Motorcycle Triple Clamps.

Following are some important things you need to know about Motorcycle Triple Clamps and the effects of Fork Offset.

How can reduced fork offset make the bike steer with a much lighter, quicker feel when it appears as though it should do just the opposite? Reducing fork offset causes the steering geometry to be slower turning and more predictable, while at the same time increases trail which places more weight on the front tire. In the end, riders find that triple clamps with reduced offset tend to steer better because as a package it gives the bike a more stable feel due to increased trail...while at the same time provides less steering effort at the handlebars, and a front tire that stays more planted with the ground. Find Low Priced Triple Clamps on Amazon Cycle Store!!

Let's look at the various aspects that effects the handling of the bike in more detail:

Fork Offset:

Fork offset measures how far the fork legs sit ahead of the steering axis. This is obtained by measuring the distance from the center of the fork legs rearward to the center of the steering stem. Fork offset really is the relationship of the front axle and the steering stem, however is normally derived by the simple triple clamp measurement.

Less fork offset (example 20mm instead of 24mm) increases trail which provides for more straight line stability, and often results in a bike which turns sharper and is more accurate.

Axle Offset:

Axle offset is how far the front axle sits ahead of the fork centerline. As a rule of thumb changing offset at the axle is better than changing at the clamps, however this is not always possible. It is often more convenient & reliable to reduce the offset at the triple clamps. The more offset remaining at the triple clamps, the more the rider will feel the weight of the fork tubes when steering. Although there needs to be enough offset at the clamps to provide fork clearance for a full turning radius, the less the better in decreasing the fork's moment of inertia during a turn. The lightest steering bikes on the track will put as much of the offset as possible into the axle clamps while decreasing offset at the triple clamps. This arrangement effectively increases the torsional stiffness of the forks, while placing the weight of the forks closer to steering axis.

Weight Bias:

Weight bias is how much of the bike's weight is on the front wheel compared to the rear wheel. Shifting more weight onto the front wheel improves the front tire's steering bite. Shifting weight to the rear wheel makes it easier for the rear wheel to follow the ground. Decreasing fork offset places more weight onto the front tire due to the increased trail.

Head Angle:

All motorcycles need to be stable at high speed, therefore it is necessary to slow the steering down by raking the head angle forward. The degree to which the steering axis is raked forward is call the "Rake". Rake is directly related to Head Angle. A motorcycle frame with a relaxed head angle (imagine a chopper) will steer less when you turn the handlebars and wants to remain in a straight line. On the contrary, a steeper head angle will tend to turn quicker however is less stable at high speeds.

Head angle is measured by drawing an imaginary line perpendicular to the ground to where it intersects the angle of the steering axis. The numbers are based upon a 90 degree right angle. Motocross bikes typically have head angles in the range of 27.5 to 26.0 degrees (where 26.0 is steeper than 27.5).

Trail:

Trail is derived from an equation that measures how far behind the head angle the front tire's contact patch is located. In simple terms it describes how much the contact patch "trails" the head angle.

Trail is measured by extending an imaginary line down the center of the steering axis to the ground. Then drop a perpendicular line through the center of the front axle to the ground. The distance between where the two lines intersect the ground is called trail. On a motocross bike trail is usually between four to five inches.

How Does Trail Affect Handling:

The amount of trail in a motorcycle chassis is very important because of the self-centering effect it has on the machine. This effect causes the motorcycle front tire to continue to track in a straight line as you take your hands off the handlebars.

In general a longer trail setup produces a greater caster effect, heavier and slower steering, and a more stable feel in a straight line. Reducing the trail causes the bike to steer lighter and quicker, however makes the front end feel nervous at high speeds.

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