Question for Pit-Bull TRS owners/users

Swodi

Swodi

New Member
I just installed my Pit-Bull TRS and I love how easy it is to load the bike. For those of you who use the TRS, is there any movement of the bike at all when you have it hooked up? I can rock my bike just a tiny little bit and hear the hardware of the TRS moving around a bit. Honestly I'm not worries about it at all, but maybe I should be. I followed the instructions and didn't tighten down the bolts hard enough that the mushroom caps would be crushed. Actually, I left the hooks installed while I tightened down the bolts to make sure I didn't crush them, but I tightened down the bolts pretty hard.

Is this little bit of movement normal? I assume there's going to be some movement of the hooks since they're held in by the little pins and the pin platform is supposed to slide on and off the base, which leads me to believe a little bit of movement (we're talking maybe a millimeter or so on each side of the hooks. Should I go tighten the bolts some more or leave them be?
 
YamaR6

YamaR6

Member
Mine does the same thing rocks back and forth and can hear the pieces moving never had any problems. The only movement i get is the front tire turns. I actually love mine, I think it is one of the best purchases I have made so far(which haven't been many)
 
rk97

rk97

Member
A little movement is normal, but like you, this bothered me a bit. The play in the rear wheel anchor can be tightened up by throwing a single ratchet strap around the front wheel of the bike, and pulling the whole bike forward (gently, but firmly - you're not looking to pull the front wheel off...)

What that does is:

1) keeps your front wheel (mostly) straight

2) straightens out the bike if you're a little cockeyed

3) Pulls the rear pit-bull assembly snug against the front of the 'feet' so that there is no forward/backward play in the assembly. You still get a little side-to-side rocking, but a bit less than you do without the strap.

probably totally unnecessary, but it makes things a little quieter over bumps, and it keeps me from worrying :)
 
avizpls

avizpls

#11-A
I didnt even bother to mention it, but I do the exact same thing. I like that it will keep the wheel from kicking back and forth off of the steering stops.
 
S

Spitz

New Member
Really? I have carpet in my trailer and if i want to turn the handle bars its a pretty tough force to get it to turn either way. You could always put two little pieces of wood on both sides of the front tire to get it to not turn as well. I hate dicking with straps, especially when you went out and spent close to 300$ to get rid of them.
 
slowpoke

slowpoke

New Member
Spitz;203687 wrote: .... I hate dicking with straps, especially when you went out and spent close to 300$ to get rid of them.
Click to expand...
:agree:

if you want, some guys tighten their steering damper so the wheel doesn't move. I don't bother and have never had a problem.

i can tell you the nesba hauler transports 20+ brand-new bikes for thousands of miles per year and they don't use any addt'l straps nor do they secure the front wheel in anyway.
 
rk97

rk97

Member
if the bike isn't PERFECTLY perpendicular to the base-plate, one side of the retaining arm will be close, but the other may not. You can either lift the front wheel to align things and get that second side to close, or you can just turn the bars to one side, and the chassis geometry will change just enough to let that 'bad' side move forward into place.

the problem is that the bars want to stay turned that way after that.

If the bike is perfectly straight, then it's less of an issue, but even when I pick up the front of the bike, it seems like the bars want to turn at least a little. I used to just cinch down the damper all the way, but if you forget to put it back to normal after transport, that can be bad news. The strap is really easy on my open trailer. On an enclosed, a home-made "wheel chock" would be just as good, or better.
 
rk97

rk97

Member
slowpoke;203689 wrote: the nesba hauler transports 20+ brand-new bikes for thousands of miles per year and they don't use any addt'l straps nor do they secure the front wheel in anyway.
Click to expand...
The NESBA/Yamaha hauler also has MUCH better suspension than my Harbor Freight 4x8 :D Those leaf springs may as well not even be there. I noticed it's slightly better w/ 2 bikes, but still really stiff.

Ultimately I agree though - there's no reason to worry about the front wheel; it just makes me feel better to add that strap.
 
Steve

Steve

New Member
A little movement is normal, but like you, this bothered me a bit. The play in the rear wheel anchor can be tightened up by throwing a single ratchet strap around the front wheel of the bike, and pulling the whole bike forward
Click to expand...
Chris,

Wouldn't this limit the bike's suspension travel? You might be putting unnecessary loads on the front forks over bumps :dunno:

Steve
 
PJZOCC624

PJZOCC624

New Member
Steve;203837 wrote: Chris,

Wouldn't this limit the bike's suspension travel? You might be putting unnecessary loads on the front forks over bumps :dunno:

Steve
Click to expand...
Where the HELL have you been??? :D
 
rk97

rk97

Member
Steve;203837 wrote: Chris,

Wouldn't this limit the bike's suspension travel? You might be putting unnecessary loads on the front forks over bumps :dunno:

Steve
Click to expand...

hey Steve! I wondered out loud where you were this past weekend at BeaveRun.

I don't think it hurts anything, as I'm really just putting in enough tension to keep the rear bar snug against the anchors. I straighten the bike out as much as humanly possible by lifting the front wheel and pulling by hand.

The strap isn't even tight enough to keep the front wheel from turning an inch or two, so I don't think the load is significant enough to hurt anything, but I'm sure the 2,000 lbs. tension the ratchet straps are capable of could definitely over do it if someone got overly ambitious.

are you saying that (because the rear wheel is fixed in place), the front wheel actually has to move backward slightly (the wheel-base shortens) when the forks compress?

That's an interesting point I hadn't considered. Maybe I'll switch to just a bungy cord to keep the front wheel straight, and add a little tension. More give for the suspension to load.
 
rk97

rk97

Member
haha - fair point. But my straps were like $24 for 4 of them... I spent ~$240 on the pit-bull setup, so another $6 is worth it!
 
some guy #2

some guy #2

Member
If my trailer (ole faithful HF folder) didn't cost slightly less than the TRS I would consider it. For now though my condor (which cost as much as the trailer :)) serves it's purpose.
 
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