This 4-bike rack is perfect for the serious cyclist and occasional riders. It's safe for carbon frames, has a foot pedal that lets you use both hands to tilt for trunk access and fold for storage, and the U-shaped design makes it easy to load.
Features:
Specs:
Note: May interfere with bikes with front fenders.
The Transfer V2 has ratcheting hooks that grab your bikes firmly by the front wheel - not the frame. It's perfect for carrying carbon bikes or bikes with a custom paint job. To load a bike, simply place your front wheel in the cradle, rotate the arm up and over the wheel, and press down firmly on the ratcheting hook.
In its upright position the front cradles sit at the optimal position for holding normal-size bikes. However, you can adjust the cradles so that smaller bikes sit more toward the center of the rack or to prevent bikes from bumping into each other. To adjust the pitch, use the included Allen key to flip the bolt locator tabs upside down.
The rear wheel cradles accommodate a wide variety of bike wheelbases. They pivot front to back, adjusting automatically to each bike's wheelbase - no need for sliding and tightening. Secure the wheels in place with the built-in ratcheting strap. Strap extenders (sold separately) let you carry fat bikes.
Most platform-style racks force you to reach out and over the rack to load your bikes or walk around to the back of the rack to access the bike closest to your vehicle. The U-shaped frame allows you to walk inside the rack and get close to your bikes to lift them. Also, it won't block your backup camera when it's folded up.
The spring-loaded foot lever is easily accessible even with your bikes loaded. No more crawling through your bikes or squeezing between the rack and the vehicle to hit the tilt release lever.
The foot lever lets you tilt the rack down with bikes loaded for cargo area access. It leaves both hands free so that you can lower the rack in a controlled manner. When the rack is unloaded you can fold it up for storage.
The rack is easy to install. Just slide the shank into your hitch and use the included 8-mm Allen wrench to tighten the flatlock cam. An anti-rattle wedge is deployed inside the shank to help take play out of the hitch connection.
The Allen wrench has an indentation, so it can only be used with the Transfer. This helps keep the rack secure on your vehicle. You'll need to store it in a safe place because you'll need it when you want to remove the rack. You can also use a locking hitch pin (sold separately) for extra rack security.
The Transfer also includes a cable lock that secures your bikes to the rack. The 1/4" thick, braided steel cable threads through your bike's frames, and locks back into the rack.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (232 Customer Reviews)
This 4-bike rack is perfect for the serious cyclist and occasional riders. It's safe for carbon frames, has a foot pedal that lets you use both hands to tilt for trunk access and fold for storage, and the U-shaped design makes it easy to load.
Product was excellent
This is a solid product. Easy to assemble and simple to operate. A couple of issues make it less than ideal.
First, because it is built to fit 1 1/4 and 2" hitches, the hitch pin holes do not line up correctly in a standard 2" trailer hitch. This means that you cannot use a 5/8" hitch pin. You can use the smaller pin, but you get the kind of fit you would expect -- it's loose and it rattles. If the cam system fails, the smaller hitch pin isn't going to help much. This is a huge design flaw in my opinion. Note that if you order the hitch pin lock that they say you need for this particular rack (HL2), it comes with a 5/8" pin that won't fit. Just dumb.
My rack didn't come with the cable, so I contacted etrailer and after alot of back and forth, they said they would reach out to Kuat. That was a month ago.
There is not a cap to snap over the cable lock, so when the rack is folded in the upright position, water leaks into the hollow bar behind the lock. It will sit in there forever unless you pull the rack and turn it upside down. I put a piece of duct tape over it -- the lock is no use to me since etrailer and Kuat can't seem to provide me with the missing cable.
This rack came very well packaged with easy instructions to follow. It took about 1 hour to put it together. It is a very high quality product. We have it on our Subaru Crosstrek and it doesn't interfere with opening the back hatch when the rack is in the down position. The bikes are a breeze to load and unload. I highly recommend this bike rack.
My husband and I are in our 60's and had no problem putting this together as per instructions. It's a good solid rack, no wobble even with my big 35 pound 29'er. It easily clears our steep curb on the back of our Subaru Outback. The hatch clears the bike and there's plenty of room to move between the car and bike in that tilt position. We loaded our car for vacation with the bike on the rack. It's a bonus to be able to leave it all on the car in our garage. We also bought the Drawtite 2" hitch from etrailer.com. We're very happy with this setup!
I have been shopping for a new "travel trailer" approved bike rack that wouldn't break the bank. This is a very well made bike rack by Kuat that fit my particular application. I did add a hitch extender to my bumper receiver so the bike rack can be folded with the spare tire also on the rear bumper. I also have 2 "anti rattle" devices that locks everything down from hitch to rack. That and the internal cam device that is included in the rack makes for a very secure receiver to rack connection. No movement what-so-ever from bumper to rack. However, there is still a lot of movement and sway once the bikes are loaded. I don't think this is avoidable in any type of rear bumper bike rack. Therefore, I will still be adding extra tie downs to help eliminate any extra sway of the bikes while travelling. Lots of movement on the rear end of a travel trailer.
