Towing a trailer with your motorcycle can provide a huge upgrade to motocamping. It provides the ability to carry more cargo. This extra space for cargo is not without ultimately adding weight. And.... weight is the enemy of motocamping. For most newcomers to this hobby, their concerns question the power of the motorcycle. However, for most motorcycles, this is not the issue. Instead adding weight has it's greatest impact on your stopping distance. The general rule is that you should not tow more than half the weight of the motorcycle. I am not sure where this rule came from, but I have found that it is a starting point to establish a maximum weight for your trailer. Some have added electric brakes to their trailer to help this issue. Personally I have found that you still have other factors to address by adding too much weight.

Most motorcycle hitches have a weight limit of 50 lb. So some simple math will help us understand the problem. Trailer tongue weight on these types of trailers must be between 10-15% of the total weight of the trailer. This rule cannot be broken! That does not me, "Just make sure I have a little more weight up front". No, you need to know your numbers. So, if you bike weights 800 lb. and you have a 300 lb. trailer with 100 lb. of gear (400 lb. tot), then your tongue weight must be at least 40 lb. (aka 10% of total weight), and no more than 60 lb. (aka 15% of total weight)

This balance is created by adjusting your cargo. Moving your stuff forward makes the tongue of the trailer heavier. Why is this important? A little too light on the ball and you will create a hammering effect on your hitch. I have actually broken bolts in my hitch this way. Too light on the ball can cause your entire rig to sway out of control. While this is bad in your pickup truck, the effects on a motorcycle are even worse. Motorcycles do not have the traction on the back wheel like a vehicle that has two wide tires in the back. Imagine for a moment leaning into a turn and your trailer bounces a little. Insufficient down pressure can create a situation where the tongue is reducing traction to the rear wheel, in the middle of the bounce.

In future posts I will be repeating these two rules to towing. First, the trailer weight must not exceed half the weight of the motorcycle. Second, the tongue weight must be between 10-15% of the total weight of the vehicle. I also hope to provide examples of how I weigh my trailer. And yes, I do a weight and balance before I leave out on every trip. It is that important.