Best Bike Carrier For Electric Bikes (2024 Update)

Having fenders is no problem, Just drop the arm just in front of the Fender. My E-Bike is 55 lbs & this rack has no problem supporting the weight. Loading my bike is very fast & easy.The front cradle holds the front tire securely & the rear tire sits in a shallow channel. Kuat does offer a ramp witch would make this process even easier. The integrated cable locks are a good way to lock your bike during transport. The Rack over all fills heavy duty & solidly built. Cosmetically it’s very beautifully painted too. Cons, The key hole to the Cable locks has a little spring loaded cover in the hole. So you have to put the key in at a angle to push it out of the way. It took me a Minet to figure that out.Mike

Ok, I love my biking and hate my bike racks. To say that most are put together with string and bailing wire is an understatement. I had one brand that was so top heavy that I honestly thought I would lose my bikes along the highway somewhere. That is until I bought the Kuat from REI. Expensive!!!! I bought the NV and then the doubler so I could have 4 bikes at once. I have been beyond impressed with this rack. Solid, stable, easy to use and very secure. Every part of this rack has been thought out and engineered to perfection. I know this sounds kind of over the top for a review but as a dentist, I look for details and precision in everything. This delivers in spades. I cannot say enough good things about it. So just suck up the price and appreciate the incredible quality that you are going to get for the money.DrKK

Trek Farley 5.0 (large frame) with 27.5 x 4.5 tires (Bontrager Gnarwhal Fat Bike Tire). Kuat phat bike kit installed. Cradles in lowest position. The ratchet arm will not come over the top of the tire without leaning the bike, swinging the arm up, then centering the bike/tire under the arm. Attached is the video Kuat sent me. This metjod is fine for one bike, but with 2+ bikes that need to be leaned, the other bikes get in the way. Kuat support says "Unfortunately at this time we do not have a solution". It seems like a nice rack otherwise, but Kuat's specs are misleading.Stephen K

Assembled the rack today. Impressed in how made it is. Haven’t used it yet due to our weather right now. Very happy with my purchase!Jack P.

I needed a sturdy well built bike rack for our bikes on the back of my Jeep Wrangler JKU with a two inch receiver and I’m glad I found this one. The others were either of low quality or way overpriced IMO. It’s very well designed and functional. It may look flimsy to some but it isn’t. With both of our bikes on it it hardly moves at all. My wife accidentally backed into a post and bent the right support bar. I called the company and ordered a replacement and had it in a couple of days. I feel that all things being equal the damage to a lesser rack would have been more severe and to one of the big name ones would have cost more to repair. I recommend this to anyone and everyone.Charles T.

I have 2 e-bikes and this bike rack is so awesome easy to use and easy to load. I love the tilt so I can open the rear door to my Rav4 with ease. I loved it so much that I bought my daughter her own Hollywood rack for her e-bike!Catherine W.

I purchased this rack, and after assembling it, I discovered that I can’t insert my locking pin into the receiver. Kuat offset the hole so the rack can fit into either a 1-1/4” or 2” receiver. You have to use the pin that comes with the rack, but you can’t lock the rack into the receiver. They give you a cable lock to lock your bike to the rack, but without a way to lock the rack to the receiver, a thief can just remove the rack, and a bike if it’s on the rack. What an idiotic system. I’m not a big fan of Yakima because their overpriced and the quality has gone downhill, but at least their adapter collar allows their 1-1/4 rack to properly fit into a 2” receiver so you can lock the bike rack into the receiver. You’re better off buying a Yakima.RadBean

I drove 200 miles to pick up my Transfer V2 two bike rack for my Prius, so I needed the 1.25-2" shank. There was one left, being held for me which was good service by REI. Upon returning home and assembling the rack (the instructions are good so it is easy, though takes time) I discovered that the shank, which is the male end that slides into the receiver hitch, was 2" and not what the box said. I called Kuat and explained the problem to Angela in customer service. She's sharp and grasped the problem, saying that somehow the incorrect rack was put in the box and she would have the correct shank sent overnight, not the usual "you should receive the package in two to three weeks" from too many companies, while you do without whatever it is. This was astoundingly great service from Kuat and by Angela. She is obviously a 'people person', as had been other customer service reps at Kuat when I had called for rack advice previously. Not just polite, but happily volunteering information and advice, no doubt reflecting management and owners. I chose the Transfer V2 on the advice of a Kuat rep and am very happy with it. The build quality is good, it is easy to use, and the built-in system to stabilize the rack in the hitch works solidly. I once owned a bike shop and have had numerous racks over the years, so have experience. I highly recommend this rack for a person who doesn't, for some reason, need the features of one of the other Kuat racks, but if they do choose another model I'm sure they will be just as happy.LouisG