Pros: Well built, U shaped design and tilt feature for easier bike loading and unloading. Nice cable lock. Great company reputation for quality bike racks.
Cons: My rack came with no paper assembly directions or itemized parts list. Just a "QR" barcode to scan that had the wrong assembly direction. Fortunately, I found a great YouTube video that showed step by step out-of-box assembly directions and installation instructions. A little challenging for us older not so tech oriented senior citizens. Took a little longer to assemble then expected.
Travel trailer: Outdoor RV, mountain series, 22QFS.
Quality product, great design, easy to use, no problem securing three mountain bikes. Would definitely recommend!
Also worth mentioning, I accidentally lost the security allen key that comes with the product and Kuat customer service sent me a replacement free of charge.
We love this bike rack. We bought a couple ebikes and needed something we could use behind our travel trailer when camping and the truck when we just want to drive to some trails. When we were looki g, many can't be used behind travel trailers. We absolutely love the way its built - its sturdy, high quality, pretty easy to put together - good instructions. Love the tilting feature - use one foot - very easy. Love that it comes with the cable lock for the bikes, It is very adjustable for a wide range of bikes. We have step throughs. We did buy a hitch lock for extra security. We would recommend this rack to anyone.
This Kuat rack will work great for me. I previously has the same rack but with the 1 and 1/4" hitch. That worked fine for our 2 bikes, but I upgraded to a heavier bike and needed the actual 2" hitch.
Things I like better about this newer rack: 1. While cable locks aren't the most secure devices, they are better than nothing and this rack includes an integrated one. 2. It seems the hooks that go over the tire have a softer feel that will hopefully not make the bike front fork over time. 3. Assembly was easy. You'll never find anything requiring assembly that has clearer instructions! Also, it's great that Kuat includes all the necessary tools to complete the installation; no digging through my various tool boxes for the correct tools. In addition, the packing of the rack by Kuat was fantastic with everything protected and secure.
Things that time will tell: 1. The finish on this is a flat power coat; my previous was grey with a sealed, smooth surface that was easy to clean. I'm not sure in the long run how easily this finish will be to clean. 2. The hole in the arm for the lock is open when the cable lock is not installed. This could certainly allow for water and dirt to enter the interior of the arm. Some sort of cover or plug for this hole would be a nice improvement.
And, of course, the information on etrailer was great. Ordering was simple, delivery as expected. Another great job by etrailer.
Kurt transfer v2, easy assembly, positive solid connection to receiver, so no bouncing like other bike racks I’ve had in the past. Bikes go on quickly ,thread the locking cable and you are on your way.
After 1 year of use, very satisfied with this purchase.
Super fast free shipping, I received the rack the very next day. The quality of the Kuat rack seems excellent so far. The tilting feature does allow me to lower the tailgate of the pickup with the bike on the rack which is a nice feature since I have a camper top installed on the truck
Assembly was a little bit of effort and needed some space to get it done. It’s also a bit heavier than I expected. But the features are fantastic and it feels like a bike rack that’s going to last. Very well designed.
This bike rack is great. Two things: it folds up to a pretty slim profile and it’s well made. That said I had trouble getting the first front wheel holder to go on. The inside and outside holes in the frame were not aligned so you couldn’t get the bolt to pass through so I ended up enlarging the outside hole enough to allow the bolt to go through straight and the rest was painless! Another nice point are the tools: they’re actually good enough to keep! This is my second Kuat bike rack and they really handle bikes well. The tilt works great, too. Overall, it’s great pick!
Received in a wel packaged box yesterday afternoon and quickly assembled following excellent step by step instructions. Rack to be mounted to my truck 2 inch hitch later this afternoon, then will size each of the three bikes on each platform. Want to thank e- trailer from order to delivery, great support. Next step based on excellent recommendation from Kyle S back on 18 Feb is to add a swing out capability with the Yakima back swing swing away hitch extender later this Fall, one step at a time. More to follow, Thanks!
Overall a very good product, and of course the excellent service from etrailer.com.
I received my order in only two days, which was 2 days earlier than what was stated when I placed the order. All of the product information and videos on the etrailer.com website was very helpful in leading me to this particular rack. The box arrived undamaged.
I wanted a 2 bike hitch mount rack with 60 lb/bike minimum, front wheel mount, fold up and tilt down, built-in receiver stabilizer and security lock. I was also watching the specs to keep the rack weight as low as possible. This KUAT met all my needs at the best price.
Kuat provided all the parts and tools necessary for the assembly. The instructions were clear but I could have used more detailed pictures of what the bolts and spacers looked like. I was able to complete assembly in an hour and a half. It really should have taken about 30 minutes, but the sleeves that "slide" onto the oval rack arms were all so tight that they did not slide easily onto or along the arms due to ridges molded inside the sleeves. The engineering tolerances are very tight which I'm sure accounts for the rack being very solid. Since the sleeves did not slide easily, I had to use an awl (not included) to get the holes in the sleeves perfectly aligned with the holes so that when the bolt gets pushed through it would thread into the nut on the opposite side and this was what took up most of the assembly time.
