RAKE AND TRAIL

The rake angle in a motorcycle is essentially the steering axis angle. It is measured as the deviation of the front fork from its vertical axis, where a 0° rake would be vertical, that is, perpendicular to the ground. Supersport and street bikes have lower rake angles while cruisers and custom choppers have much wider rake angles, or a ‘kicked-out’ front fork. Trail is the perpendicular distance between the steering axis and the point of contact between the front wheel and the ground.