Bought this today thinking I would be able to use it this weekend. One of the front tire cradle bolts was cross threaded when trying to tighten the puck. Called support and they were very responsive. A replacement cradle assembly and hardware is on its way. Also noticed rust coming out of the non-locking end on the U arm. Quite disturbing considering I’ve paid for a brand new unit in a sealed box. QC must have missed this one completely and wonder about factory’s storage (outdoors?). Non-locking end cap also broke at the screw hole as I tried to make it fit onto the U arm. Extremely tight fit. Not a pleasant assembly experience, and must say I enjoy putting IKEA products together!SignalCPT

We were a bit apprehensive at first, not necessarily with the bike trailer, but more or less with the 1.25 hitch that we had to opt for as the dealership misinformed us on the size of hitch compatible with outback.I am happy to report we have had no problems with the sturdiness of this bike trailer as we were afraid the 1.25 would result in a wobbly outcome. As other reviews mentioned the trailer itself was a bit difficult to assemble. However once assembled and loaded it was exactly what we needed. We are comfortably and securely able to load our 2 Trek bikes and have no problem with the arms or straps. The only complaint is the thickness of the pin used to lock the trailer to the hitch. Could use a better pin something a bit thicker and sturdier for it to feel very secure.JAAM

First off, I'll mention that assembly was a bit harder than I thought it would be. The long bolts connecting the two pieces of frame together took a bit of finesse (and a rubber mallet) to get them to slide in and line up properly. It helps if you take the part of the frame where they screw in (on the outer rail) off first and line that up separately. Once I figured that out, the rest was a breeze. I really like the ease of use with this thing – bikes go on and off in just minutes. Way easier than it used to be trying to squeeze them into my car. I also enjoy how light it is, and how quickly it comes on and off the hitch. Although the price is a bit high, it is well-made and worth it. Highly recommend.Nate

There are things I like about this rack, but I think it's quite overpriced for what it is. I found it easy to attach to the hitch and I like the overall design – the arms feel secure, I like being able to fold the rack easily, and it does hold my bike well. I was also able to use the farthest rack position as a makeshift bike stand while I did some work on the chain, which was handy since I don't have my own stand. However, for this price point, I expect more than to have to use my own cheap Velcro strap to secure a mountain bike with average/slightly wide tires. I'm not using some kind of niche fat or cargo bike here – why doesn't the Kuat come with an integrated, high-quality strap for this purpose or better yet, a design that doesn't require that extra step at all? I also find the ratchet strap for securing the rear tire to be poorly placed. You can't get the bike on the rack without crunching the strap down and having to yank it out from under the tire manually, which is definitely increasing wear and tear already. Finally, the lock that comes with the rack for securing the rack to the hitch felt very cheap and online reviews suggest it can be broken very easily (a problem when you live in a high-theft area, which is not Kuat's fault), but it did lead to an extra cost to buy a more secure lock. Long story short, I'm glad I have the rack and it gets the job done, but it's premium pricing for an average/good product. I can't give a 4 or 5 star review when the value is skewed like that. Highly recommend waiting until this goes on major sale.liz4500

My mistake – I didn't worry excessively about the quoted weight of the Thule T2, until I assembled it. At 23Kg, it is just too big and heavy for the back of my Tesla Model 3. I believe it is very capable of carrying my two e-bikes very securely, but I have replaced it with a lesser alternative at 16Kg. The T2 appears to be very solidly constructed, and would be ideal for a larger vehicle, especially a larger SUV or ute. For $868 delivered, I was disappointed to find I needed to spend a further $150 on a Thule number plate/light bar, to enable safe, legal carriage of my $40 Aux. Number Plate, with the T2 either folded, or carrying. Ideal for a differing Use Case!Peter G.

