Thule Sportworks Transport T2 Assembly And Use Manual

Transport T2

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Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

Congratulations on your purchase of a truly

innovative and quick-loading bike rack!

Key Features

• Fits 20”-29” wheels

• Carries up to 60lbs per tray with a 2” hitch and 160lbs total with a 3

• Carries up to 60lbs per tray with a 1-¼” hitch and 100lbs total (2 Bike Max)

• Carries bikes with wheelbases up to 48”

**Please read and understand the warnings on page 9 before use.

2” or 1 ¼” Hitch Base

(

Includes two anti-wobble

bolts for maximum stability

Only one bolt on 1 ¼”

)

Handle

(Used to fold the rack up

and fold the rack down)

4-Bar linkage Folding

Mechanism

(Solid mechanism

prevents rack sway )

Backbone

(Main frame for the

rack)

RQL Support Arm

(

Provides maximum security)

Front Wheel Cradle

(Easily accommodates

20”-29” wheels

and any tire size.)

s

1

Position

Bike Tray

2

n

Position

Bike Tray

Adjustable brackets

(

Reduces bike interference
by allowing adjustment of

pitch and offset)

Figure A.

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

Page 1 of 12

Assembl

Use

rd

& 4th bike add-on

Innovative Rear Wheel

Lock Down

(

Securely holds any size

tires)

Support Arm

Wingnuts

(Easily adjustable

support arm resistance

For customer service contact
Thule at 800-238-2388

)

Transport T2

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Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

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Use

To prepare your rack for installation…

Out of the box:

1. To prepare your rack for installation, remove the bolt, nut and washer from the rear linkage
bars using a ¾” wrench(see Fig A-1).

2. Swing the hitch base 180 degrees and line up the bushings in the middle hole with the rear
linkage bars(Fig A-2).

3. Replace the bolt, nut and washer and tighten(Fig A-2).

Tools Required for Assembly:
6mm Allen Wrench (included), ¾” wrench and a 15/16” wrench. NOTE: All fasteners are
pre-installed for easy assembly.

Fig A-1

2. Rear linkage Bars

2. Hitch Base

Fig A-2

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

2. Middle hole

3. Replace Bolt,
nut and washer.

Page 2 of 12

1. Bolt, Nut and washer to
remove

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Assembly Instructions:

A) Insert hitch base into vehicle’s hitch receiver.

Fig. B.

NOTE: Assembly can be done off the vehicle
if desired. Proceed to Step 2.

B) Tighten side hitch bolt with a

15/16” wrench to 80ft-lbs for a 2”
Hitch 40ft-lbs for a 1-¼” Hitch

C) Tighten top hitch bolt with a ¾”

wrench to 40ft-lbs

D) Orange
line on

Figure C. - View from bottom of the rack stowed.

A) Insert the two plastic caps into the holes at the

end of the spar tube

Note: This prevents water from getting
inside the spar tube.

.

. Fig F.

.

B) Orange
line on

A) Slide the first bike tray oriented with the front wheel

cradle on the driver’s side of the vehicle onto the
backbone of the rack

B) Position the tray so that the bracket lines up with the white

line on the bottom of the decal(
center line on the side of the tray shows through the cutout in the
bracket

C) Tighten all 4 bolts with the 6mm

allen wrench until the lower bracket
wings touch the bottom of the spar
tube.

See Fig. D These fasteners

must be tight and should be
periodically checked with rack use.

D) Repeat A-C with second bike

tray oriented with the front wheel
cradle on the passengers side.
Line the bracket up with the other
end of the decal
center it with the centerline mark.

Fig. D.

Assembly is Complete!

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

. Fig D.

(Fig C.) and

Page 3 of 12

Assembl

C) Top Anti-wobble Hitch Bolt

Figure B.

Use

Hitch Base

.

Fig C.) and center the tray so the

Figure F.

* Be sure to tighten bolts
equally to ensure a level
carrying platform.

B) Side Anti-wobble
Hitch Bolt

Figure D.

Vehicle Hitch

Receive

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Loading your Bicycle:

A) Rotate the support arm forward. You

should feel some resistance at first and then
the arm should rotate freely. While grabbing
the grip assembly on the support arm,
depress the green trigger and slide the hook
to the end of the support arm.

