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Installation Instructions

Installation is easy with the Sportworks bike rack. The correct installation is crucial to the safety and performance of the Sportworks Bike-Rack-for-Buses system. There are several factors that need to be addressed when mounting the rack. These factors include the:

• Load Height
• Approach Angle
• Footprint
• Protrusion

Carefully read and understand the following information regarding the positioning of the rack on the bus before beginning the installation process.

Load Height
The load height is the vertical distance a bicycle must be lifted for placement in a deployed bike rack. If the rack is mounted too high, some riders may have difficulty loading the rack.

Approach Angle
The approach angle is the angle created by a line from where the front tire contacts the pavement to the first obstruction ahead of the front tire. This obstruction would first touch the pavement on a very steep hill. The bike rack will limit the approach angle if it is installed on the bumper in a low enough position. The bike rack installer should be aware of this possibility. Investigate approach angle requirements in your area before mounting the rack.

Footprint
The footprint is the outline of a bike rack against the front of the bus when the rack is in the stored position.

Avoid obstructing headlights, hi-beam headlights and turn signal indicators. On almost all vehicles the rack easily adjusts up and down to account for headlamp obstructions.

Protrusion
Protrusion measures the distance from the front of the bumper to the front edge of the bike rack in the deployed position. Once the bike rack is mounted to the coach, the protrusion distance is fixed. Protrusion is a measurement that needs attention for three important reasons.

1. Many state DOTs (Departments of Transportation) have set limits for bike rack protrusion.
2. The further a rack protrudes, the more likely it will affect a coach's approach angle and turning radius.
3. The rack protrusion affects the stowed position of the rack against the front face of the coach where interference with windshield wipers and a coach driver's visual field should be avoided.

Bracket mounting
The Sportworks Bike-Rack-for-Buses system consists of two separate but integrated devices. The bike rack is the main piece to this pairing. The bracket, which secures the rack to the bus, is the other piece to this pairing. Both contribute to the safe and correct function of the rack.

The bracket system typically attaches to the existing bumper. The brackets are designed to mount to specific parts of the bumper but may also be required to attach to the coach as well. Carefully follow all mounting instructions for the type of bumper you are working with.

Before installing any bumper bracket, inspect the front of the coach for the following conditions.

1. Is the bumper mounted correctly?
2. Is the bumper and the frame of the bus in good repair? Check to ensure that they are not bent or twisted from collision or from damage incurred during towing.
3. Is the bus free of any other device that will inhibit the function of the bus or the rack?
4. If the bumper must be removed to install the rack, it is up to the installer to determine if the bumper to bus bolts can be re-used. Please examine all fasteners carefully and proceed in a workmanlike fashion.

If the answer is "NO" to any of these questions, repair the bus or the bumper before mounting the bracket to the bus. Mounting a bracket without making these requested repairs, especially modifying a bracket to fit on a bus that is damaged, voids all Sportworks warranties and creates potentially unsafe conditions.

For more specific installation questions or details, please contact Sportworks directly.