Rake & Trail Defined

Wrenchin' Advice
One of the hardest conversations to have with someone is explaining the concepts of how raking a bike effects the handling of a motorcycle. Here are some concepts you can absorb to make it sound like you know what the fuck you are talking about next time your buddy tells you... "ya bro... I'm gonna put one of those raked out front ends on my softail... whaddyathink".

Sharpen your pencil...'cuz here we go...
The following information was sourced from rbracing-rsr.com
Definitions:
Your front suspension geometry is defined by the following six variables which are defined as:
Offset-- Centerline of top of steering neck to centerline of top of fork tubes.

Rake-- The angle in degrees of the steering neck from the vertical.
Fork Length-- The distance between the top of the fork tubes to the centerline of the axle.
Trail-- Distance defined by vertical line from axle to ground and intersect of centerline of steering neck and ground.
Raked Triple Trees-- In order to bring trail figures back into line, triple trees with raked steering stems can be used. Expressed in degrees. Usually adjustable in 3, 5, and 7 degrees of rake.
Tire Diameter-- If you do not know a certain tire diameter use the following formula: Diam Inches = Rim Diam Inches + [ (2 x Aspect Ratio x Section Width) / 25.4] Example: 200/55R18 Tire: 26.7" = 18 + [(2 x 0.55 x 200)/25.4]
The goal is to get your trail between 4" - 6"... good fuckin' luck
Need help... click here for RB Racing's rake and trail calculators