Kendon 3 rail loading question?

[Pittsdriverwes]

Do any of you guys have experience with a Kendon 3 rail trailer? I've got one that I've been using for hauling dirt bikes back and forth to my happy place about 100 miles away and it's a solid well built trailer for that. This week I'm needing to haul my BMW bikeapotomus GS and my daughter's Yamaha XT - about a 300 lb weight difference and just those two bikes. The total weight is fine but I've heard that if you load a heavier, longer wheelbase bike on the outer rails with the center rail empty it puts the CG too far aft to be as stable as it should be. So, I'm puzzling over whether to load the GS on the center rail and the XT on an outer vs both on the outer rails and then throwing a bag of something heavy on the center to get the tongue weight right.

Yea, I know. No self respecting motorcyclist hauls bikes on trailers (well, unless you're also hauling a smoker) and should just ride the damn thing. But, this is my daughter's first time all day on the bike for a multi-day adventure and there's a lot of busy expressway between home and where we want to start the ride. We're going to leave the truck/trailer near the PA border and spend the week on the PA Wilds Loop.

Loaded with my WR250R and my daughter's KLX140:



Thoughts?

[cabnfvr]

If the GS is in the center then the trailer sees added weight but with no left / right bias.

If the GS is on the outer rail then it's weight is more than a foot further back (based on photo) with very little of it's weight forward of the axle. That's bad. Since it's twice the weight of the 250 the trailer still sees 300 pounds more to the side (the GS side of course) but the trailer won't care about the 300 pounds off to the side. It's still well within the axle width. .

So.... since the trailer is going to see an additional 300 pounds to one side or the other no matter where the GS is, put the GS in the center so the trailer weight is biased toward the tongue.

[Pittsdriverwes]

[cabnfvr]

This reminds me of a physics problem form way back. If you take a 5 pound rock out onto a lake in a canoe and throw it overboard, does the lake level go up or down? I think I answered, yep.

[Pittsdriverwes]

What's the saying, "There's no replacement for displacement." I think that works in the canoe physics problem too.

[802Mike]

If I have to choose one side or the other, I take the inside/crown of the road for the heavier load.
Depending on the tow vehicle hitch weight can make a big difference. I have a 2015 F150 and
a Bravo Trailers 12' VeeNose. With just the GSA in it I had to stop and move it back some to get
the weigh right. For two bikes I have recessed floor chocks. For one bike I have a drive in type
that can be easily moved.

[EricM]

[Pittsdriverwes]

GS on the middle rail, XT250 on an outer:



I've also hauled 2 WR250Rs and a KLX140G on this trailer.