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Weight distribution
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Snowbelt Spyder
Well-known member
Last year. while messing around with tire pressure, I wanted to know that myself. I got a very general idea just by placing two bathroom scales under the front tires. The weight distribution came out to be about 50/50 front to rear - without rider or cargo. That was close enough for what I wanted to do and it was quick and what I had on hand. If you need more accuracy you can use better scales but the process is the same.
Bob Denman
New member
50/50? I would have bet that the front tires would have carried more of the load...Thanks for straightening-out, my incorrect assumption! :thumbup:
Snowbelt Spyder
Well-known member
Well, like I said, it was a general reading and the V Twin sits towards the center a bit. Not sure if the 1330 would be significantly different or not. And we're not talking about a lot of weight anyway.
That helps me a lot. I was thinking that it could be about 350 per wheel but now that I know the front wheels only carry about 250 each it will be much easier to set up this trailer. Thanks for your help!!
About one 1/3rd of your towing load should be on the towing vehicle's trailer hitch. The bed of the trailer should be flat or tipped slightly down in the front. Hook up your trailer load your spyder and block the tires. Put the spyder in neutral and move it back and forth a bit and see what you get. Remember, you do not want the tongue ever to be higher than the tail of the trailer. About a two inch drop in tongue height would be good.
Most of the information I have seen on trailer tongue weight is that it should be 9-15% of the loaded weight of the trailer. Some boat trailer manufacturers recommend a 20% tongue weight because boat trailers typically have the axle further away from the trailer coupler because of the unique shape of a boat with most of the weight aft and less forward. Too much tongue weight can make the front axle of the tow vehicle too light and affect steering control.
Yes, with a heavy load you are correct. A spyder and trailer isn't particularly a heavy load. A little more tongue weight would provide a bit more control. If the towing vehicle is light and tongue weight is light you can get a pushing effect when braking comes into play. You need a little more down pressure on the rear tires. In rainy conditions that extra pushing effect can really become frightening.
Bob Denman
New member
Don't try and over-think this: just keep it "nose heavy", and you'll be fine... :thumbup:
How the heck do you actually measure everything so that the balance point is 9-15% front-of-center anyway? :dontknow:
How the heck do you actually measure everything so that the balance point is 9-15% front-of-center anyway? :dontknow:
Not aiming to be picky here, just adding to the available info....
I've weighed over 50 each of RT's & F3's during my 'tire research' (plus a bunch of 'other models'!) usually with a solo rider/general load aboard, & the average weight balance pans out as follows:
RT's (basically irrespective of motor) Fr/Rr = 55/45;
while the F3's are more Fr/Rr = 60/40
Those RT's that I've weighed without a rider or passenger have tended to show a bit closer to a 50/50 weight balance, but once anyone gets aboard (in the normal seating arrangement!!) the weight balance starts trending forwards - loading it up or riding 2up pushes more of the increased weight forwards than settles on the back wheel - isn't suspension design just a wonderful thing!! :thumbup:
The bad news for this particular discussion is that many of the Spyders I weighed or collected info about, actually had trailers of various types & weights with them - & if I'd been a bit smarter I could've added some trailer weight & loading info into the collected data, but as it was, I only looked for laden Spyder weights: total, front wheels, & rear wheels - with no trailer connected. Sorry!
I've weighed over 50 each of RT's & F3's during my 'tire research' (plus a bunch of 'other models'!) usually with a solo rider/general load aboard, & the average weight balance pans out as follows:
RT's (basically irrespective of motor) Fr/Rr = 55/45;
while the F3's are more Fr/Rr = 60/40
Those RT's that I've weighed without a rider or passenger have tended to show a bit closer to a 50/50 weight balance, but once anyone gets aboard (in the normal seating arrangement!!) the weight balance starts trending forwards - loading it up or riding 2up pushes more of the increased weight forwards than settles on the back wheel - isn't suspension design just a wonderful thing!! :thumbup:
The bad news for this particular discussion is that many of the Spyders I weighed or collected info about, actually had trailers of various types & weights with them - & if I'd been a bit smarter I could've added some trailer weight & loading info into the collected data, but as it was, I only looked for laden Spyder weights: total, front wheels, & rear wheels - with no trailer connected. Sorry!
