Will, your buddy with the “triple trees for sidecar use”, do you know if it’s harder for him to turn the handle bars with the rig setting still and on a hard level surface? I know that sounds like a dumb question.
When trail is reduced by whatever means it is easier to turn the bars whether sitting still or on the move. Traail actually raised the bike when the bars are turned. This is what creates the self centering effect. Sometime go out and have someone turn your bars while you carefully watch the front of the bike...as the bars are turned you will see the bike rise and fall.
Less trail = less rise when turning bars and also less self centering effect when exiting corners.
If you ever want to see what a lot of negative trail would be like try steering your outfit while rolling down a hill backwards. You will find that it wants to do anything except go straight.
"Will, your buddy with the “triple trees for sidecar use”, do you know if it’s harder for him to turn the handle bars with the rig setting still and on a hard level surface? I know that sounds like a dumb question."
I'm not sure that I follow the question... do you mean difficult to turn the steering head? And if so, harder than what... my bike?
Unfortunately, he doesn't have the bike yet so I probably couldn't answer the question anyway. He's paid for it, but hasn't picked it up yet.
Will
I have a sneaking suspicion that if you showed up solo with a set of chromed Earles forks, 5 guys would wander over and ask where they could get a set.
‘I'm not sure that I follow the question... do you mean difficult to turn the steering head’
Yes, is it more difficult to turn the front wheel/steering head of a rig setting still on a level hard surface. I’m just trying to understand what might be going on with front tire/bearings [if anything] after a triple tree conversion, I understand that running down the road makes handling or steering ez’r, but in my little minds eye, I see the front wheel dragging slightly from side to side while turning the bars with the rig setting still. I say this based on the fork location relative to the steering head [different angles to each other], and if it does, is it enough to worry about?
The rumor is HD is planning to ramp up their sidecar ad campaign, but what’s interesting to me is that they apparently discontinued their sidecar tree conversion several yrs ago, and I wondered why?-bearing issues, tires, no market interest, , who knows?
By the way---rolling down a hill backwards, and the cheap thrill that gave me—I don’t remember reading about that one in Hal’s manuals.
Larry,
I doubt that Harley would reinstate the adjustable triple trees in our present Litigous society. Murphy's Law tells us that at least one person would try to run solo in the sidecar setting, crash, and the class action suit would be right on his heels. (Deep pocket syndrome).
As far as the fork location to steering head relationship, the current Electra Glides have the forks behind the steering head. This is Bass akwards from the placement of other models of the line and earlier Electra Glides. It seems to work fine either way.
The fork and steering head angles have always been different from each other to some degree.
Anytime you turn the steering on the bike (or your car or whatever) there will be tire scrubbing if the wheel is stationary and the tire is not rotating. That same traction is what allows the vehicle to move under power.
A conversion to raked trees will have no noticable adverse effect on the steering head and wheel bearings, or cause excessive tire wear.
Lonnie
'A conversion to raked trees will have no noticable adverse effect on the steering head and wheel bearings, or cause excessive tire wear'
Thanks Lonnie, and good luck on your deal too, Will!