I was torn between getting this or one of the big name platform racks for a lot more money, and I ended up giving this one a try. So far, I have put it through several hundred miles of use in Oregon in various conditions (low/high-speed road, gravel, speed bumps, twisty roads/gravel, hilly roads/gravel). Overall: + I really like this rack and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a platform rack. It has most of the features of the high-end racks for a great price. I think this is the best bang for your buck rack at the moment. Pros: + Assembly is simple + Comes with locks (one to secure the rack to the hitch by preventing the removal of the hitch pin, and one to secure the cable lock to the rack) + The tilt-down feature to access the trunk works (2016 Mazda CX-5) + Looks great (the pics show it as all black but it actually has blue trim, which looks great; check out the Rocky Mounts website for accurate pics) + Uses a lockable threaded hitch pin, which prevents most side-to-side sway + The racheting strap for the rear wheels grabs the wheel tightly (vs. the Rocky Mounts SplitRail in which the wheel can bounce around because it is sitting in a giant channel that is designed to hold large wheels; check out pics of the SplitRail to see what I mean) + Each bike platform can be shifted left-to-right to accommodate bikes that hit each other Neutral: * The latch to activate the tilt-down/up feature is located on the bottom of the rack farthest away from bumper (easier to reach). This is better than the racks that have the latch situated between the bumper and the rack because it is easier to get to, but it is a little awkward because it puts you in a position where you're bent over to pull the latch and the bikes swing down towards you. Cons: – While the threaded hitch pin helps prevent side-to-side sway, I think the wedge-style type of the high-end Yakima/Thule brands are better because they prevent side-to-side as well as up-and-down sway. That said, I didn't really notice much sway in my use of the rack but I wanted to list this for someone that might care – The security element of the rack is a separate short cable that you thread through your bikes and then secure to the rack using a lock located between the bumper and the rack. The lock is the same type as the one used to secure the hitch pin. The gauge of the cable is similar to a standard bike cable lock, which is fine for deterrence but I wouldn't trust it in high-theft locations since pretty much all cables are easily cut using bolt cutters. The biggest downside to the cable is that it is too short to thread through both wheels + frame of both bikes. I can only manage to thread it through the frame and one wheel. – Requires a wrench to attach to the hitch. It comes with the wrench but it is something that can get lost. It would be great if Rocky Mounts could use a hand twist system similar to what Yakima/Thule do on their high-end mounts (this would also address any up-and-down sway). That said, this is a small price to pay for a much more affordable rack. – When folding up the rack against the bumper, the rack can actually travel beyond it's locked vertical position and hit your car. This can happen if you pull the latch and lift the rack quickly; the rack won't lock into the vertical position and hit your car). As long as you're careful to make sure the rack locks into its vertical position, you should be fine but it would have been nice if Rocky Mounts put in a metal stopper to prevent accidentsAllister

as a solution for people who don't want the risk or inefficiency of a roof rack, the hitch rack is where it's at! There are few racks that can do as much as this rack at this cost! I can throw my bike on the rack and secure it in less than 5 seconds and be on my way. I love how quick and easy it is to use. The securement mechanism is very secure (driven it through some pretty rough terrain and smacked it on stuff and it keeps on kickin') and fits pretty much anything but fatbikes. The rack folds up quite easily and quickly when not in use with a couple quick release pins. The arms fold down and lock themselves into place which is really cool, and keeps the arms from swinging out and hitting your car. You can also easily lock your bikes to the rack using a cable lock that pops out of the top of the securement wheel hook, but the cable is pretty thin and not long enough to secure more than the frame only. I wouldn't trust it alone for too long in bad areas. Minor quibbles are the redundant safety pin that reinforces the "rack folding mechanism" can work free on its own if it isn't inserted entirely, and has a weird little cable that ties it onto the rack, that also can fall off altogether since it's held in by a plastic plug that can just be pulled out. While the loss of this part doesn't really affect the rack's performance and isn't a structural component, it does cut down on some of the sway of the rack so I do like to have it. It just isn't all that secure. I lost that original pin but Yakima sent me a new one that I ziptied on. The other problem is that the cable securing this pin gets pinched into the hole that the pin goes into and eventually frays the cable. This is just dumb engineering, but again, pretty minor. Other thing is that the rack does make some noise on the back of the car from swaying and bounching over stuff. It can't really be helped too much since it is a hitch rack after all but some more stiffness built into the design would have been appreciated. All in all, great rack for the cash! PROS: Durable, Stable, Lightweight, Easy to Install, Easy to Use BEST USES: Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, Small CarsAaron

I live on Vancouver Island where we receive a fair amount of precipitation and the bike is on the car all year round. I bought this rack a few years ago. The arms rusted very quickly and wrecked the plastic at the arms joints. Yakima was good about the warranty claim and replaced the first set of arms, but the second set quickly followed in the same footsteps as the first. 4 years later and I'm in the market for a new rack. It rusted very quickly and is now super wobbly. If you can take good care of this rack, it'll last a long time. If you're like me and this thing is a year-round necessity, look for something a little more rugged.ilikebsikes

