dragbike frame rake

Well, i am turning my focus for now to working on the frame of my 79 1000 dragbike project. I am going to be using a sidewinder exhaust like the one in the picture below, with a 95 suzuki rm125 front end. I really have no experience in raking, and was wondering if there was a common standard degree of rake when going this route. Also, can your average welding shop do this type of work? Here is an example of what i am going for. This bike is beautiful!!!

id suggest somebody who builds/repairs motorcycle frames.if you want to be able to ride it on the street once in a while i dont reccomend more than 2-3 degrees or it will corner like a school bus !:laugh:

will a 2-3 degree rake allow for the use of the pipe with the front dropped way down? Also, would a 3 degree rake make it much easier to handle on the strip, launch?

the only reason i see to put a lot of rake into a mild dragbike is to clear the header you want to run,ive run plenty of really healthy bikes at the track with stock rake and 2" over swingarm

Ususally, I think they rake the frames about 3-5 degrees. There isn't a need to rake a frame unless the header requires it. I know the standard sidewinder header doesn't require it. Actually, all headers can be fit without raking the frame. Problem arises if you hit the brakes too hard. The front-end dives and the front wheel will hit the header tubes if you aren't pointed straight. So....don't use the front brake and you should be fine! LOL If you want to use the front brake, then most top-line sidewinders like the V&H PCO and their pro-stock pipe aka spaghetti pipe or Gold Label pipe should have the frame raked. If you are using the standard pipe, don't worry about raking the frame. If you are extending the swingarm, the added wheelbase will take care of any instability unless you are running big speeds. Have someone who knows what they are doing do it. Having the steering neck not straight will ruin your day at the track. Find out how they do it also. Most cut the top backbone frame tube and remove about an inch and then pull the fork tube back and reweld it. Problem with this is that it takes up the space between the tank and steering stem tube and you either have to relocate the yank mounting tabs or redo the front section of the tank to clear. PITA! Best way is to either remove the neck and have it rewelded with the bottom spaced out or I've seen where they cut the original neck at the appropriate angle and weld another neck onto the cut stock neck. Wish I had a picture but I don't.

jordan i have used both method's of raking a frame before i prefer the one where you cut the original neck at the required angle and build a new neck on the lathe than weldit in place it makes amuch stronger job the way i do it it gives me about 10 degree rake the bikes run as straight as string and seem to handle the pounding better than cuting the frame tube method. i gain about 4inches inwheel base with stock forks and trees. so at high speeds the bike is very stable wich is a good thing.it also gains you alot of extra room to run a bigger pipe. and cuts down on your chances of bottoming out the wheel on the pipe when you hit the brakes hard. with that dirt bike front end you want to run that will be very important.with the pictures that i'm putting with this, look at the pipe clearance between the two bike s the z1-r has stock rake and my z1 has been raked. see for your self how much room you have. im sorry idont seem to be able to load those pictures.

check out my other drag bike that alsohas a raked frame and see how much room i have with the bigger vance pipe on i couldnt run that pipe with a stock neck angle. could i. z 900 gallery picture 242.

thanks alot timebomb, that is just the information i was looking for. I was also worried about my frontend choice. The wheel will be even closer than with the stock front end. I would like to have about the same amount of rake as you have there. It is 10 degrees over stock right?

it's been a while since we did my frame but im pretty sure it was 10 degrees over stock.

with the gs swingarm the bike now has a wheelbase of 65" instead of stock 59",my big bike has 70 inch wheelbase

What if you switch to a sportbike front end with sport bike forks and 17" rim.

a sport bike front end with 17" wheel will give u less rake and clearance. my zx9 front end has about 24* rake. stock rake is 26*.