When someone says a motorcycle weighs 400 lbs or 180 kg. What does that mean exactly?
Is the weight includes the rider’s weight? The cargo weight? What about fuel? What about different oils in the motorcycle? Does the weight mentioned include those or exclude those?
When someone mentions a motorcycle weight, they typically mean its curb weight. The curb weight is the factory-installed motorcycle weight along with essential consumables (oils and coolant) and fuel at 90% capacity.
But curb weight is not the only type of weight here. There are n different weight measurements of a vehicle that can make your head go spinning.
So let’s discuss the different types of motorcycle weight measurements out there.
Different motorcycle weight measurements
Let’s discuss different vehicle weight measurements. Some are the same, some are vastly different, and some are confusing.
Here are the weight measurements we are going to dive in:
- Curb weight
- Gross vehicle weight (GVW)
- Kerb weight
- Dry weight
- Wet weight
- Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
Without further ado, let’s dig in.
#1. Curb weight
Curb weight is the factory-installed motorcycle weight along with essential consumables (oils and coolant) and fuel at 90% capacity.
This is the most used weight measurement of a vehicle.
Of course, you can go even basic with the factory equipment weight (also called dry weight) without any oil and fuel. But the dry weight which is discussed below – is rarely of use for any commercial purposes.
To put it in a formula way, here is what curb weight includes:
Curb weight = Factory vehicle weight + consumables (oils) + 90% fuel
Curb weight is also called wet weight. While wet weight is a more generalized term, curb weight is something referred specifically to automobiles.
In addition, curb weight is also interchangeably used with kerb weight.
While they both are the same, their definition varies from region to region. While the US uses curb weight, the definition of kerb weight in the UK includes rider weight as well.
We will discuss the kerb weight in more detail below.
#2. Gross vehicle weight (GVW)
Gross vehicle weight (GVW) is the total vehicle weight including the curb weight, cargo, other equipment and accessories, and the rider and passenger.
In simple terms, this is the sum total weight of anything and everything with and on the motorcycle.
The cargo, additional equipment and accessories, and the rider and passenger on the bike are all together combined is called the payload.
So to sum up gross vehicle weight in a formulaic way, here is how it looks:
Gross vehicle weight (GVW) = curb weight + payload
Keep in mind that the payload also includes the rider and the passenger weights.
Put simply, gross weight includes everything. Everything.
Factory weight, oils, fuel (at 90%), accessories, equipment, cargo, rider, passenger – all the weights.
In short, the total weight including everything on a motorcycle gives you the gross vehicle weight.
Gross vehicle weight (GVW) is different from Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which we will discuss shortly.
#3. Kerb weight
Kerb weight and curb weight are often used interchangeably. They are not wrong. But it’s a complicated relationship. 😉
Here is the thing:
Kerb weight definition varies from country to country. There is no one universal definition that defines the kerb weight across the globe.
Most of the world defines kerb weight as the same as curb weight. The factory-installed motorcycle weight along with essential consumables (oils and coolant) and fuel at 90% capacity.
But, certain parts of Europe define kerb weight as the factory-installed motorcycle weight, consumables (oils and coolant), 90% fuel, and factory-installed equipment plus rider weight.
The rider weight here is usually taken as 75 kg (165 lbs).
To simplify further, here is what the two definitions look:
Definition 1: Used across the world
Kerb weight = Curb weight
Definiton 2: Used in many European countries
Kerb weight = Curb weight + factory-installed equipment + Rider weight
As you can notice, the rider weight is included in one definition of kerb weight and excluded in the other.
That’s why kerb weight is often confusing and is not much used generally.
If they are used, it almost always comes with a definition of what it includes.
#4. Dry weight
Let’s talk dry and wet weights. Starting with dry weight first.
Dry weight is the factory-installed motorcycle weight. Dry weight does NOT include any essential consumables like oils, coolant, and fuel.
Essentially, the dry weight is the most basic weight of the motorcycle. Any automobile for that matter.
Dry weight = factory-installed weight (No oils, coolant, or fuel)
Since the weight does include any consumable fluids like oils, coolant, and fuel – this weight is aptly named as the dry weight.
#5. Wet weight
Wet weight is dry weight plus consumable fluids like oils, coolant, and fuel.
As discussed earlier, wet weight is nothing but the curb weight itself.
While wet weight is a generalized term referring to any component or part, curb weight is used specifically in the automobile sector.
To put things simply, here is what it looks like:
Wet weight = Curb weight
= Factory vehicle weight + consumables (oils) + 90% fuel
So, wet weight – curb weight – kerb weight – are all used interchangeably and mean the same thing (with some exceptions on kerb weight).