I bought the HoldUp 2 rather than the Thule equivalent partly on price, partly on bulk (the Thule takes up more space on and off the car) and partly because I wanted to be able to add the Plus 2 extension to the Yakima so I could take four bikes. Overall it has been a good purchase, although I mainly use it for two bikes at a time – one of which is an E-MTB. The rack goes on and off the hitch-mount easily (once you've mastered the art and as long as you're strong enough to lift it). I like the fact that it locks onto the hitch-mount too, and the 'wobbling' problems that some people have mentioned when driving can be avoided if you wiggle the rack around a bit as you're tightening it onto the hitch-mount. On the downside it does have a couple of weak points in its design/construction. First, if you have 29 inch wheels you need to be very careful to position the front wheel clamp as close to the forks as possible (ie well over the arch of the wheel) to avoid the front wheel bouncing out of the wheel holder. Before I realised this I once got home to find one bike hanging off the rack and held on only by the rear wheel strap and the fact that its handlebars had become entangled in the bike next to it when it moved. User-error probably, but something to be aware of. More problematic for me has been that although the rack is advertised as taking the weight of an e-bike, the plastic bolts built into the rear wheel clamps don't seem strong enough. I've had two of those break in the year that I've had the rack, and I've ended up replacing them both with a stainless steel bolt which I bought from Bunnings. This has only been a problem when I've been carrying my E-MTB, not the standard bike. It's not an expensive fix, and perhaps something the factory should consider. Another problem I've had has been the built-in lock cable jamming in its housing so I was unable to use/move it. Living in Brisbane I was able to take the rack into the Yakima supplier and they fixed it for me, but it was irritating nevertheless. I should say that the customer service I've had from Yakima with these problems has been great, both in replacing broken parts and in fixing the lock when I went in to see them. However, given the price of the rack it would have been good if the design was such that the problems didn't occur in the first place. I would give this a 5 for its overall usability but marked down to a 4 because of the niggles I mention above.Jonathan W

Unfortunately for us, we have a small 2019 SUV and although this product supported the weight of our e-bikes (~60-Lbs. each) perfectly, it was too long that it leaned really low on the backend. We even got pulled over by a police officer because we didn't have any markers or lights for an accessory sticking out past 4-feet behind our vehicle!? He recommended us putting reflectors or some kind of reflective tape, so motorists behind us could gauge the extension from our ramp? We had to return it and were charged a restocking fee by Discount Ramps (per their policy, so be sure what you order is correct for your vehicle and application or you'll pay to try. Also, it was a horrible experience trying to get it sent back! Awful experience on the return.)John

My sister and I both have an electric bike that each weighs 65 lbs. My old bike rack was not able to tolerate that much weight. As most of the bike racks require you to lift the bike onto the rack which was not something I could do especially for the back bike. This carrier is super easy to get the bike up on with the ramp and is plenty sturdy enough for both the bikes. I love it!JW

i use this carrier for two E-Bikes. it is heavy to work with Approximately 80Lbs. Nicely designed and easy to assemble. It would be nice if it could configure for a one bike carrier as well. the anti-tilt collar is a clever design.W.Peter

I bought two of these after my roof rack and 599 big mouth bike holders were damaged by a tractor trailer. I own a small minivan, mazda 5, and the rack is just high enough that I can just reach so there's always the potential for some difficulty putting a bike up there and this carrier exacerbates the issue. Without a decent tray the front wheel wants to turn and fall off requiring the fork to be held while leaning the bike to get the clamp past the stays and crank, but if the tray is remotely damp the rear wheel will slip out instead. The big issue is the tray really doesn't keep the wheels in place. I've since bought replacement 599s with proper trays and use these two as backups, I've had a lot of thule over the years but with the tray style these use, they're awfulruss

I am an avid cyclist and have used Thule products over the years along with others but keep coming back to Thule. My cycling has moved away from straight road and mountain biking towards gravel cycling. This rack is excellent all the way around and works well with a little prep; put the pedal facing you at the 4-5 o'clock position, push the straps behind the wheel holders, lift the arm up to about 40 degrees. I grab the seat tube and front fork on my BMC Road Machine and it goes right up and drops into place. I don't worry about it either as its stable as a rock at 70mph on the highway and off road at least up to our drop in points. I would not have mountain my prior mountain bike up top…its just too heavy for me to navigate…fit for purpose…hitch mount. It is sad to read the review where the bike shop installed this rack on a Subaru Crosstrek incorrectly, yea read and follow the simple instructions if you are going to mount it driver's side [reverse the jaw/holding arm first…]. Not that difficult. The jaw always opens facing you. In my opinion for a roof rack that lets you keep your front wheel on, especially those of us with Thru Axle's its the best. Keep ridin!MadmanXWater

The pro ride XT is slick and holds onto the bike very tight. It is very easy to use when you actually read the instructions and put it onto the right side! Who knew?! And when lined up properly and tightened right it had no wobble cruising at 100km/h and 80km/h with winds, other than small shakes. Very impressed. Unfortunately It seems THULE decided that security should cost so you have to but the locks separately which just added to the already huge price. But it should last me a long time. It comes with T-slot adapters and square bar too so it can be used on different rigs. Also it grabs meaty MTB tires with room to spare. She's a banger of a rig overall.That guy with a kona

