Motorcycle Rake and Trail Explained: Did you Know Them Before?

While you go through the motorcycles reviews, you’ve undoubtedly heard the terms Rake and trail. Also, while inspecting a vehicle, we see various numbers on motorcycles that denote the rake and trail numbers.

So the question you might ask What is trail and Rake on a motorcycle? Why are they important? Rake and trail are directly involved with motorcycle handling, weight distribution, and many more. The numbers on the sport bikes and choppers differ because the Rake and Trail number varies from model to model.

That being said, it’s vital to know how to measure motorcycle rake and trail. So we’ll explain about motorcycle Rake and Trail in this article. So read to the end if you can!

What do Rake and trail on a motorcycle mean?

Are you one of those who’re interested in unique motos and other items like Rake and trail? If yes, then we bring out this article exceptionally for you.

Understanding the Rake and trail can be a complex task. Calculating the motorcycle trail rake and trail can be even difficult.

So here, we’ll try to give a detailed knowledge about them- Motorcycle rake and trail explained!

What is Motorcycle Rake?

Every steering head of a motorcycle is being connected with the frame at an angle. And this angle of connection is called Rake or Caster. Some people also call it “Fork Angle.” Generally, the measured Rake is an angle in degrees.

The angle of the steering axis head is different for different bikes. Some bikes make a less angle with the frame geometry, while others make more.

 If we closely look at Choppers, we’ll understand the phenomenon easily. The Rake degrees in an American Chopper or 60s chopper is very high. The frame of these bikes remains to come out on the frontier side.

On the other hand, for sports bikes, the condition is fully opposite. The bike designers have kept the Rake minimum in these bikes. As a result, they look much more compact in size than the Choppers.

If we look at the stats, sports bikes have 25 degrees of Rake in an upright position from the steering axis. And for Choppers, the rake degree is almost 45. So you can find the difference, right? For adventure bikes and cruisers, the Rake is 29 and 32 degrees, respectively.

What does Rake do?

As you’ve already known what a Rake is, it’s time to know why a rake is important. As Rake is associated with the angle between the steering axis and frame, it has a lot of influence on bike handling.

The handling of all bikes is not the same. And Rake is one of the reasons behind it. The more the rake angle is, the less a bike can move quickly. So that’s why sports bikes have a lower rake or fork angle.

For lower rake bike angles, high-speed sportbikes can steer quickly and perform sharp bends. And the more fork angles prevent the cruisers and choppers from taking sharp bends and turns.

Larger rakes give your bike a classic vibe with a wider frame. Although some classic bikers prefer it, most young riders prefer a lower rake angle to their bike. So now comes the question, how much Rake is too much on a motorcycle?

For regular sports bikes and touring bikes, the standard fork angle is 24 to 45 degrees. However, this value can change from manufacturers to manufacturers as well. There is no bike without rake. Just the value differs from one another.

So lastly, Rake angle means the reaction rate of your drag bike for the front wheel’s movement. Less Rake provides a better reaction. Whereas wider rake angles provide optimal stability and safe drive!

What is Motorcycle Trail?

Simply put, a trail is a distance that is determined in inches or millimeters. The trail is a kind of distance that you’ve to imagine at first before understanding.

Suppose you draw an imaginary line between the contact point of the front wheel(not the back wheel o rear wheel) and the axis of the steering head. This distance is called a trail on a drag bike or motorbike.

Just like a rake, the trail is also an important factor for your road bike’s high-speed stability. You might have even heard some terms like positive trail and negative trail. If the trail distance is too much, you’ll face difficulties while turning your bikes and result in instability.  You’ll never find a bike without a trail!

The mechanical trail and rake in motorbikes remain proportional when they are made without an offset. As a result, if your bike has a more rake angle, it’ll automatically have more trail distance. 

Why We Need Trail?

The trail is not only necessary for bike handling. Also, the trial is associated with moving the motorbike’s handlebars as well.

The steering system of a motorbike acts as a caster that has more trail value. So when the supporting arm is long, the force of the bike wheels becomes even stronger when the driver tries to realign it with the travel direction.

Yes, more mechanical trail value provides extra balance. But if it becomes too high, it can become less stable as well. It takes more steering efforts as well. Having more trail value than needed can be counted as a negative trail as well.

 So that’s why it’s important to have the correct trail distance in your drag or regular motorbike.

Motorcycle Rake and Trail Tips

Reading this far, I hope you’re clear about Rake and trail in a motorbike. They are two important factors in a bike. So it’s essential to have the correct proportion of them on your motorbike.

Here are some tips and tricks for your motorcycle rake and trails-

• The standard rake angle for regular motorbikes is 24 to 35 degrees. So before you buy a new one, always check if your bike’s rake angle is in between the given parameter or not.

Note: It isn’t always necessary to follow this boundary. You can go a little less and a little high, depending on your usage.

• Normally in regular motorbikes, the mechanical trail distance is found in a range of 2 to 4 inches which is 5-10 cm. This is considered a normal trail. So always try to remain in this range. The higher trail distance makes the steering is difficult to operate.

Final Words

We seem less concerned with these important factors like Rake and trail while we buy a new drag bike. Not only this, a majority of the people have most probably never heard of these terms.

 As you already learned, they play a vital role in optimum stability and steering handlebar rotation. So it’s your time to check whether your bike is following the standard or not!

Tried to explain clearly about the motorcycle rake and trail. Now it’s your time to follow it. Good luck!