Weight gain; a lesson on
distribution
Motorcycles don’t take lightly to foolishness in the payload.
Stability, steering and safety are seriously compromised when you
load a bike improperly. The first thing to know about proper load
distribution on two wheels is to keep it centered between them.
Don’ts
Don’t strap heavy bedrolls or packs on your handlebars. This
screws up the steering badly by adding to the pendulum effect of
turning the handlebars. The fork will want to flop radically from
side to side.
Think twice about hanging a 100 pounds of T-bag over your luggage
rack. Your rack probably has a weight limit and there’s a reason.
It’s not usually because the rack can’t handle it, it’s all about
the weight distribution. It takes very little weight hanging over
and behind the back axle to make our steering light. It also
compresses the rear shocks too much, negating any help from them in
the event of a problem. Taken to the extreme, this “strap it on the
ass end” logic can lead to a motorcycle doing a poor imitation of a
wheelbarrow loaded with wet cement. Control all but disappears, wet
roads become lethal (OK, more lethal), steering gets twitchy even in
the dry because the front wheel is barely skimming the tarmac, and
you may be asking for a flat rear tire if you exceed its load
rating. And, flat-spotting the poor thing if you slam on the rear
brake with all that crap bearing down on it.
Do’s
If you’re riding without a passenger, place your bags in front of
the sissy bar, centered over the axle, for best weight distribution.
Keep the weight low on the chassis. Saddlebags make more sense to
the steering geometry of your machine than T-bags or sissy bars. The
bags keep the weight positioned down low, below seat height. This
makes for super stability.
Perhaps the next best thing is a tank bag. True, it’s higher up
on the machine, but unless you’re carrying bowling balls in the
thing, it’s still more stable than the same weight slung on bars, be
they handle or sissy. The bonus, with a tank bag, is the load is
once again contained within the wheelbase.
Heed payload warnings on luggage racks and backrests.
Lighten the load (no, this isn’t your significant other!). You
ride a motorcycle, not a RV. Think carefully about just how much you
need for your trip. Pay attention when you get home to the things
you brought and never used and update your packing list.
Fly me to the moon; bike
transportation
Sometimes, if limited by work and other commitments, we might not
be able to take 4 weeks off for a motorcycle tour. If this is your
situation, you might consider riding either to/from your destination
and shipping your scoot. This saves lots of time, but be prepared to
spend some time with the freight company to supervise and assist in
loading your bike for transport.
Be sure and pick a reliable freight carrier to take all the
necessary precautions in transporting your motorcycle. Your
Harley-Davidson dealer can help you with your selection, and might
point you to better prices for special events.