User friendly and very well built. I would suggest this product for anyone who doesn't want hitch style system. Thank you for another good product.Jimbo

Just used it for the first time yesterday and it was exactly what I was looking for. One thing that drove me away from 5 stars was two days after the purchase Thule had it $50.00 cheaper online for a Memorial Day special. I called and asked if they would honor it, I got a no from customer service and they said maybe a bike store will honor it and you can buy it from them and send back the one you are receiving which was very unfortunate. Lastly, one thing I would have liked to see is maybe rubber pieces on the bottom of the product.Luke21

I finally got to use my Thule insta Gator bike rack and it worked like a dream. I have Chevy Colorado and had to secure the rear wheel in the bike rack with the front wheel turned to the side. Had no problem with bike fitting in the truck bed. I will put a strap across the bike frame next putting just for extra stability.Tone

Good quality rack with some heft. Overall, easy to install. The built-in lock only works when there are two bikes mounted. I wish there were better instructions or video for when "anchor mode" is required. Didn't come with a wheel strap. Love the bottle opener!Danny D

I decided to purchase this rack because of the two security features – the ability to secure the rack to the car via a reinforced strap thru the trunk and a cable that extends from the end of the rack to lock the bike to the rack. Despite doing all the necessary research to ensure that the rack was compatible with my car (a standard issue 2018 Subaru Crosstrek) before buying this, I had to return it because while the rack fit the car, the security features did not work. The reinforced strap with a loop on one end and a plastic/foam barbell on the other, is supposed to secure the rack to the car by sliding between the two hinges on the hatchback. No matter how hard I (or multiple friendly REI staffers) tried, this strap does not fit through the gap between the vehicle and the hatchback. That means that while the rack itself is compatible with my vehicle, the security strap is not. One security feature down. When fully extended the cable lock, which retracts into the right-hand tube where the bike rests, is so short it really can't even wrap around the outermost bike frame to properly secure the bike. Again the friendly REI staffers confirmed what I had tried dozens of times on my own – it just wont lock because its too short. Second security feature down. I did like the hub feature, and the fact that it store standing up on its own. It seemed like the ZipStrip Cradle system was easy enough to use (although you can definitely lose ZipStrips as they are fully removable). This is a very solid bike rack that is in fact quite heavy. Trying to put this on a hatchback is difficult but doable as long as your strong and have long arms. Just don't expect the security features to work.Maryette

I bought this spring/summer this year, and I love how my bike is held solidly in place with no bouncing around. It takes 3 ratcheting clamps, simple to put on and take off. There is also a locking cable which is a little short, not impossible to secure, can't seem to use ratcheting clamp an locking cable simultaneously. At least I had trouble. They are at same area. The rack is a little heavy, but I like it just the same. It folds up and I keep it in back of vehicle.kc1620

We got our T2 Pro X a couple of months ago after getting a carbon frame mountain bike that couldn't be safely put on our old hanging rack. This rack is perfect for both our mountain and road bikes! Features I love: – Locks to hitch – Folds up out of the way when not in use – Easy to remove and stow in the garage – Folds down for rear hatch access with bikes loaded – Option to use the add on for increased capacity Features that need improvement: – Added lock cores to swing arms for bike security, but realized that it would still be really easy to steal a bike off the rack, so always add an extra lock. (only reason for four stars)JMag

I bought this bike rack with the 2-bike add on, and there are some things you should know before you do the same. Unless you're a big fan of Ikea furniture, in which case you'll be fine. 1) It's heavy. Like, really heavy. I ended up buying a wheel to fasten on the bottom so I could roll it around. If I had to do it over I'd spend the extra $250 to get the XTR, which already has a wheel installed. But it was such a pain to put it together I don't want to take it apart to return. If you have the four-bike set up, you need at least another person to move it around. 2) It's poorly engineered. As in, bolts don't line up with pre-drilled holes and key pieces are made of plastic. I stripped a couple of bolts and had to go buy extra because it doesn't come with extra hardware – I mean, for $1450… why would it? 3) The instructions are next-level terrible. I mean, when I finally gave up and Googled a 'how to' video, the first thing the person said was. "The instructions are terrible." Also there isn't an XT video anywhere to be found — just XTR. So prepare to take things apart and put them back together through trial and error. 4) If you're buying this rack because you want the flexibility to go between 2- and 4-bike set-ups… don't. Once it's set up for four bikes, it doesn't go back to two. I'm waiting for the kids to move out then I'll convert it just the one time. Now the positive… 1) The ability to stabilize and lock the rack on the hitch is a nice feature. Although the lock on the hitch also falls into the 'poorly engineered' category. I'm fairly sure it will stop working at one point and it'll be locked onto my vehicle. 2) The bikes are nicely spaced apart. And it's fairly easy to get in and out of the rear door without taking the bikes off. Bottom line, if you're looking for a 4-bike option that you put on your vehicle in the spring and leave it on until the fall, then this is an option for you. However if you're looking for something that installs easily, can go from 2 to 4 bikes, and doesn't take 4 hours to put together (counting buying the extra parts) — then keep looking my friends.MarkB

