rawdonball wrote:How much do you weight Mate? and how much for the friends son? Estimate weight of all the kit? Maximum preload on the rear shock? Rear tyre pressure? Average cruising speed when on the move?
Just interested!
Out of curiosity I did do this calculation some time back, more because I got curious about weight and the handling and also because I got involved in a debate on another forum about the weight of ones camp kit.
My entire kit excluding bike helmet and gear adds up to 50 pounds/21 kilos.
In 2012 on the K100LT, over 100,000 miles:
With full bike kit on, gloves, helmet, textile gear, boots and pockets with usual stuff I am 14 stone/196 pounds/85kg. Naked I am under 12 stone..
Friends son was about same.
I have 42 litre Krauser K2 panniers and a 40 litre Hepco and Becker top box. Panniers full added up to about 11 kilo each, 49 pounds/11kg.
Top box which would have some food shopping in tops at 22 pounds/10kg.
Allow another few kilo for spares/tool kit etc
That gave me a total of about 210 kg.
According to the book the max payload is 200kg. The last 10kg is allowed for shopping near camp site.
Rear shock was a Koni on full preload.
Front and Rear tyre Bridgestone BT45. Rear was put to 45psi/3 bar, front just short of 40.
From Dublin north and also on way back was motorway, 120kmh and rock steady. Up north on some twisties on the country roads it felt like it was in a groove, way better than when travelling solo with empty panniers.
More recently I repeated this exercise taking the RT to France but travelled solo. Panniers loaded were 11kg each.
Top box very little but tent poles and seat strapped to back seat.
Replaced rear shock evening before leaving with a stock shock off a spares RS I have. Full preload.
On way down handling went a bit off, traced to deflation of rear tyre and once back up to 45 psi/3 bar all was fine.
Even more recently travelling 2 up with 88KE on I hadn't beefed up the rear pressure so it didn't feel perfect. However I have come to the conclusion the standard rear shock is not really up to it so going to take the Koni off the LT. I have no idea what model it is and figure getting it rebuilt first.
In all cases I have comfortable gone 120kmh without any stability issues but will say they are very sensitive to getting tyre pressure right and keeping them high. Once that's done they feel like they are on rails. The important thing with a pillion is clear instructions on getting on and off. I am 5' 8"/173com so I have to brace well as I can't get my feet flat on the ground.