What do the out, up and neck specifications on a motorcycle mean.?

Question

What do the out, up and neck specifications on a motorcycle mean.?

Answer 1

Typically on a custom chopper frame, modifications are expressed in terms like "4 up, 6 out" which means that the neck (the portion of the frame directly under the handlebars) has been moved so that it sits 4 inches higher and 6 inches farther from the engine than a stock Harley frame.

The neck will also be described in terms of rake, like "48 degree neck" which means the angle of the steering head (neck) is 48 degrees from a vertical line.  For comparison, a Harley V-Rod has 34 degrees of rake.  Rake should not be confused with fork angle, which can be different from the rake if you use "plus 2" or "plus 3" triple trees, which add a little more angle to the front suspension.