I've only had this bike rack for a few weeks and it's been perfect for us. Our hitch on an SUV didn't have room for a lock cylinder so the hook lock worked great. The bikes are se ure when mounted and easily moved out of the way to access the back of the vehicle. I bought a big cable to lock the bikes to the rack. Even if the rack came with little locks (it doesn't) I would still use the cable.Doc5605

Purchased our matt black Kuat NV Base 2.0 bike rack to transport our two Gazelle Ultimate T10 HHMB eBikes. The bikes weigh 51 pounds each so we were looking for a rack that would easily support that weight. After doing our research, talking to several bike store owners and reading reviews, it was quite clear the Kuat rack was the right choice. Additional factors that influenced our choice, the integrated cable lock – hitch lock system and the Kuat bike ramp accessory. My wife and I are in our 60's and the bike ramp makes rolling the 51 lb. bikes into the rack quite easy rather than lifting them up and into the rack. Installation was very easy, taking about 15 minutes to assemble. Instructions are very clear and all of the tools you need are provided with the rack. Our rack is attached to a Nissan Frontier pickup truck with a factory installed 2" trailer hitch. The truck tailgate can be folded down completely when the rack is down and no bikes in the carriers and the rack can be folded out of the way with a simple lever. We are very impressed with the fit/finish/quality of this rack. We could not be more pleased with our purchase.NWA Steve

Just received, assembled, and installed it, but can already tell how well built it is. With the exception of the rear wheel strap ratchets, which feel a little flimsy, everything else is super solid. I've read some negative comments that it is hard to assemble, but that was not my experience. I got it together on my own in about 20 minutes or so, and that included unpacking and then breaking down the box for recycling after. It's literally just 5 bolts required to put it together. Yes it would be easier to assemble with two people, but if you can't do it by yourself, you'd have no chance with a piece of furniture from IKEA! Literally, just read the instructions (or use common sense) to figure out that putting it together upside down is easier. And no, all of the parts will not lie flat even when it is upside down, but a few rolled up towels, or riding shoes, or whatever else you have lying around the garage strategically placed under the base and rails will line everything up without a second pair of hands. Oh, and note that the adapters for fat tire bikes and small wheels are included in the box, so there is no need to contact Kuat for them after purchase. This is a seriously solid and nice rack. Looking forward to lots of adventures with it.Ruben A

Incredible build quality. You are definitely getting what you pay for. Hold bikes solid. Every part and piece during install feels premium. The only difference between this and the normal NV (not base model) is that one you can get in orange or silver, and has a built in work stand you can use when the rack is up. But you can buy that separately and add it to this rack as well for nearly the same as the price difference between that model and this base one. The black on black looks great. I wouldn't want any other rack after getting this one. Worth the higher price for sure. Built in locks are cool, but could be longer.CoffeeDrinker

Very useful extension pack! Need to make sure you realize this is the extension pack of the V 2.0 REG Model Ha! We had a 2 bike orange – took the kids up to Yosemite for a week during Christmas (gets cold at night FYI!!), And the 2-bike extension was super useful. Balanced also, no stability concerns. More adventures to come!!Sam B.

I bought this extension for my nv 2.0. Best quality by far and amazing customer service. Bike rack does not sway or bounce has good individual locks. Holds 4 bikes safely with ease.Myckel

Moosejaw was great. Excellent communication, super fast shipping. Best price around. Item arrived faster than expected in perfect condition.Mbort

Just got this rack to give as a gift, but I put it together and have mounted and tested it, and the Transfer V2 reflects all the qualities that I've experienced with Küat products. I already have two Küat racks (NV 2.0 and old-style Sherpa), plus a roof basket (Vagabond X), and even some other Küat stuff like the bottle-cage locks ( a great and handy product, and all of mine still work beautifully). Everything I've ever gotten from them has proven to be the most innovative products on the market, well-designed, and built with the highest degree of quality and durability. I don't even bother to look elsewhere for racks – They're simply the best by every measure. Even on those rare occasions when I've had to seek support for a product, their help has been exactly on target, and the people whom I've talked to have always been super friendly and have gotten whatever I needed to me right away – So in addition to everything else I've mentioned, even their customer service in my experience is unexcelled. The rack I use depends on the bikes I'm carrying. So I use my Küats to carry everything from road bikes to a Stumpjumper 650B fatty to a 29er hardtail to Specialized Jett 20" kids bikes, handsome others in between… My racks are the quickest and simplest to mount and use, the sturdiest, and the most secure under all conditions, from highway to rugged 4WD off-road, for any bikes I want to carry. Period.Richard K

