Whether you’re going away on a holiday trip, want to increase your bike’s storage space for long rides, want to use a cargo trailer, or get a teardrop trailer, you must learn about motorcycle towing capacity.
Unfortunately, many manufacturers don’t straight-up tell you how much weight you can pull behind your motorbike. Luckily, if you know where to look and how to do some simple calculations, you can easily determine the maximum amount of weight you can safely and legally tow with your motorcycle.
This is where we come in! We’ve already done the homework so you don’t have to. If you’re looking for a quick answer, here it is:
A motorcycle’s towing capacity varies depending on a few factors, but it’s usually around half the bike’s curb weight. If your manufacturer didn’t mention your motorcycle’s carrying load in your owner’s manual, you can figure it out on your own by subtracting the bike’s curb weight from the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating).
Then, determine additional weights (such as the rider and gear), substrate them as well, and you’re left with the number corresponding to what your motorcycle can tow.
Think that sounds a tad complicated? Keep reading and we’ll explain in more detail how to determine the towing weight of your bike. We’ll also share some tips on staying safe and legal on the road.
How to Determine a Motorcycle Towing Capacity
If you’re trying to find out how much extra weight your motorcycle can deal with, take a look in your owner’s manual first. Some manufacturers provide information regarding the load capacity, so you’ll know the bike’s exact towing capacity in a flash.
That said, a lot of manufacturers don’t include this value in their specs, so you’ll need to do the following calculation to figure out the towing weight yourself. Don’t worry, it’s just some simple math.
Step 1: Find the GVWR
To determine the towing capacity of your motorbike, you have to first find its GVWR, which is short for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. This number should be listed in your owner’s manual.
If it’s not there or you lost the manual, you can find the GVWR listed on your motorcycle’s information plate, typically on the steering column.
Step 2: Subtract the Curb Weight
Once you get the GVWR, deduct the curb weight of your motorcycle, which is the weight of the bike with a full tank of fuel and all standard equipment attached. The remaining value is your carrying weight.
Step 3: Subtract Additional Weights
Now, subtract any extra weight from that value. This includes your weight as a rider, the weight of additional gear, and the weight of the passenger if applicable.
After this calculation, you’ll arrive at the maximum towing weight of your motorcycle. Don’t try to pull past this weight limit, otherwise, you’ll strain vital components of the bike that you want working for a long time such as the motor, transmission, and brakes.
Examples
For the BMW R 1250 RT, the GVWR and the curb weight are 1,114 pounds and 615 pounds respectively. Subtracting the latter from the former leaves you with 499 pounds as the total carry weight for you, your extra gear, and your trailer.
Considering that the average weight of a rider is somewhere between 170 and 200 pounds, this means that your trailer, gear, and whatever else you want to tow must weigh between 300 and 330 pounds.
For the 2018 Indian Scout, the GVWR and the curb weight are 998 pounds and 558 pounds respectively. This will leave you with about 240 to 270 pounds for towing.
From both examples, we can say that motorcycles generally have a towing weight that’s approximately half the bike’s curb weight. Still, we recommend you do the math for your particular motorcycle to have a more accurate result.
How to Safely and Legally Tow with a Motorcycle
First things first, make sure you carefully check the laws in your area to be up-to-date on possible restrictions. If you’re planning to take a road trip across state lines, keep in mind that laws could change along the way as they vary from one state to another.
That being said, all states require the two following measures:
- A license plate — your motorcycle must display a visible plate with lights.
- Taillights — you must install operable tail lights on your trailer.
The following gear is recommended to maximize safety and is also required in most states:
- Turn signals — these are quite essential if you’re planning on towing a trailer that gets in the way of your motorcycle’s lights.
- Brake lights — these will significantly reduce the risk of you getting rear-ended and having to pick up the pieces of your new, broken trailer.
- Safety chains — these chains are an integral part of your hitch system as they keep the trailer secure in place and prevent it from taking a trip of its own against the pavement.
- Reflectors — these will help boost your trailer’s visibility.
Don’t forget to double-check all the lights before you hit the road with your trailer. This will also save you from paying some hefty fines if you have failing lights.
Additionally, you should be aware that some states set speed limits for bikes towing trailers, so it’s best to check that before taking off.
Things to Consider when Towing with a Motorcycle
- The braking, acceleration, and handling of your motorcycle will differ the more weight you add. We recommend doing a few practice rides before the main one to get a better feel of the road with the additional weight.
- Expect a higher fuel consumption the more weight you tow with your bike.
- Even if you don’t exceed the towing capacity limit of your motorcycle, pulling extra weight will still cause more wear and tear than not towing.
Wrap Up
There you have it, a complete guide on motorcycle towing capacity. As you can tell by now, the exact extra weight you can pull behind your bike varies from one model to another, but the general procedure to calculate it is pretty much the same.