Loading your cargo trailer for motorcycle use:
A Question of Balance
By Larry Alger

A small cargo trailer behind a motorcycle can improve the riding so much
it is hard to imagine. Riders always have had to make do with what they
could strap to the bike and their bodies as the traveled in their
motorcycles. With the right cargo trailer, however, all that changes while
the feel of riding the motorcycle remains, essentially, stays the same.
There are just a few considerations when packing up your trailer.

When loading your trailer for a long trip, or the trip home from the
grocery store, remember to keep enough of the weight forward of the axle
center point to maintain a positive hitch load. If you put too much in the
rear of the trailer, the coupler will be pulling up on the hitch point all
the time. That is not a good thing. Most hitches for motorcycles I've seen
have a state a hitch load of about 20 to 30 pounds. Try to balance the
load so you've got a 5 to 10 pound hitch load at the coupler. Try to pack
so the load will not all shift to the rear under acceleration and back to
the front during breaking.

Packing items like blankets and sleeping bags at the back of the trailer
to help support the front to rear stability is a good idea. If you use the
trailer for around town errands, you may want to keep a few blankets in it
all times to help you position the load as needed. You never know when the
quick stop at the supermarket or hardware store will come up.

If you are carrying a heavy Item like a large ice chest, be sure to
position it in the center of the trailer just forward of the wheels or the
center balance point so it helps maintain the positive hitch load without
over loading the hitch plate. Be sure to pack around it to keep it from
moving side to side or front to rear.

The one of the worst things you can do is to overload a trailer for the
motorcycle. In my experience a load limit of 300 pounds gross including
the trailer is the outside weigh a rider should consider for even a large
touring bike. I met riders who have had large trailers with loads of 800
pounds behind their bikes before. I believe those riders are asking for
trouble. The more weight, the more control you surrender in critical
maneuvering and panic braking situations.

Another worst case motorcycle cargo trailer scenario is to forget the
trailer is behind the bike. This is easy to do with some small trailers as
they handle so well and are small enough to be out of sight of the
motorcycle rear view mirrors. If the trailer is hard to see in your
mirrors, mounting a small flag or SOMETHING on the trailer that you can
see in either mirror is a good idea. This will give you a gauge for moving
into traffic lines, as well as being a reminder that the trailer is back
there. Finally my last warning on loading a cargo trailer behind your
motorcycle is to ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK to be sure the coupler is LATCHED and
LOCKED! Safety chains properly attached to the motorcycle should ALWAYS be
used too. If you ride in a group, no one will take kindly to your trailer
coming loose in front of THEM, believe me. And if you have a receiver type
hitch on your motorcycle, be sure the lock pin is in place THROUGH THE
HOLE IN and not BEHIND the draw bar. Been there, done that, felt real
stupid. Fortunately I personally never had a BAD PROBLEM with the trailer
not being solidly attached to the bike because of my use of safety chains.

Well, I hope you all find some wisdom in this little piece. Enjoy your
motorcycles, your trailers and....

....Ride Safe

Larry Alger
Webmaster
www.motorcycletrailer.com