# Over Weight or Not



## wasfitonce (Apr 27, 2009)

Tech help please. 

Thinking of buying a scooter which will weigh about 70 - 90 kg. I think I will have to fit a tow bar and some thought of scooter carrier (I don't want to tow).

How do I fathom out if I am over weight or not? I have recently had the van Hobby Seista 750 weighed (fully loaded) and know the weights of the front/rear axles

Paul.


Mod edit: Hope you don't mind but I have changed the title to reflect the question, might get more response


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## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

Hi

If you look along the top of this page, under resources, then click on useful downloads, then useful again, you'll find this list

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=3#cat

the second item includes a simple little calculator to work that very thing out for you, page 6 on the download 

Jason

3rd time unlucky!?!


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## an99uk (May 12, 2005)

*Post moved*

I have moved this post to tech and mech forum, you may get more appropriate advice here.


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## smick (Jun 1, 2005)

Please note that this is not a definitive answer!

I seem to remember reading an article by John Wickersham that stated if you hang a heavy weight BEHIND the rear wheels, the effect of weight of the item will be increased because of the leverage it exerts. I seem to remember that this affected both front and rear axles, though why, I can't for the life of me remember.

Therefore the weight you quote may not be the end of the story, added to which you need to know the weight of the rack / towbar.

Suggest you need a more definitive answer than this, but there has been an article on weights & loading in MMM recently which may have the answer.

I may well be shot down in flames over this, but I_ think_ I've got this right. Not that it's a lot of help!!!

Smick


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## Dag5 (Sep 18, 2010)

Hi,

"Thinking of buying a scooter which will weigh about 70 - 90 kg."

I had a 50cc scooter which was totally useless with two up. Slow and dangerous is how I would describe it. (Except in the vineyards of France of course)

I wanted the biggest engined bike that I could get that was UNDER 100kgs. 

This turned out to be a SYM 100cc with a dry weight of, I believe, 87kgs.

I have this on an Easy Lifter which goes on a bespoke towbar which gave me a plated weight of 125kgs (the Easy Lifter weighs about 25kgs)

Hope that this gives you more information to help the decision making.

Happy Holidays!

Dag


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## ob1 (Sep 25, 2007)

Paul

Allowing for the weight of your bike,towbar,rack,fuel and water for the bike and likely overhang leverage, I reckon that the extra loading on your rear axle will be in the region of 180-200kg with 60-80kg being levered off your front axle.

I agree with Dag5 on the choice of bike. I would go even further and suggest a 125cc as a minimum and certainly not one restricted to 30mph. I made this mistake and sold ours within a month as it was so dangerous.


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

Firstly make sure the vehicle and the towbar are legally capable of carrying the scooter and its rack. The vehicle and towbar may have maximum towbar loads. Also bear in mind that a towbar is designed to carry downloads and towing loads - not the large torque you will get from a bike rack.

If anything is overloaded you are giving the insurance company the right to refuse any insurance claim.


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

I seem to remember reading in, I thinkm the Caravan Club Europe book 1 that tow bar motorbike carriers are illegal in France & Spain. As I say, I only _think _ I remember. So it might be worth checking it out.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

We got ours fitted at Armitage Trailers near Ferry Bridge (M62). They were brilliant and the rack fits into the Alko Chassis and will take up to 200KG. It has an easy ramp to wheel the scooter on and off and the whole process on or off takes just a minute.

Its right about the overhang increasing the overall load. I think our rack, tow bar and bike came to about 150kg but when you do the calculations it comes to 200KG.

There is a good calculator here http://practicalmotorhome.com/advice/safe-loading-and-payloads

You will struggle to find a reliable and well known model with enough grunt for two of you at less than 100KG. We have Peugeot Speedfight II 2 stroke 100cc which is superb and will pull 60 MPH flat out and take two of us up mountains etc all day long. I would have prefered a reliable Honda but they are too heavy. The Peugeot is very sporty and just 95KG.

What I will say despite crashing ours yesterday I would be without it with the van. It is by far the best asset you can have for motorhoming and comes into its own on long trips abroad, especially when its 30 degrees!


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

*Scoot*

I recently replaced our old 50cc Pug vivacity with the new version http://www.peugeotscooters.co.uk/vivacity.html derestricted pulls two up no prob 45mph

If yout worried about weight I dont know what these are like http://www.cmf-engineering.com/side-load01.htm

Chris


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

I'm still wrestling with this problem and where I come unstuck is that Fiat have a limit of 100kgs on any towbar. The rack might take up to 200kgs but can the towbar.

The lightest rack I have been able to find is around 30kgs so to buy a useable scooter of around 70kgs is proving impossible.

I presume the maximum overall weight of your Hobby is 3500kgs and the relevant axle loadings should either be in your Handbook or on your door pillar.

The lightest new main brand scooters come in at around 112 kgs. If I can get around the weight problem the Piaggio Liberty is about the lightest. Peugeot mentioned by Barry don't do a 100cc model any longer. Their lightest model is the Vivacity at 112kgs (dry). The Honda Lead 110 is 114kgs and is an OK option but again is on the heavy side. Its difficult if you want anything light!


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## Ken38 (Mar 24, 2009)

Saw a device at a show, Newbury, where it was a tow bar "style" motorbike carrier but had a single wheel that put most of the load on the road. The wheel would turn any direction so you could reverse normally.

Might be useful!

Was I dreaming? Back to the sauce bottle :? 

Ciao


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

No Ken38 you were not dreaming. The model you refer to is the EasyLifter Hydra Trail. Now comes with two wheels. I and one or two others on here own one. Solves the problem of weight on back axle, is a doddle to tow and reverse.

JohnW


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## tony645 (Sep 26, 2010)

Yamaha cygnus 125cc, 105kg


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

As per my earlier post. Armitage will fit a rack that slots into the Alko Chassis not the tow ball.


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