Figure H.

A) Move the rear wheel lock down under the

rear axle of your bicycle

B) Thread the anchor end of the ratcheting strap

through the spokes and secure the anchor in the lock
down. Use the lower position for road tires and the
upper for deeper rims or mountain bike tires

NOTE: The slack can quickly be taken out of
the strap by pushing or pulling the strap
through the buckle.

D) Tighten the ratcheting strap against the rim by

pulling up on the silver buckle

. Fig J.

E) To Release the rear wheel strap, lift the green

button and pull the strap until it is loose enough to
remove the anchor

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

. Fig K.

Figure I.

. Fig L.

B) Upper position

. Fig K.

Page 4 of 12

Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

Assembl

Green Trigger Latch

Grip Assembly

Figure G.

A) Place bike in first tray nearest the vehicle with front

wheel in the wheel cradle and rear wheel in the rear
wheel lock down.

B) While holding on to the bike with one hand rotate

the support arm up until it sits within 1” of the brake or

Fig H.

fork.

C) Ratchet the arm tightly against the wheel. You

should hear a minimum of 2 clicks

NOTE: If you notice any bike interference with the
vehicle, please see page 5 for fit tips and
accessories.

Figure J.

Figure L.

B) Lower position

Use

. Fig I.

E)

D)

ure K.

Fi

Note: Larger Rim Straps are available for
very deep rims. Please see accessories on
page 8 for more information.

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A) Once your bike is loaded shake the bike

to make sure the support arm is seated
correctly

.

WARNING: The support arm v-notch
must be firmly seated against the tire
and brake, or fork. Failure to seat the
support arm securely may result in bike
instability. Always shake your bike after
loading to ensure the hook arm is fully
seated.

Folding your Bike Rack:

A) To fold your bike rack up against your

vehicle, pull the green latch handle at the
base of the rack while gently lifting the rack
to release the latch bar.

B) Once the square latch bar is released,

lift the rack up until the latch bar snaps into
place on top of the quadrant

C) If you notice any interference with

the vehicle please refer to Fit Tips on
page 5 for solutions

A) To drop your rack down, remove the

safety pull pin first
the latch handle to release the square

. (Fig N.) The rack can then be

bar
lowered to the ground for access to the
back of the vehicle

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

.

(Fig O.) and then pull

.

Fig N.

. Fig N.

Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

A) Latch bar

A) Safety pull pin

Page 5 of 12

Assembl

Fi

Fi

Figure O.

Use

ure M.

B) Quadrant Latch Bar Slot

ure N.

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Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

Rack Maintenance and Care

1) 4-Bar Link Folding Mechanism

• Periodically tighten bolts in 4 bar link on the
hitch base to ensure a stable connection.(

.) You should feel some resistance when

P

Fig

folding the rack up and down.

2) Hitch Receiver Connection

• Make sure to check and tighten the anti­wobble hitch bolts periodically to ensure a
stable connection. (

See Fig B, pg 2.)

3) Support Arm Rotation Friction

• Check and tighten the plastic wingnuts (See

Fig A., pg 1)

The arm should rotate easily, but should not
fall under its own weight. The arm should
snap into place when stowed and should
require some effort to rotate the arm up

at the base of the support arm.

.

4) Cleaning your rack

• Frequently clean the rack of dirt and road grime including wiping down the teeth on
the support arm while extended. It is especially important to clean road salt from
the rack as this can promote rust over time.

Fit Tips

1) Bike Interference with each other or with the car.

Pitch – Distance between bikes

A.

A) Pitch

B) Offset

Figure Q.

2) For ground clearance issues see Accessories on page 9.

Note: Do not slide tray past offset limit

3) Retrofitting your rack to another hitch size – 1 ¼” or 2”

• Swap out the hitch base with the other size by removing the bottom two hitch bolts seen

in fig P at the top of the page. For part numbers on hitch assemblies see Accessories on
page 6&7

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

. Call your dealer to purchase the proper part.

• To adjust pitch, loosen all 4 bracket bolts and slide

B. Offset – Side to Side Distance

• To adjust offset, loosen all 4 bracket bolts and slide

marks on either side of the bracket or
failure may occur. See Fig D. pg 2.

