Rake And Trail Causing More Work To Corner?

[Jasonzilla]

What I'm finding is that on my ZX I can hit a corner at 100 mph, and after setting my steering input, relax completely and finish the corner. On the other hand, my EX isn't as pleasant. I have to apply constant pressure to keep the bike turning while in the same corner. I CAN'T relax on the bars. It's not a massive difference in rake and trail, but feels like enough to give me this sensation.

 

I've read that the more rake and trail you have, the more it takes to steer the bike and that it takes slight, but constant, pressure to turn while in a corner. Has anyone else ridden different kind of bikes and experienced this?

[spgtech]

Hi Jason,

 

While it may be the small difference in rake and trail, it could be something as simple as tires.

 

Back in the day, I had an '87 Gixer and moving the tire pressures up and down a pound at a time I could get that bike to fall into the corner, be perfectly neutral, or snap back upright if you released pressure on the bars. The sweet spot was pretty narrow, like +/- one psi.

 

The point being, the small difference in rake and trail could certainly make some difference. It is also easy to imagine that different tires, amount of tire wear or pressure could overshadow the small differences in frame geometry.

 

-Sean

[Balistic]

Again I am following Sean and seeing that he hit it on the head. I have seen bikes that needed to raised or lowered to feel nuetral in a turn but that is the exception to the rule. The first thing I look to when pressure on the bar is required is front tire pressure, most likely too low.

 

Will