Dry weight
Encyclopedia
Dry weight is the weight of a vehicle
without any consumables, passengers, or cargo.
It is one of the two common weight measurements included in road vehicle specifications, the other one being curb weight
.
By definition, dry weight does not include any of the following:
The difference between dry weight and curb weight depends on many variables such as the capacity of the fuel tank.
Over time, most domestic vehicle manufacturers have more commonly used the term 'shipping weight', which refers to the vehicle in as-built, no-option condition. This would include engine oil, coolant, brake fluid and at least some small quantity of fuel, as vehicles have traditionally been driven off the assembly line and these fluids were necessary to do so. Hobbyists have debated the accuracy of these figures, as they often seem low versus occasional real world checks on the same-specification vehicle. One theory is that shipping weight was intentionally calculated on the low side to realize a cost savings in the freight transport of vehicles across the country.
(or other fuel), engine oil, coolant
, brake fluid
, or battery
.
There is no standardized way to test the dry weight of a motorcycle. Inconsistencies will almost always be found between a motorcycle manufacturer's published dry weight and motorcycle press and media outlet's published dry weight. This is due to different testing techniques, differences in what is being excluded, and a lack of defining how testing was conducted by the organization doing the testing.
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
without any consumables, passengers, or cargo.
It is one of the two common weight measurements included in road vehicle specifications, the other one being curb weight
Curb weight
Curb weight or kerb weight is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables , a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other...
.
By definition, dry weight does not include any of the following:
- GasolineGasolineGasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
, diesel or any other fuelMotor fuelA motor fuel is a fuel that is used to provide power to motor vehicles.Currently, the majority of motor vehicles worldwide are powered by gasoline or diesel. Other energy sources include ethanol, biodiesel, propane, compressed natural gas , electric batteries charged from an external source, and... - Engine oil
- CoolantCoolantA coolant is a fluid which flows through a device to prevent its overheating, transferring the heat produced by the device to other devices that use or dissipate it. An ideal coolant has high thermal capacity, low viscosity, is low-cost, non-toxic, and chemically inert, neither causing nor...
- Brake fluid
- Power steering fluid
- Transmission fluid
- Washer fluid
The difference between dry weight and curb weight depends on many variables such as the capacity of the fuel tank.
Over time, most domestic vehicle manufacturers have more commonly used the term 'shipping weight', which refers to the vehicle in as-built, no-option condition. This would include engine oil, coolant, brake fluid and at least some small quantity of fuel, as vehicles have traditionally been driven off the assembly line and these fluids were necessary to do so. Hobbyists have debated the accuracy of these figures, as they often seem low versus occasional real world checks on the same-specification vehicle. One theory is that shipping weight was intentionally calculated on the low side to realize a cost savings in the freight transport of vehicles across the country.
Motorcycles
The dry weight of a motorcycle excludes some or all of the following: gasolineGasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
(or other fuel), engine oil, coolant
Coolant
A coolant is a fluid which flows through a device to prevent its overheating, transferring the heat produced by the device to other devices that use or dissipate it. An ideal coolant has high thermal capacity, low viscosity, is low-cost, non-toxic, and chemically inert, neither causing nor...
, brake fluid
Brake fluid
Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic brake and hydraulic clutch applications in automobiles, motorcycles, light trucks, and some bicycles. It is used to transfer force into pressure...
, or battery
Car battery
An automotive battery is a type of rechargeable battery that supplies electric energy to an automobile. Usually this refers to an SLI battery to power the starter motor, the lights, and the ignition system of a vehicle’s engine...
.
There is no standardized way to test the dry weight of a motorcycle. Inconsistencies will almost always be found between a motorcycle manufacturer's published dry weight and motorcycle press and media outlet's published dry weight. This is due to different testing techniques, differences in what is being excluded, and a lack of defining how testing was conducted by the organization doing the testing.