Originally Posted by
canamjhb
Most vehicles total weight capacity (GVW) are determined by the tire capacity. I'm sure you can load up any vehicle to the point that something mechanical brakes. But you will undoubtedly have tire failure well before that. I don't recall the capacities for the OEM Kendas and mine are long gone. Your manual will give you the GVW for your specific bike. If you have upgraded to higher capacity CTs then you should never have an issue as long as you don't go wild. If you are running the Kendas...... well, good luck no matter what the load.
Many years ago I did a study of weight and capacities for my old Goldwing GL1500. The bottom line is that I was riding at 93% of the capacity of the bike and 81% of the tires capacity when I was riding solo and not carrying luggage. So, when you see a Goldwing cruising by carrying a couple of quarter pounders along with luggage stacked 2 feet high know that they might be a tad overweight.
Just keep a close eye on your tires. They are your best indicator of impending problems