Had this rack for about a month. We use it daily to transport our bikes to safe riding locations. I had been looking for a 3 bike rack and having no luck…till I stumbled on this rack at Moosejaw. This thing is a beast. I love how it folds out of the way, securely holds the bikes and zero play in the hitch. Highly recommend!Travis

Purchased the Transfer V2 in May as i wanted a rack for the back of our Airstream that was rated for RV use that I could transfer to my truck when I got to camping locations. Previously had a rack that the bicycles hung from the crossbar. This rack really locks the bikes down and limits movement while traveling. Also the cam lock works well in that there is no movement in the rack once it is torqued down to 18 ft-lbs. Have traveled over 4000 miles and have had no problems. Well made rack. Highly recommendBy Gerry

So far so good with this rack. I bought it to carry two eBikes. While pricey, it seemed to be the most secure and easy to use heavy-duty rack on the market.Matt M

Nicest rack I have encountered. Superb design and quality. Assembly was first-grader simple. Unfortunately it did not work well with our Lectric XP 2.0 bikes because of the racks and fenders and it was returned. If you have fenders make sure the arms will work on your bikeAlan J

I was recently involved in an auto collision where my car was rear ended by an inattentive driver. On the back of my car was the T2 and on the T2 was my beloved C60. The impact of the collision was severe enough to deploy all of my car's interval safety devices. After I had settled down I went to check up on my bike; fearing the worst I was prepared to see a mangled up bike. I was not prepared for what I saw. The T2 was bent at a severe angle, the unused carrier trays were disloged and badly damaged BUT the trays where my bike sat were nearly intact. Except for some cosmetic damage, a mangled rear wheel and a broken rear derailleur hanger (my shop is currently inspecting the bike just to be sure) the bike appears to have escaped largely unscathed. Moreover, the body repair shop person told me that with the T2 absorbing the brunt of the impact, my car avoided more severe damage. So thank you Thule for making such a great product and thank you T2 for giving up your "life" to protect me, my car AND my bike.Just another cyclist

I recently bought the T2 Classic pre assembled from my local bike shop. My friends have the same rack on their trucks. I've used them many times. I love the fitment of the bikes. My wheelbase is 47" with 26" tires. After installing the rack on my truck, I found that my bike wouldn't fit. The back tire was sticking way off the back of the rack and the locking arm was nearly vertical. I checked the manual and it said that it will fit up to 48" bikes. I again checked the manual for fitment and noticed that the front wheel support cup was reversed for both bikes. So I promptly removed them and reversed them. My bike fits great now BUT one of the holes was stripped out during initial installation of the front tire cup by the dealer. Bolting into plastic isn't really the strongest support system. So now I need to either get a replacement piece or try to repair the one I've got. A simple solution would be to manufacture a third mounting hole which is not equal spacing from the other two holes. Then this problem would never happen. The wheel cup could never be reversed. But since this product has been manufactured for years, it's not really an option to change it. If the front wheel cup had a better mounting system, I would give this rack 5 stars. Easily adjustable rack. Such a nice addition to my truck.Colin

I recently bought the T2 Classic pre-assembled from my local bike shop. My friends have the same rack on their trucks. I've used them many times. I love the fitment of the bikes. My wheelbase is 47" with 26" tires. After installing the rack on my truck, I found that my bike wouldn't fit. The back tire was sticking way off the back of the rack and the locking arm was nearly vertical. I checked the manual and it said that it will fit up to 48" bikes. I again checked the manual for fitment and noticed that the front wheel support cup was reversed for both bikes. So I promptly removed them and reversed them. My bike fits great now BUT one of the holes was stripped out during initial installation of the front tire cup by the dealer. Bolting into plastic isn't really the strongest support system. So now I need to either get a replacement piece or try to repair the one I've got. A simple solution would be to manufacture a third mounting hole which is not equal spacing from the other two holes. Then this problem would never happen. The wheel cup could never be reversed. But since this product has been manufactured for years, it's not really an option to change it. If the front wheel cup had a better mounting system, I would give this rack 5 stars. Easily adjustable rack. Such a nice addition to my truck.Colin

Rack is wonderful, but as important, customer service is awesome! I was informed every step of the way once I placed my order. My only wish is that they had the add on rack since now I have a need for that.Kathleen J.

