Anyone who has headed off for a week or so two-up touring will have come to the conclusion that most motorcycles were just not made with luggage-carrying capacity in mind, even an afterthought. However, with panniers, topbox and tankbag, the proposition becomes more viable.
Now, if you have camping in mind, by the time you've squeezed in a tent and couple of sleeping bags the bike looks like an overladen camel - and often handles like one.
There is another option - a trailer. Accustomed as we are to seeing cars pulling trailers, the idea of a motorcycle pulling one seems, well, a bit strange. Like a dog walking on hind legs. it can be done but you don't often see it. "It must be dangerous" is a common reaction.
Using a trailer with a motorcycle can be a practical proposition and it need not be dangerous. These days most motorcycles have a sufficient reserves of power to pull a trailer. Indeed most bike-and-trailer outfits would have a better power-to-weight ratio than most cars with trailers.
You can get trailers specifically made for a motorcycle. Key elements are low centre of gravity, well-distributed load with the heaviest items over the axle line, and a trailer hitch designed for motorcycle use. Unlike a car, a solo motorcycle has to lean, so the hitch must be able to rotate more than a standard one.
With most types of machines likely to be used for touring, the handling of a sensibly arranged outfit need not be so significantly different from a solo motorcycle. Indeed, it's very much better than an overladen bike.
Trailers are not only suitable for large motorcycles - there is a model available for a 150cc Vespa scooter.
Using a trailer greatly expands the luggage capacity. Not only can you take bulky items with ease, you can carry the larger frame tents, tables, chairs, cooker, gas bottle and so forth. Trailers are also used by some courier companies and by tradesmen. They can even be used for the periodic supermarket trip.
The law says that the trailer may not have an unladen weight over 250kg. The bike must have a capacity in excess of 125cc and the trailer must not exceed one metre width. The distance between the bike's rear axle and the trailer's rearmost part may not exceed 2.5m.
The law also insists that the bike must be indelibly marked to indicate the weight of the heaviest trailer which it's designed to tow, or two-thirds of the weight of the bike "in running order", whichever is less. The laden weight of the trailer must not exceed 150kg or two-thirds of the bike in running order.
The regulations (S.I. No 5 of 2003 of the Road Traffic (Construction and use of Vehicles) Regulations 2003) are somewhat contradictory and do not clearly define precisely how the weight "in running order" is calculated. Given that "in running order", the bike would also be carrying a rider, one could perhaps argue that two thirds of bike and rider was the overall limit.
These legalities should not pose a problem, provided one was using a trailer specifically designed for motorbike use. Few car-type trailers are likely to be suitable since they would not have the rotating hitch which, while not a legal requirement, is essential if handling problems are not to arise. Adapting a trailer hitch is not rocket science for anyone with reasonable mechanical skills. Finding a car-type trailer that meets the regulations would be less easy.
Squire Trailers, a subsidiary of Watsonian-Squire, currently makes a range of trailers to suit any size machine from 150cc upwards, ranging in price from €1,437 to €2,767. It also supplies towbar kits for most makes of bike, from €54 to €273. For more information go to www.watsonian-squire.com