Great so far. I haven't taken the rack on a long road trip yet but if I have any problems or suggestions I will let you know. I was impressed with the quality & strength of this bike rack. Also, I wanted a rack that was easy to set up, load. fold down and store. I'll include photos of the rack with 2 bikes and one showing how I store the rack in my garage when not mounted on my vehicle.
The product is great! A bit heavy but i like it
Also i think this is a good investment. It will serve my family for many years.
I purchased the Kuat Transfer V2 after trying and returning the less expensive and frustrating Thule Apex XT 4 which would have needed the additional cross supports to properly transport the three hardtail mountain bikes we own. After about 40 minutes of assembly of the V2 with a good set of instructions, I was able to install the rack on the back of our vehicle quickly and get the bikes loaded in no time. Bike loading with the split mast design was easy and I was able to reach the foot pivot to lower the rack for access into the rear of the vehicle with the bikes loaded easily. The bikes sat in the support cradles securely and the handlebars did not interfere with each other. The rear tire ratchet straps were easy to secure and did not interfere with the wheel cradles while loading the bikes which I liked. The bike lock is easy to access and the cable secured to the rack easily. Overall I’m very pleased with the purchase and glad I sprung a bit more for a platform rack.
Rack was easy to install and I like being able to tighten the hitch in the receiver so it doesn't bounce around. It's easy to load and secure bikes. I took a trip to Florida from NJ without a problem.
Works great on the back of my trailer and holds our bikes securely. Very easy to use.
The rack is great for a senior single. Lightweight to install into hitch and seems pretty sturdy.
However the directions for assembly need help.
1.The Tire Hook Arm Assy and Arm Kunckle and Arm Installation: The pictures show assembling the Hook Arm and Arm Knuckle in one way. And Installing the Arm show the cutout of the Arm Knuckle for the screw another way. I think the 2 diagrams don't agree with each other as far as which side of the rack the arm is installed on.
It added more time for assembly.
2. In the Hitch Shank Assembly, the holes for slipping in the bolt were not lined up - at all.
Tried to wiggle, somewhat force it - no success.
I finally figured out that the plastic wrap that was put into place to hold the Foot Pivot lever at a certain tension - wasn't really holding it at all. Once I pressed on the Foot Pivot tension lever, the holes could be aligned for an easy insertion of the bolt.
I hope this helps
It was easy to put together. It is light enough for me to to put on my car.
If one more feature could be added…… a way to “drop” the rack down for loading. I have a hybrid e-bike and it is a little heavy to lift onto the rack.
Very quick and easy install, bikes are mounted easily. The design makes it a little difficult to get to the release and fold up when not in use, otherwise a great product. Would definitely recommend
Love this rack. It is my second after my other got destroyed in a rear end collision. Highly recommend
I've mounted this rack on a 2018 Fiat 500 Abarth, & it's perfect for my needs -- carrying 2 mountain bikes with a longer wheelbase (47+ inches), weighing between 32-35lbs each. The rack was relatively easy to assemble, & its overall weight is manageable (I will be taking it off of the car after biking ventures). I'm pleased with how stable the bikes are while mounted on the rack. In Seattle, our roads are VERY bumpy. Furthermore, I like the fact that the open frame allows you to get close to the innermost bike when taking it off of the rack. This allows for better body mechanics when dismounting heavy bikes. Though the hitch receiver sits pretty low on my Fiat Abarth, I haven't had any ground clearance issues, as long as I take it slow on steeper driveways. Likewise, I've had zero clearance issues between the bikes & the vehicle, & with the rack folded up. My only minor issue is that I've found the J-arm to be a bit 'sticky' when trying to disengage it from the front wheel of the mountain bike. However, I'm guessing this will likely get easier over time. Overall, I think this is a solidly built rack for an affordable price.
This review is after a year. Overall this is a good bike rack.
Pros:
-price is fair
-Ease of use
-Bikes remain secure in transit.
Cons.
-Some parts are made of plastic that would be better as aluminum.
-The locking cord is annoying. One time in transit, it got wrapped around the derailleur. On moving the bikes down to open the hatch, the derailleur was damaged when the cord pulled on it, so I needed a new one. I’m not sure why Kuat would not choose to put the lock on the hook that secures the bicycle tire. That would eliminate the need for an annoying cable.
-It would be nice to have a torque wrench included so you are confident you are not over tightening the hex bolt that attaches the rack to the car. You are warned not to over-tighten, so you are left wondering.
-When the rack is pivoted down, Honda CRV 2020 hatchback cannot clear the handlebars on my mountain bike. It is possible to access storage, but the trunk cannot fully open.
Overalll, the low cost and overall quality and ease of use make this a good choice. Some minor tweaks to the design would make this a stellar product. Be carful how you use the cord.
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