Gl 1500 rake kit, how does it effect ride and steering?

[chipsinoz]

Hi I own a GL1500 and have a voyager trike kit attached and have found the steering unbearably hard and I am thinking of getting a 6 degree rake kit for the bike but still would like on rare occasions to ride without the voyager (When my back allows).
has anyone ridden a goldwing with a rake kit fitted without the trike kit and how did it handle? I am assuming it should be no different to a custom harley with a raked front wheel handling wise. Any info or insights would be welcome.

[CrystalPistol]

Hi I own a GL1500 and have a voyager trike kit attached and have found the steering unbearably hard and I am thinking of getting a 6 degree rake kit for the bike but still would like on rare occasions to ride without the voyager (When my back allows).
has anyone ridden a goldwing with a rake kit fitted without the trike kit and how did it handle? I am assuming it should be no different to a custom harley with a raked front wheel handling wise. Any info or insights would be welcome.

It will be different than that HD. The HD bike with long rake has also had the STEERING STEM angle raked as well, so he still has trail. Trail is what causes a 2 wheeler to go straight so well. On your 1500, a rake kit is only changing the rake of the tubes, the steering stem is not changed and the result is reduced trail which makes a trike easier to steer. On a Bike, the same change will make for a dangerous ride.

Bikes and trikes steer totally different. If you rake it, with a kit, leave it as a trike. By raking just the tubes, by leaving the steering axis OEM, the contact point on the road of the front tire is moved forwards toward that imaginary point where a line through the stem intersects the road.

[JohnUSA]

Hi I own a GL1500 and have a voyager trike kit attached and have found the steering unbearably hard and I am thinking of getting a 6 degree rake kit for the bike but still would like on rare occasions to ride without the voyager (When my back allows).
has anyone ridden a goldwing with a rake kit fitted without the trike kit and how did it handle? I am assuming it should be no different to a custom harley with a raked front wheel handling wise. Any info or insights would be welcome.

I just installed a 6 deg rake kit on my trike. This is no exaggeration: The difference in steering is like night and day. It is unbelievably easy now. I can't even forecast getting back on two wheels. I'd bet you feel the same way if you install the kit on your Wing.
Good luck, which ever way you go.