| Author | Message | ||
     Treadmarks |
Here is a shot of the clearance between the back of the front tire and the nose of the chin spoiler.  Even with a nice gap between the header and the chin spoiler there is still plenty of room a bigger tire. Knooooobby maybe?  (Message edited by treadmarks on December 05, 2007) | ||
| Dentguy |
Nice work Treadmarks! Maybe if I had that extra clearance my tire wouldn't have hit the chin spoiler when I nailed the deer. | ||
| Treadmarks |
Just got back from a quickie ride after the luggage and brackets removal and then had to reset the suspension back to solo rider mode. I sooo appreciate the ability to move the bike around at low speeds now. I was doing figure eights on the parking roof of blockbusters at sunset tonight. Making nice tight turns, and never hit the fork stops. The friggin bike is soo much more fun like this, the moco should recall those POS trees they sold us and replace them with these. Simply because, that is the way they should have come to start with...  It's nighty night time for me now, and this is a wrap. Remind me tomorrow about Treadmark's antivibe mod, and we will get that ball rolling, as it is a whole nuther story.. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Nice going Tread. I can't see Buell giving us this mod on a recall but for the price it is certainly something all pre-08' owners might want to update their bikes with. I plan to do this to my 06 this winter sometime. We just got 4" of snow. Gotta shovel. | ||
| Treadmarks |
Good luck with the snow EG. It has been so long since I have seen snow that I forgot what a pain in the arse it can be. Drove the bike to work this morning 30 miles, paying attention to the tree change. I forgot just how fast these bikes can go, and was passing 120 in no time. Honestly, I can't tell the difference with about 1/2" less trail. Seems like it is more stable at high speeds, but still quite flickable. It would probably take a better rider than me to truly feel the difference. I do dig the sharper turning in parking lots and cutting though traffic at low speeds. | ||
| Tootal |
Thanks for the R&D man. I figured it might help stabilize at speed, not that it wasn't before. I think I'll add that to my to do list this winter. It's supposed to snow here tonight also, might as well work on the bike! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Damnit, this thread is gonna cost me money. I am lifting the City-X when I do it. I do need to know what length of rear shock I need to be at to go to the height of the TT. I have it posted up in KV as well. Thanks for the kick in the pocketbook | ||
| Nipsey |
Nice work Treadmarks - this really changes (confuses) the 2006 vs. 2008 question for me. Steering lock limitations were the big advantage of the 2008 (that and TPS reset). So for a few hundred swap out trees - and save a few thousand on a newer bike....hmmmmmm Not to hijack the thread but am I right in remembering reading about buying software to do resets yourself? | ||
| Chadleys1 |
Treadmarks, Congratulations on being happy with your set up !! I wanted to get that said first. I am a little confused about how the bike "seems like it is more stable at high speeds," while you lost a 1/2" in trail. Unless I am confused, that goes against what I've always been told, about how trail affects handling. Good luck, and keep us updated for a while so we can see if you notice ANY handling differences. Thanks for posting all of this. | ||
| Daulyfreek |
Hey Treadmarks, post the part #'s please! I want that mod!! Looks like more flattrakkin' on the dirt roads is possible. Is it a straightforward swap?? What was your total cost? Thanks for the info and testing! | ||
| Hughlysses |
Nipsey, Yes, you can buy the software, "key", and cable for ~$200 so you can do it yourself. Check American Sport Bike & other sponsors. There is also a freeware program (from the UK IIRC) that's been talked about a lot here that lets you do that and more but you have to make up your own cable. | ||
| Florida_lime |
Chadleys1 Unless I'm missing something, I think the trail INCREASED, not decreased. The wheelbase is also longer, because Treadmark's set-up doesn't have the fork lowers that would maintain the original wheelbase AND trail figures. | ||
| Maximum |
Well I'm sold! Sounds like a great upgrade for the way I ride most of the time. I have already ordered a set of the triple clamps from Andy. Now...what would be required to get the handlebar lock to work with this setup? Maybe just an '08 "Fork Stop Pin", although I would guess that the entire '08 Ignition Switch would have to be purchased. | ||
| Rotorhead |
So what was the total cost and proper P/N's to do this job? I'm thinking of doing it when I service the forks. BTW does anyone have the 07 spring P/N's handy. Might as well get it all done while i have it apart. | ||
| Dentguy |
Florida_lime, Chadleys1 is correct. Trail is decreased. More triple-clamp offset = less trail. Wheelbase is longer like you said. (Message edited by dentguy on December 08, 2007) | ||
| Jjg0324 |
2007 fork springs Part # J0113.2AK 2008 upper tree part # J0105.3AKYBD 2008 lower tree part # J0106.3AKYBD | ||
| Florida_lime |
