Smart Ways to Carry More Load on Your Two Wheelers

The time between autumn and spring is the perfect time for explorers to get on their motorcycles and discover the hidden destination gems across the country. But that also means packing more winter clothes and other necessities of daily life to make the ride comfortable. Here are 5 tips to carry more load on your motorcycle on your long cruises.

Panniers, Luggage Bags & Top Boxes

While it's completely possible to pack your luggage with bungee cords and ropes, and we will come to that later but first let's understand what you can do with luggage bags and panniers. The French word for basket is panniers and the name has stuck on in the motorcycling industry for anything that is used to carry luggage. Commonly, these are also known as luggage bags and are available in both side configurations and rear configuration (top box) depending on your riding requirement. The rear luggage box can carry more load compared to side bags simply because of the fact that it sits on a sturdy stand which is rated for higher load carrying capacity. If you need to carry a lot of load on your daily commute,  or if you're planning a week-long pleasure ride during which you are going to need a lot of clothes and camping equipment, then you cannot avoid getting a good sized top luggage box for your real luggage section, in addition two side bags with locks.

Wider Rims and Taller Tires

A great hack to make your motorcycle more capable of carrying heavier loads is to invest in a wide rim and taller tires with high side walls which support bigger payloads compared to thinner sidewall tires. Wider tires enhance the contact patch of wheels on the road surface giving you more grip that will be necessary when you are carrying extra load on your two-wheeler. Aftermarket options for wide rims and taller tires are available for almost every bike today. Visit your nearest motorcycle accessories shop to find out more about the options that you get.

Do the Weight Math

In order to carry maximum weight on your two-wheeler, it is important to first know the gross axle weight of your motorcycle. Once you know that, the next step is to subtract the wet weight (with the tank filled with petrol) of your motorcycle from the gross axle weight. This gives you the total capacity of your motorcycle when it comes to carrying additional load. With that knowledge, it becomes much easier to invest in luggage bags and panniers. A simple way to find out the gross axle weight of a motorcycle is to check the product listing page on the manufacturer's website, or get in touch with somebody at the dealership to find out how much weight the motorcycle can carry. This step is important, especially if you are going to take your motorcycle to its weight carrying limit.

Balance is Everything

Plan an equal distribution of the weight all over your two-wheeler to maintain good balance especially if you are already riding a tall adventure motorcycle. Such motorcycles are top heavy and the balance can easily become disturbed if you put on a lot of weight. A smart way to balance out the weight is to put more on the side bags and less on the top box at the rear of the motorcycle. To do that choose bigger sized but light weight stuffs such as boots, additional helmets etc., which can go on the top box, and put everything else that is heavy in your side bags. Also make sure that each bag is equally filled and there is a good balance of weight all across your bike.