Cable Locks and Hitch Lock for Kuat Transfer 2 Bike Rack

The Kuat Transfer 2 with integrated bike and hitch system is, by far, the best bike rack system I have ever purchased. It's easy to install and highly secure so we didn't worry about leaving our bikes on the rack overnight during a recent trip.
The lock system is clever and easy to operate, also very cool design.

Etrailer offered the lowest price and excellent customer service as I called with a few questions. highly recommend! 545397

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Lock for hitch pin is like most all of them, very loose fitting and rattles on the receiver (annoying) prior to my creative use of some padding.
The integrated bike locks are pretty useless. The locks stick out from the hook arm instead of being seated fully inside and being less obvious to a passerby. The cable is far too short to effectively lock the bike with. Couldn't fit around my frame(s) in any way. I got it around just the fork alright and with a lot of straining got it to fit around the front tire and fork for whatever security it's probably capable of. Fumbling with your key and the locking mechanism while holding the cable inside is just annoying.
You will not avoid being a nice 6-8' cable to really secure bikes well. My 7' cable with 2 paddocks works well to secure both tires and frames of 2 bikes to the rack and the rack to the receiver.
The locking hitch pin is some added security, but janky. The integrated bike locks are a waste of engineering thought and not worth any money.

I was disappointed with shipping. Although I found this product on Etrailer.com after several other vendors indicated being out of stock with it. I ordered the lock kit only from etrailer at the same time that I ordered my rack from another vendor (offering a lower price than etrailer), both with standard shipping. The lock kit arrived a week after the rack. I was glad that I didn't order the rack from etrailer.

On a good note, etrailer customer service appears to genuinely care in at least some way. I continually received emails regarding ordering and shipping status. Then received an invitation to take this survey, indicating that they want to learn how to improve with each customers input. So, maybe this is a good test for etrailer. The ball is in your court, watcha' gonna do?239217

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put the locks on my rack and they went on with no problem. The locks will be good to leave the bikes on going t a store but not for over night.
I do like the lock for the hitch pin.386382

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Product was packed great. Easily assembled and installed into my hitch. Bike is easy to install onto the rack and bike is secured during transport. I have a SUV and it is very easy to tilt the rack with bike on rack to open the rear hatch. Would recommend this rack to everyone. The price is very reasonable.448475

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by: Robert 09/14/2023

Awesome when locked they can't fall off rack1666944

by: Pat F.03/12/2020

Everything is working well. No issues.
Easy to load/unload and lock the bikes.765468

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This product, which is both a hitch lock and a bike lock for the Kuat Trannsfer 2 is excellent. The hitch lock mates to the OEM Kuat hitch pin, and the bike locks are a very clever design which allow you to have them permamently a part of the rack, hidden under the tube frame when not needed.

The folks at ETrailer did a very good job of keeping me informed of the order status. These Kuat products are in early production and hard to obtain. ETrailer kept me up to date.228801

Rob J.

10/1/2016

It is still performing perfectly. Thanks for the follow up

This lock kit arrived promptly, installed easily and worked really nicely on our first out-of-town trip with our new Kuat Transfer 2 rack. As someone else mentioned, it seemed foolish to invest in this nice new rack and then risk someone with a crescent wrench in their hip pocket being able to walk away with it. I was a little worried that the hitch lock, which just sort of dangles, would vibrate but it didn't seem to. The cable locks are really slick, the way they store out of sight and deploy very quickly as needed. There would be cheaper alternatives, but for us, the convenience factor made this the best choice.229850

Scott L.

10/12/2016

A year later, we use the locks frequently and love them. Its really great to have them just be there inside the post to be deployed whenever needed. Its taken a bit of practice to find the best way to thread the cable through the frame and then get the end fastened and secured, but now it only takes a few seconds. I keep a key clipped to my car fob. The lock on the trailer hitch also works just fine. Whenever I take the hitch off, I just keep the lock stored on the hitch pin so its there when I go to remount the hitch. One minor thing: weve learned to keep an eye on the rubber cap that covers the bike locks, because if youre careless when youre deploying the locks, the rubber caps retainer can accidentally dislodge from its slot and fall on the ground. We havent lost one yet but had a couple of near misses. As mentioned by others, we feel pretty secure about the locks, like for instance in a motel parking lot overnight. I also agree that even another inch in cable length would make deployment even easier. Ours just barely reaches. Anyway, we recommend the rack and the locks to all our friends. Thanks for asking!