Page 6 of 12

Assembl

Use

1) 4-Bar Link Bolts

Figure P.

the tray in or out. Re-tighten bolts to secure tray

(See Step 2 on pg. 2.)

tray left or right. Re-tighten bolts to secure tray

Step 2 on pg. 2 for directions on tightening bracket bolts.)

.

. (See

Transport T2

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Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

Part Number Description Image

260123 2” Hitch extension

260125

1 ¼” Hitch Extension

260113 2” Riser Extension

Assembl

Use

Use

Provides 9-½” of extension.
Allows clearance for spare tires
mounted on the rear of a car or
if hitch receiver is not mounted
flush with the bumper. Note:
This may make rack more
vulnerable to contacting the
pavement when encountering
road irregularities.

Use ONLY with Sportworks
racks.

Provides 7-3/8” of extension.
Allows clearance for spare tires
mounted on the rear of a car or
if hitch receiver is not mounted
flush with the bumper. Note:
This may make rack more
vulnerable to contacting the
pavement when encountering
road irregularities.

Use ONLY with Sportworks
racks.

Hitch base mounts directly into
the riser extension. It provides
9-1/3” of extension and 5 ¼” of
rise.

Use ONLY with Sportworks
racks.

260126 2” High Rise Hitch Base

260103 2” Hitch Base

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

Replaces hitch base that comes
with the rack. See pg 5 for
mounting instructions. Adds 6” of
rise. Reuses all the existing
hardware. Does not increase
extension. Best solution for
ground clearance issues.

Use this part to convert your rack
from a 1-1/4” to a 2” hitch size.

Page 7 of 12

Transport T2

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Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

Part Number Description Image

260104 1 ¼” Hitch Base

260102 3rd Bike Add-On

260150

3rd Bike Folding

Connector

Assembl

Use

Use

Use this part to convert
your rack from a 2” to a
1-1/4” hitch size.

See 1-1/4” load limits
on page 10.

Attaches directly to the
Transport T2 2-bike rack to
carry a third bike.

For use with a 2” Hitch
only.

Use this connector
between the 2
position bike trays to
allow the 3
to fold against the first
two trays to eliminate
obstruction of view when
rack is stowed.

Fold only when rack is
up.

nd

and 3rd

rd

and 4th trays

260202 4th Bike Add-On

260133

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

Universal Recumbent

Add-On

Page 8 of 12

Attaches directly on the 3rd
bike add-on to carry a 4

For use on a 2” Hitch only.

Attaches directly to Transport
T2 2-Bike Rack. Carries any
recumbent with up to a
maximum wheelbase of 63”.

For use on a 2” Hitch only.

th

bike.

Transport T2

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Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

Assembl

Use

Part Number Description Image Use

Lock your rack to your vehicle.

253106 2” Locking Bolt

Comes with two keys.

Replaces the side anti-wobble

hitch bolt.

Lock your rack to your vehicle

253105

2” Locking Bolt and

Cable

and your bike to the rack.

Comes with two keys. Cable

is a 13 foot 10-gauge cable.

Lock your rack to your vehicle.

253108 11/4” Locking Bolt

Comes with two keys.

Replaces the side anti-wobble

hitch bolt.

Lock your rack to your vehicle

253107

260215

11/4” Locking Bolt and

Cable

Large Rear Wheel Lock

Down Strap

and your bike to the rack.

Comes with two keys. Cable

is a 13 foot 10-gauge cable.

Use in place of the rear wheel

lock down ratchet strap with a

rim and tire combination

deeper than 4.5”.

**The Transport T2 is a modular rack and can be configured to carry a combination of

recumbent and upright bicycles. Please contact your dealer or Sportworks Northwest, Inc.
for information on custom configurations and additional accessories.

