*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events I experienced firsthand; used with permission.

Photo byHenk Van der WesthuizenonUnsplash

My husband told me I broke his motorcycle by lying about my weight. I didn’t realize until today that might be a lie.

A year into our marriage, I helped my husband buy his dream motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson Sportster 750cc. It was a small motorcycle, but my husband was a short and slender man. He would have been dwarfed by one of the larger models.

The Harley-Davidson Sportster 750cc fit him just right.

I didn’t ride on the back of his motorcycle often. One day, when I did, he claimed the motor was acting funny, and he blamed it on our combined weight. More specifically, he blamed it on my weight.

“Most motorcycles can carry 350-450 pounds (159-205 kgs) in addition to the weight of the bike themselves,” according to Motor and Wheels. If that’s the case, then I have no doubt our combined weight was within that limit. However, my husband claimed the weight limit of the passenger and driver was 300 pounds. If that was accurate, then, yes, I was the problem.

When he rode alone, the motorcycle ran like a dream. With me on the back, it struggled, according to my husband. I don’t know bikes; I couldn’t tell the difference.

One day, he turned to me and demanded to know my weight.

I shook my head, speechless. I felt so embarrassed. I’ve had an eating disorder since childhood, and I don’t like to talk about my weight with romantic partners, even when I’m married to them.

My husband saw I wasn’t going to answer. So he tried asking a different way.

“The bike’s weight limit is 300 pounds,” he said. “I know I weigh less than 150 pounds. Do you weigh more than 150 pounds?”

I did weigh more than 150 pounds, not a lot more, but enough to worry me. “No,” I replied, shaking my head. “I don’t weigh more than 150 pounds.”

Eventually, he had the motor bored out to 1200cc, and he was much happier with the bike’s overall performance. I paid for the modification, just in case it was my fault.

For years, I’ve wondered what is the true weight limit of a Harley-Davidson Sportster 750cc. Even with today’s nearly omniscient Internet, I can’t find a definitive answer. There always seems to be a mathematical formula that involves subtracting the weight of the driver, the rider, their gear, and any aftermarket accessories mounted to the motorcycle. I only know the value of one of those variables: my weight.

So what’s the truth? Did I break my husband’s Harley by lying about my weight? Maybe a Harley aficionado can “weigh in” with an accurate weight limit. Comments are welcome.