Rating the capacity of a motorcycle tow hitch is a little tricky, and to be honest, it’s a number that doesn’t really mean anything. That’s because the capability of the hitches we sell far exceed what the vehicle is capable of towing.
Motorcycle tow hitches typically have a tongue weight rating of 50 lbs. This means that if you were to measure the weight required to lift the tongue of your motorcycle camper or cargo trailer, it should not exceed 50 lbs. The actual tongue weight that a hitch can support is several hundred pounds. However, if you were to add several hundred pounds to the back of your bike, it would upset the handling to the point the bike would be unrideable. So, motorcycle hitch manufacturers specify a 50 lb. tongue weight rating as a way to help people avoid handling issues.
Likewise, a motorcycle hitch is capable of towing a lot more weight than the bike it’s attached to, and because of this, few manufacturers specify an actual towing weight capacity. A general rule of thumb is to tow a camper or cargo trailer with a total weight (trailer plus cargo) that is no more than 60% of your bike’s curb weight. So, if your bike weighs 1000 lbs. with fluids/gas, the total trailer weight you tow should not exceed 600 lbs.
For many people, that gives them plenty of leeway. A typical cargo trailer weighing 200 lbs would be able to carry a full load without coming near that limit, unless you’re towing lead plates. Likewise, even a large motorcycle camper with typical camping gear would fall under that limit.