree rake. I need to lose 2 or even 3 inches to be less than the max 6 inches of trail. It's on the verge of flop, but don't want to fight re-positioning the neck. Whoever did the neck made it SOLID.
Has anyone been through this and purchased a raked triple tree? Hoping to benefit from someone else's knowledge/experience with this and if possible.

Hi rangerider,
it was a bargain, right? Ah well.
What I did to reduce the trail on my XS11 Special sidecar rig was to swap in the 'trees from a Standard. (The Standard 'trees are longer, which moves the fork tubes forward)
Do you already have forks to go onto this raked frame?
If you are still shopping for them, you could try using the fork tubes and sliders from an XS750/850 Special and the 'trees from an XS750/850 Standard.
The 'trees will fit the XS650 frame if you swap the XS650 steering stem into the XS750/850 lower 'tree.
This should work OK, you get dual front disks out of the deal too, even if they do have those Weird Harold ATE style calipers.
Note the XS650 front wheel works with those forks but the fender WON'T fit, you'll need the same-looking one from an XS750/850/11 Special.
You should pay mebbe $200/$300 for the used Yamaparts and the last Steerite conversion price I saw was $1,000+.

 

[rangerider45]

Thanks for the reply & help Fred...

This bike was a XS650 Heritage Special. No bargain LOL, just a basket case and for me too hard to come by to pass it up. Also, I have the stock 35mm tubes that came with the bike.

So...you're dealing with a dummy here. Are you saying the lower tree from an XS750 is shorter than the Heritage Special triple tree, which would pull my front axle center back and shorten the trail length? And, that I would have to use my old steering stem to put in the standard 750 triple tree to fit the 650 steering neck?

 

[RFLIVES]

i had steerite do my trees for the rig a year ago and it was about 600 bucks

 

[fredintoon]

Thanks for the reply & help Fred...
So...you're dealing with a dummy here. Are you saying the lower tree from an XS750 is shorter than the Heritage Special triple tree, which would pull my front axle center back and shorten the trail length? And, that I would have to use my old steering stem to put in the standard 750 triple tree to fit the 650 steering neck?

Hi ranger,
um, you got it backwards.
Trail is the distance from where the steering stem centerline hits the ground back to where the middle of the tire patch hits the ground.
To reduce the trail you have to move the axle forwards, not backwards, so you need longer 'trees, not shorter ones.
How the XS750/850/11 parts hybridization works is that on every XS series bike bigger than the XS650 the Standard and Special versions have different fork styles but identical trail measurements.
All the Standards have their axles underneath the fork like both Standard & Special XS650s
All the Specials have their axles on the front of the fork.
To keep all the trails the same the Specials have shorter 'trees.
So if you put a Special's forward-axle-mount fork tubes & sliders in a Standard's longer 'trees the fork tubes get moved forwards and the bike's trail is reduced.
My experience is only with hybridizing my XS11 forks and that trail reduction technique works great.
I have seen photos of an XS650 fitted with XS750 Standard forks and as I remember it, the swap used an XS650 steering stem swapped into an XS750 lower 'tree.
I theorize that the same hybridization that reduced the trail on my XS11 will work to reduce the trail on an XS650 by using transplanted XS750/850/11 parts.
But that's all it is; a theory.
Let us know if it works, eh?

 

[mrriggs]

I can assure you that it does work. I'm running XS850 Special forks in XS750 "Standard" trees on my bike. With 36° rake it has about 4.5" trail.

When you start messing around with the front end geometry you really have to do the math.

 

[rangerider45]

I looked at the 750/850 front ends and instantly understood what you're saying about axle position on the forks. I misunderstood what you were saying and that it was backwards. Anyway, seems like a good theory. The whole front end was for sale for $75. That's an inexpensive cure and I think will give me the distance I need. Will redo the math and see what it looks like.

 

[fredintoon]

I looked at the 750/850 front ends and instantly understood what you're saying about axle position on the forks. I misunderstood what you were saying and that it was backwards. Anyway, seems like a good theory. The whole front end was for sale for $75. That's an inexpensive cure and I think will give me the distance I need. Will redo the math and see what it looks like.

Hi rangerider,
be sure that you get the parts mix'n'match right.
You will need the fork assemblies from a Special and the 'trees from a Standard to make the trail reduction work.
Note when you are parts shopping that while the XS650 front fender will fit on any XS series Standard it's mounts in the wrong place to fit the forks on a forward axle Special so you'll need to find the lookalike one that does.
Also note that XS750/850s have smaller diameter front brake disks (same size as an XS650 rear disk)
Which discovery gave my son a serious WTF? moment when trying to fit a leftside front caliper system from an XS750 Standard onto his XS650.

 

[rangerider45]

I found what I need for about $100. Also, I found the Yamaha Virago 700 has the forward axle with 36 mm tubes am going to check it out as well.

 

[Capt_Zoom]

I have raked trees on my raider but its produced that way. Love them....they are supposedly a big reason why the Raider handles so much better than your typical HD.

I know that demon cycle used to have HD raked trees for a reasonable price.