Most likely in your motorcycle manual you would see either the curb weight or the kerb weight though.
#6. Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the maximum vehicle weight that can be reached safely.
In other words, GVWR is the sum total of factory-installed motorcycle weight, the maximum weight of oils, coolant, fuel, installed equipment and accessories, cargo, and maximum rider and passenger weights that can be safely carried.
But:
How is this different from gross vehicle weight (GVW)?
What’s the difference between GVW and GVWR then?
GVWR is the maximum allowable weight of the motorcycle. Whereas GVW is the actual fully loaded weight of the motorcycle.
For the motorcycle to run smoothly and not get overloaded – GVW should always be lower than the GVWR.
GVWR is the maximum rating that GVW can reach.
To sum up, here is the roundup:
Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) = curb weight + maximum payload possible
Gross vehicle weight (GVW) < Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
Payload, again as discussed earlier, is the cargo, additional equipment, accessories, and the rider and passenger weights on the bike all together combined.
#7. Other terms
We have covered the main weight terms pertaining to motorcycles already.
Still, there are a few more terms that are not commonly used but are quite important. Or let’s say good-to-know terms.
- Gross axle weight rating (GAWR): the maximum amount of weight that can be safely carried on each end of the motorcycle. Both axles have separate ratings. These axle ratings are called – GAWR front and GAWR rear.
- Carrying capacity: the maximum payload the motorcycle can carry. In simple terms, carrying capacity is the difference between the GVWR and the curb weight. The maximum additional load the motorcycle can carry safely. Also called payload capacity.
- Running weight: this is again the same as curb weight. Just the name is different. The factory-installed vehicle weight plus consumables including oils and coolant plus fuel at 90% capacity gives the running weight aka curb weight.
What’s the difference?
All these different weight terminologies might sound confusing. On top of it, some mean the same with different names.
So how to group it? And how to recognize the difference.
Conceptually, here are the differences you need to take note of:
- Wet weight vs Dry weight
- Curb weight vs Gross vehicle weight
- Curb weight vs Kerb weight
- Gross vehicle weight vs Gross vehicle weight rating
Let’s dive into each of them.
Wet weight vs Dry weight
Dry weight is the factory-installed motorcycle weight and does NOT include any essential consumables like oils, coolant, and fuel.
Wet weight, on the other hand, is the factory-installed motorcycle weight plus essential consumables like oils, coolant, and fuel.
In automotive terms, wet weight is the same as curb weight.
Dry weight is the most basic weight of a motorcycle without any consumables, equipment and accessories, and riders.
In short:
Wet weight = Dry weight + consumables (oils) + 90% fuel
Curb weight vs Gross vehicle weight
Curb weight is the factory-installed motorcycle weight along with essential consumables (oils and coolant) and fuel at 90% capacity.
Gross vehicle weight (GVW) is the total vehicle weight including the curb weight, cargo, other equipment and accessories, and the rider and passenger.
Put simply, gross weight is the total vehicle weight including everything.
Consider payload as the weight of cargo, equipment and accessories, and rider and passenger weights. Then:
Gross vehicle weight (GVW) = curb weight + payload
Curb weight vs Kerb weight
Kerb weight and curb weight are often used interchangeably.
This is right and wrong both at a time – depending on the country and region you are using in.
The curb weight definition is universal. Whereas the kerb weight definition varies from region to region.
The factory-installed motorcycle weight, plus all the consumables (oils and coolant) plus fuel at 90% capacity gives the curb weight of the vehicle.
The kerb weight, on the other hand, has two main and distinct meanings.
The first one, which is widely used across the world and in the US, is the kerb weight is the same as the curb weight. The factory-installed motorcycle weight plus consumables (oils and coolant) plus 90% fuel.
The second definition, as used in several European countries, refers to curb weight plus factory-installed equipment plus the rider weight (75 kg).
In short, in the US and across the world, the curb weight and the kerb weight are one and the same.
In several European countries, the kerb weight is curb weight plus equipment plus the rider weight.
Kerb weight = Curb weight (in the US and across the globe)
Kerb weight = Curb weight + factory equipment + Rider weight (in several parts of Europe)
GVW vs GVWR
Gross vehicle weight is the actual total weight of the motorcycle. And gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the maximum total weight of the motorcycle possible to ride safely.
One is actual and the other is the maximum possible.
The GVW should never cross the GVWR.
And always, GVW should be lower than the GVWR.
Gross vehicle weight (GVW) < Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
Conclusion
Despite all these long explanations, if you are still confused, take away what a curb weight is. That’s enough.
Curb weight is the weight referred to when we talk about motorcycle weight.
Anytime someone mentions a vehicle weight, more often than not they are referring to its curb weight.