Cheater Tree

 Quicker steering starts with better geometry.

Killer Shox Cheater Trees are designed to bring the front wheel closer, shift more load onto it and give the forks a more upright working angle. The goal is a front end that turns in more readily, feels more planted through corners and responds more effectively to bumps.

What changes

• Front-wheel position and load: the revised geometry brings the contact patch back toward the bike, helping put more weight on the front tire.
• Steering response: adjustable eccentrics let the installer tune wheelbase and trail for the intended setup.
• Fork action: a more upright fork angle changes the path the fork travels as it compresses.
• Ground clearance: the system can raise the front of the bike using stock-length tubes, depending on the application and setup.

Wheelbase, trail, ride height and fork angle work together. The shorter-wheelbase and reduced-trail eccentric positions are different settings; the final result depends on the complete bike setup.

See the manufacturer's original geometry drawings, Cheater Cup placement photos and assembly video.

Where the name comes from

Racers in the 1970s and early 1980s sometimes bent the steering neck back to sharpen the geometry of production race bikes, then called it "crash damage".   If the frame was bent in a crash (a common ocurrance on those bikes)you were not disqualified.  Cheater Trees apply that geometry idea through purpose-built parts, without crashing or bending the frame.

The Engineers at Killer Shox have been building race bikes since the 1970s.  Drawing on racing experience dating to the 1940s. We learned lessons from guys who ran the Daytone 200 when the Official racetrack ran south down the A1A then turned left onto the beach and then north back up the beach.  Made and machined in the USA. From the billet to the bike.  By the way the founder of Killer Shox attended the very first race ever ran at Laguna Seca back in 1957.  All that knowledge and race craft, is inside the Cheater Trees. 

Choose your application

Choose your bike, year and actual fork configuration above. Black and Silver finishes are available.

• CT-14: 2014 and later Touring with 49 mm forks.
• CT-13: 2013 and earlier Touring converted to 49 mm forks. Stock 41 mm forks do not fit this kit.
• CT-S: 2018–2027 M8 Softail with 49 mm forks.
• CT-D: 2006–2017 Dyna with 49 mm forks, excluding Wide Glide, or a Sportster fitted with a compatible 49 mm conversion.
• CT-N: Nightster with 41 mm forks.
• CT-39: compatible 39 mm Dyna and Sportster front ends; confirm the exact setup.

Installation details

The factory key lock will not work. A nacelle is not a direct fit; optional 49 mm clamps can support custom nacelle installations, which may require cutting. Headlight mounts may need modification and electronics may need rerouting. Check the complete motorcycle and installation clearances before fitting.