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

Page 9 of 12

Transport T2

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RRaacckk DDiimmeennssiioonns

Rack in the stowed position

Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

Assembl

Use

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22”” HHiittcchh

11 ¼¼”” HHiittcchh 88..99””

HHeeiigghhtt

ddeeppllooyyeed

66..44””

Rack in the deployed
position

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3355..33””

3344..33”

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88..99””

1111..44””

d

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

Page 10 of 12

Transport T2

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Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

Assembl

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•

•

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•

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•

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•

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•

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•

•

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•

•

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•

•

TThhee rraattcchheett aarrm

mmaayy rreessuulltt iinn ddaammaaggee ttoo tthhee rraacckk,, bbiikkee oorr vve

• The hook arm V-notch must be firmly seated against the tire and the bike frame. Each time the rack is loaded, the bike
should be shaken to insure positive hook seating. If the shake test feels at all loose, pull the ratchet grip to the next tooth
and re-shake to test. Failure to seat the hook arm securely may result in bike instability. Damage to the rack, bike or
vehicle may result.

• The bicycle must be properly assembled and ready-to-ride to be safely carried.

• The bicycle tires must be properly inflated. Loss of air after the ratchet has been set may result in bike instability. Damage

to the rack, bike or vehicle may result.

• Use this rack only with bicycle tires having a tread width of 3.0” or less.

•

•

DDoo nnoott llooaadd aannyy eexxttrraa lleennggtthh bbiiccyycclleess w

oorr vveehhiiccllee mmaayy rreessuulltt.

•

•

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•

•

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• Sportworks cannot control the design, manufacture, or installation process for hitch adapters. We therefore limit our
liability to our product. We cannot be held liable for damage to bicycles or vehicles due to failures of adaptors converting
a 1 ¼” hitch receiver to a 2” hitch receiver and vice versa. We recommend purchasing the proper hitch base found on
page 6 and 7 in the accessories section of this manual.

• Sportworks cannot control the design, manufacture, or installation process for hitch receivers. We therefore limit our
liability to our product. We cannot be held liable for damage to bicycles or vehicles due to hitch receiver failures.

• Sportworks racks are not for use on 5

t..

m

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e

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e

cckk tthhee hhiittcchh bbaassee 44--bbaarr lliinnkk bboollttss aanndd mmaakkee ssuurree tth

r

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i

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.

e

hhiiccllee.

w

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.

attss,, ppaannnniieerrss,, ddiisscc wwhheeeellss oorr ffuullll wwhheeeell ccoovveerrss..

th

wheels or trailers of any kind.

heeyy aarree ttiigghhtt aanndd sseeccuurree..

Use

rssttaanndd

ffoorr pprrooppeerr ooppeerraattiioonn..

For accessories, replacement parts, or warranty issues, please contact your dealer or:

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

THULE, INC.

42 Silvermine Road
Seymour, CT 06483

800-238-2388

www.thule.com

Page 11 of 12

Transport T2

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This warranty stated below is a LIMITED WARRANTY under the definition thereof set forth in the Magnuson-Moss
Warranty Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act, USC S2301-12
Limited Warranty: Sportworks products (Product) are warranted to the original purchaser to be free from defects in
material and workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR and will be replaced without charge upon inspection by Sportworks
at the factory disclosing no misuse or alteration which, in the judgment of the manufacturer, has affected the condition of
or operation of the product. This is the extent of liability under this warranty and, upon the expiration of the applicable
warranty period, all such liability shall terminate.
Warranty Exclusions: We do not warrant Product against normal wear and tear, unauthorized modification or
alterations, improper use, improper maintenance, accident, misuse, negligence, damage, or if the Product is used for a
purpose for which it was not designed. In addition, this Product is not warranted for use on any commercial and/or “for
hire” vehicle. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to
state. Except as expressly stated in the Warranty, we shall not be liable for direct, indirect, incidental or other types of
damages arising out of, or resulting from the use of the Product. This Warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, express or
implied including, not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose (some states do
not allow the exclusion of limitation or incidental or consequential damages or allow limitations on the duration of an
implied warranty, so the above exclusions may not apply to you.)

Hitch Mount Bicycle Rack

Assembl

Use

Sportworks products are designed and assembled in the USA.

US Patent 5,692,659 and other Patents Pending © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

No portion of this document may be reproduced without the express written consent of Sportworks Northwest, Inc.

9490-A T2 Instruction Manual

THULE, INC.

42 Silvermine Road
Seymour, CT 06483

800-238-2388

www.thule.com

Page 12 of 12