I have a bike weighing nearly 600 lbs. I am considering buying a car that can tow 1,500 lbs. The hitch for the car is a class 1 with a max tongue weight of 200 lbs. I only need a basic trailer (not covered) like a simple open mesh with ramp gate. My question is: How can I tell if the weigth of the trailer plus the weight of the bike will not exceed the 200 lb tongue weight limit? I have called several trailer places and the bike dealer and haven't gotten too far other than it seems most of the trailers that could handle my bike have an empty tongue weight of about 50 lbs and advice not to put the bike too far forward on the trailer (e.g. try to center the weight over the trailer axle. Makes sense. Any advise on how to figure total tongue weight?
2007-03-30 05:48:07 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
I agree fully with the 'bathroom scale' answer but will add the caution that you do want to have some weight on the tongue. 50 - 100 lbs. If you are so afraid of putting weight on the tongue you might put the bike too far back and the handling of the car will be affected. (and if you disconnect the trailer while the bike is on, the tongue could snap upward and hit you in the face)
2007-03-30 06:17:22 · answer #1 · answered by jimanddottaylor 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The easiest way to set this up is like this. Wheel the bike onto the trailer, with the tongue on the ball. Center the bike "carefully" on the trailer. Tie it down. Try to lift the tongue off the ball. If you're an average person, you should be able to lift it, with an effort! If you can't, move the bike back a few inches, to relieve some of the weight off the tongue. Try lifting again. You want enough weight on the tongue so that if you hit a bump, inertia doesn't try to flip the tongue off the ball.
Max tongue weight of 200# would be more than you could lift, by yourself.
2007-03-30 07:45:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a combination of things that create the tounge weight.
The weight and geometry of the trailer.
The weight of the bike
The placement of the bike
And the height of the hitch in relationship to the trailer.
Most trailers are designed to be reasonably balanced when reasoably loaded.
As the previous poster suggested, load the trailer and pick up the tounge you'll know if it exceeds 2 hundred.
If so adjust the placement of the bike.
2007-03-30 06:21:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tounge weight is the downward force. So use a bathroom scale under the hitch?
Finding the center of gravity of the motorcycle, and doing the math is pretty much fruitless.
Or, if after it's loaded on the trailer, you and a buddy try to lift it off the tow ball. If you can't, move the bike back a foot or so and try again.
2007-03-30 06:00:32 · answer #4 · answered by Mr. KnowItAll 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if you center the weight of the bike over the axle of the trailer you'll be fine, try not to over-think this issue.
a 600lb. bike loaded in the center of a 350lb. trailer will be fine for your set-up.
2007-03-30 09:45:12 · answer #5 · answered by patrickh 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