Overall I am content with the function of this rack, but several things could and should be improved. The good: loading and unloading the bikes is fast and easy. The rack fits into my 2” receiver with minimal play and locks down with the supplied bolt. Low profile and folding feature works as expected. The not-so-good: their is play in both pivot points with no way of tightening, so the rack bounces a little when loaded. Also, the release mechanism rattles inside the rack. This rattle is loud enough to hear inside the vehicle, when all windows and doors are closed and driving down the road. So while the rack feels safe and secure, the design allows for excess play and noise that are mildly annoying. So far these issues do not affect the safety or performance of the rack in any way.MNSwede

I bought this bike rack this week and installed this morning. The installation to the hitch mount was pretty easy to do. The only thing that isn't great with the initial part is that the bolt that came with the rack does not go all the way through to the other side of the hitch receiver. Luckily, I preemptively order a hitch lock on amazon, so hopefully that will solve that part. The other issue is that the bolts for the mast are difficult to tighten without a wrench to hold it in place so you can tighten the bolt. If you plan on driving and hitting bumps at speeds higher than 35mph you will see some movement with the bikes on the rack but the rack seems to be sturdy enough on the first trial run with bikes loaded. All in all, I think it's a good rack for the money, but only time will tell. I think if you can get the next level Thule products it may be worth the investment for more peace of mind when driving.Cfosse

The rack is a much better solution than stuffing my bike into a Subaru hatch. The rack made my cycling life much better. However, the hard plastic anti-sway stablizer and band, scratched the paint off my mountain bike where contact was made. Being a mountain bike, I wasn't too concerned, but the bike was newish and clean. The rack also gets loose in the hitch after riding around some short distances, and I have to tighten bolt all the time now. I got a hitch stablizer coming that I hope makes things better. Alas every bike rack solution seems to have a built-in flaw. A shelf rack is probably better than a hanging rack but the shelf racks stick-out pretty far, and they could get lose as wellJohnse0

This is a solid heavy duty rack. I have 2 step through e-bikes that fit very well. I had to also get cross bars since my frames are step through. I can mount the rack and load the bikes in well under 5 minutes. You need to be able to lift and handle 50lbs to load e-bikes on the rack. There are no locks on this rack. I also purchased a receiver pin lock and a cable pad lock to secure the bikes. All in, I still spent a lot less than some of the high end racks with locks.Ken

Rated for 200lbs, tire mounts BENT holding a single 60lb bike on one 120mile drive from Phoenix to Tucson. Cheap foam coating on frame support ground through entirely and DESTROYED my brand new $2000 bike frame before i even got to ride it. Please please dont buy this product. Its really unstable, 100% not safe for anywhere near what its rated and could destroy your bike like it did mine. The tire mounts are IMPOSSIBLE to tighten safely. They will tip and bend and move. Photos show destruction of the rack. The bike frame is being repaired by a welder to fill the gouge in the frame. Im both upset and angry and am contacting the company for compensation as walmart would only refund the rack itselfKel

Ordered this rack for a bike trip with friends. Sadly i cannot comment of the rack itself. The package delivered to my porch and looked as if it had been shoved out of an airplane from 10,000 feet. The mangled package had a strong pungent Moldy odor coming from it. We tore the soft spongy cardboard open on the end to peer inside. The inside of the box had spots of black nasty goo on it and the bike rack itself was covered with patches of rust. I find it hard to believe that someone at the warehouse actually sent this package out. They must have known this stinky mangled rusty package would be immediately returned. You need to step up the game wally, I will be re ordering this rack, but this time it will be from someone else who's name starts with the letter A.mpbjr57

Overall I like the product (especially considering how much cheaper it is than competitors), but it has some issues. The setup was tricky to sort out as the drawings in the instructions were hard to follow. I almost returned it because my bike wouldn't fit on it, but then I figured out I had the front wheel holders on backwards. Again, better drawings and explanations (video?) would have helped. It doesn't come with a locking pin for the hitch, and the one I bought (which is a pretty standard size), doesn't fit, so I am still trying to figure out how to drill out the hole for it so I can actually use it.Jonny Biker

The bracket that inserted into the receiving hitch was a perfect square. Most receivers except rounded edges. I had to have a machinist friend mill and rounded off the corners to allow it to mount. The first shipment was lost through UPS. Nevertheless, it was a bargain at the price.PapaBear57

The rack works great to transport my e bike. Being a 73 year old women it is a bit heavy to install. Look at the instructions very carefully as I had to do everything twice not paying close attention as to orientation of the pictures. The bike is heavy to lift but I manage. Would purchase againLinda T