°
mm
mmFrom the tyre size calculator, or measured.
Result
Trail100.7 mm
How it is calculated, with your numbers
- Trail
trail = (dia / 2 × sin(rake) − offset) / cos(rake)(600 / 2 × sin(24) − 30) / cos(24) = 100.7 mm
Working uses the metric units the formula is written in.
- rake Rake (steering head angle from vertical) (°)
- offset Fork offset (triple clamp + axle offset) (mm)
- dia Front tyre overall diameter (mm)
- trail Trail
What it means
Trail is the distance on the ground between where the steering axis meets the road and where the tyre touches it. It is what makes a motorcycle self-centre and run straight: more trail means more stability and heavier steering, less trail quicker steering.
Raising the forks in the clamps or lifting the rear steepens the rake and cuts trail; a bigger front wheel adds trail, which is one reason 21-inch adventure bikes feel so stable.
Assumptions and limits
- Ground trail with the bike upright and static; trail changes as the suspension moves.
Sources
- Foale, T., Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design: The Art and Science, 2002.
- Cossalter, V., Motorcycle Dynamics, 2nd edition, 2006.