Dentguy, I'd really like to see everything sketched out -- but I stand corrected.  | ||
| Treadmarks |
 The Rake (at Steering Head) is 23.5, but the Fork Angle is 22.0 For some reason I thought they would be the same. So the Uly has raked trees from the factory. The 08 tree mod does not change the factory rake, only the offset, which reduces the trail. Trail probably went from the stock 4.8 to around 4.25 or so. Like I said, I am prpbably not a skilled enough rider to feel the difference, and I do notice an increase in stability at high speeds on the expressway (over 100) probably due to the increase in wheel base. (Message edited by treadmarks on December 09, 2007) | ||
| Chadleys1 |
Thanks for the response, Treadmarks. Excellent!! I am glad the results are acceptable. I thought going with less trail was going the wrong way for a heavy bike that is ridden in soft stuff. I am happy to have been worried for nothing. Tell us how it goes on your next romp through the sand, mud, or gravel. Thanks! I slowly laid mine down a week ago in some caliche gravel. I clearly remember thinking to myself while doing the u-turn; "I don't need more steering lock, I'll turn this b^*tch around anywhere." A tenth of a second later, I was stepping out from under it on the way down. hahaha I could have used the extra degrees of steering for sure. PS, Laying it down didn't bend or hurt anything. It left a light scrape on the Caribou bag, rubber bumper, and Micron header... wasn't the first, won't be the last. -Chadley | ||
| Treadmarks |
Bummer about layin her down Chadley. Glad it wasn't too bad. I was running two up fully loaded with all bags about 60 through a forrest road somewhere around Ocala a few weeks back (before the 08 trees). The dirt turned to sand and got deeper fast, and suddenly we found ourselves in a freakin sand trap about a foot deep. Didn't drop it but came pretty close. Had the wife dismount and tried to turn the bike around...fat chance. I did not have enough turning radius for the narrow road. The bike would only plow slowly forward while sinking. After a few minutes of trying to turn around both on and off the bike, I finally said screw it and put it in second and hammered it. Just did get it out before sliding off an embankment. Not sure if the new trees would have helped at all, but I think having the new trees and much more aggressive tires would have given us a fighting chance. Dirt and gravel are good to go. Deep sand baaad. So, the stocker has a 23.5 rake at the steering head, with a 22 degree fork angle after the trees. 4.8 trail on a 54.1 wheelbase. Bouncing that off some other models yields the following information: XB12X, 22 fork, 4.8 trail, 54.1 wheelbase. XB12S, 21 fork, 3.3 trail, 52.0 wheelbase. XB12Scg, 21 fk, 3.3 trail, 51.8 wheelbase. XB12Ss, 22 frk, 4.7 trail, 54.0 wheelbase. XB12Stt, 21.6 fk, 4.7 trl, 54.0 wheelbase. XB9Ss, 21 fork, 3.3 trail, 52.0 wheelbase. XB12R, 21 fork, 3.3 trail, 52.0 wheelbase. MyUly, 22 fork, 4.3 trail, 54.6 wheelbase. While I have no idea what all this means, it would seem that longer wheelbase bikes like longer trail as well. I am open to any feedback on the numbers posted, as I thought it might be neat to have them grouped together. (Message edited by treadmarks on December 09, 2007) | ||
| Oldnotbold |
I added 1/2" spacers between the top tree and the cowling. This will allow the rerouting of the cables to provide more bar placement options. I don't understand. Why was this required? The only things listed earlier on updating to the 08 forks were the tree's, forks and lower fender. Am I missing something? Dennis | ||
| Gotj |
"MyUly, 21 fork, 4.3 trail, 54.6 wheelbase." Treadmarks, Where did the 21 degree fork angle come from? Just increasing the triple clamps' offset shouldn't change the fork angle. | ||
| Treadmarks |
Dennis, The 1/2" spacers to move the cowling forward was not because of the trees. I have Rox risers and wanted to pull the bars back more. The 1/2" spacers in the cowling let the throttle cables move more freely once I pulled the bars back. | ||
| Treadmarks |
Gotj, My bad. Typo fixed. Thanks. | ||
| Vagabond |
This is a fascinating topic, and Treadmarks, great write-up. But, we ride Buells, not Harleys. They are called triple clamps, not trees. Dunno where the "tree" term originated, but it seems to have stuck with anything 'merican. I feel better now.  } | ||
| Dentguy |
The term "trees" comes from triple trees also known as triple clamps. That is not a Harley thing. Hope that helps. (Message edited by dentguy on December 09, 2007) | ||
| Vagabond |
Triple clamp is the proper term. "Triple tree" is primarily used in the Harley lexicon | ||
| Chris_in_tn |
FWIW I have called them "triple trees" as long as I can remember, along with most everyone else I have known. I have never owned a Harley. Course, I is from Tennessee.  | ||
| Jmhinkle |
Same here. The Buell was my only dabble in American motorcycles, but they have always been referred to as "triple trees" or just "trees" by everyone I've been around. Triple clamps is only a term used in the service manuals I think. | ||
| Gotj |
Someone could start a poll. I have used the term "triple clamps" since the 50s. "Trees" always sounded colloquial. |