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I do it something like this:
http://www.boatus.com/magazine/trailering/2013/June/tongue-weight-diy.asp
I usually keep my tongue weight at 12%. Most commercially available utility trailers that I have checked come from the factory with a tongue weight of 10-12% when empty. If you know the weight of the trailer and the cargo, its a simple math problem. Cargo can be positioned forward or aft to adjust tongue load.
Not aiming to be picky here, just adding to the available info....
I've weighed over 50 each of RT's & F3's during my 'tire research' (plus a bunch of 'other models'!) usually with a solo rider/general load aboard, & the average weight balance pans out as follows:
RT's (basically irrespective of motor) Fr/Rr = 55/45;
while the F3's are more Fr/Rr = 60/40
Those RT's that I've weighed without a rider or passenger have tended to show a bit closer to a 50/50 weight balance, but once anyone gets aboard (in the normal seating arrangement!!) the weight balance starts trending forwards - loading it up or riding 2up pushes more of the increased weight forwards than settles on the back wheel - isn't suspension design just a wonderful thing!! :thumbup:
The bad news for this particular discussion is that many of the Spyders I weighed or collected info about, actually had trailers of various types & weights with them - & if I'd been a bit smarter I could've added some trailer weight & loading info into the collected data, but as it was, I only looked for laden Spyder weights: total, front wheels, & rear wheels - with no trailer connected. Sorry!
This info confirms what Snowbelt Spyder said, and this is the info I need. I have to modify a trailer I built for my quads. The quads are 48" wide and the Spyder is 62". I was hoping the front wheels only carry 250 lbs. each, and that looks like that is the case.
jaherbst
New member
Sorry but I need to correct this. All trailer manufacturers recommend 12-15% of the load be on the hitch not 30%. A maximum of 15%! More
weight or less weight will have consequences when towing. I am speaking from over 500,000 miles of trailer towing from RV, stock trailers, Big rigs
and even the BRP and Powersports trailers.
Jack
jaherbst
New member
Thanks for straightening-out, my incorrect assumption! :thumbup:
Well Bob, it turns out you were correct!!! My original assumption, just by observing the vehicle (engine position, estimated weight of components, etc.) was that each wheel carried about 1/3 of the total weight of the vehicle. Even though several folks said the weight distribution was 50/50, I had a hard time convincing myself this was true. I decided to go to Target and see what kind of scales were available. I found a scale that has a 440 lb. capacity and brought it home. Here are my findings:
Left front 320 lbs.
Right front 340 lbs.
Rear 396 lbs.
Total 1056 lbs.
This is a 2016 RT SE6 with about 3/4 tank of fuel and 2 helmets aboard. Over 62% of the weight is on the front wheels.
Yes Bob....
You're right. Keep it 'nose heavy." The lighter the load the more weight on the tongue with small loads.
You're right. Keep it 'nose heavy." The lighter the load the more weight on the tongue with small loads.
pitzerwm
New member
NO one mentioned, that most vehicles tell you what the max tongue weight is X. My Honda says 350#, the first time I used the bathroom scale. I have a converted boat trailer so with the wheels in the back, I knew I had to figure it out. I used the bathroom scale and in neutral pushed the bike back and forth to get it right. Then set the chocks up and it towed great.
Were your findings similar to mine?
Question about tongue receiver max rating in lbs. to pull RT Limited
Hello Sir,
I have a new 2018 Subaru outback and a new Triton aluminum trailer. I am afraid the dealership put on a receiver that is to weak to pull my RT. The receiver is the OEM Subaru 1.25 200lbs. max tongue rating. I believe I can balance the spyder back farther on the trailer but wanted your opinion.
Blessings
Mathew
Hello Sir,
I have a new 2018 Subaru outback and a new Triton aluminum trailer. I am afraid the dealership put on a receiver that is to weak to pull my RT. The receiver is the OEM Subaru 1.25 200lbs. max tongue rating. I believe I can balance the spyder back farther on the trailer but wanted your opinion.
Blessings
Mathew
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