by: Eric10/26/2016

The lock for the hitch and the two locks for the rack itself work fine. I wouldn't be comfortable leaving the bikes on the rack overnight in a hotel parking lot, for example. However, they seem good enough for leaving them in a safe, well-trafficked area during the day. The only major issue is that the cable is not quite long enough for wrapping around the frame of our mountain bikes - it needs another couple inches. It will fit around the bike fork with room to spare, but that's less secure. The cable is sufficiently long for our road bikes.
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Eric

10/26/2017

Thanks for your follow-up. The bike locks are still working well - thanks!

by: Ira C06/26/2020

I purchased the Kuat Bike Lock kit for my Kuat 1 bike carrier to help lock it down for short periods. The folks at etrailer.com sent it very quickly. Installation was a breeze. the lock kit tucks into each bikes carrier. The thickness of the cable is not the best so i would not leave a bike on their overnight in a hotel parking lot , but fine for quick times away from the car.822216

Ira C.

7/5/2021

Still great!

The Kuat bike locks are outstanding. They were easy to install on my new Kuat Transfer 2 bike rack and are made of quality material. The instructions are easy to follow and all the needed hardware is included. I am impressed with the Kuat brand as I see nothing but quality products and workmanship! etrailer Co provided great customer service, great prices and follow up communications! Krystal, thank you for all your help and customer service!587716

David

12/2/2019

Great! Easy to wok with and very functional.

by: Richard L.07/25/2020

We could not be happier with our Kuat bike platform rack and the locks that we bought to go with it. Combined, it has to be the easiest and safest way to transport our bikes I have ever seen. The quality is excellent and the ease of use of both the bike rack and the locks is perfect. I give these products our highest recommendation!850972

Richard L.

7/26/2021

Excellent Product - Everything about this bike rack has worked perfectly. We couldnt be happier!

by: JB07/18/2017

Cable locks - Add extra measure of safe keeping but I always use a heavy cable lock also.
Fairly easy to install but fitting leaves space for rain water to enter tubing of rack. Hopefully this will not be problem over time.
Hitch lock - very easy installation - great safeguard.407282

Jb

7/18/2018

The rubber end covers did not last.

Not super secure. All you need is a pair of pliers to remove the bolt that holds the lock onto the rack. Better than nothing. Will deter the casual thief. You can buy some locking cables at a bike store for a lot less and just lock them around the rack. Good thing about these is that they store inside the rack. 414227

Jonathan K.

8/7/2018

Hi George! Love both products. Absolutely no problems and both holding up well in the weather. Very easy to use and makes bike transport simple and easy.

by: Diana07/23/2017

The Cable Locks and Hitch Lock fit perfectly on the Kuat Transfer 2 Bike Rack. I especially love the Cable Locks. The bikes are safe and secure whenever we stop on the road.409658

Diana

7/23/2018

Locks and cables still work great!

Easy install, looks good. These cable locks are super convenient, and will deter theft. Only issue is the cable is too short to do anything but wrap around the headstock, leaving wheels and everything else vulnerable. However, for short durations I'm confident the bike will be there when I get back. etrailer provided a good product, at a better price than [auction site], and quick delivery.
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Mark S.

2/21/2018

Everythings still working as advertised!

by: Doug M.09/12/2016

I don't typically write product reviews, but the Kuat Transfer 2, with the optional lock set I purchased from Etrailer a year ago, was a great acquisition. I think the Transfer 2 is the best deal out there - the lock system is too. The retrofit lock assembly replaces the endcap on each of the racheting hold-down "hooks" that holds the bike's front wheel in-place. As a result, it is easier to install the lock system at the same time one is assembling the new rack - I had to retrofit mine after assembling the rack, which required a little extra work. Anyway, the system is very slick in that the coated cable and lock assemblies tuck neatly into the hook assemblies until needed. They are held tightly in-place by a magnet affixed to the inner cable tip, keeping it from flopping around when not in use. When needed, all one does is pull the lock/cable out and wrap it around the bike frame - the key is required to lock the cable in place. Note that the cable is only long enough to secure the front of the main frame triangle, or through the fork. I have used the lock system many times on my carbon frame mountain bike, with little concern, although I probably would not leave it unattended for too long without some additional precautions. Overall, I think this lock system is very reasonably priced as an add-on feature to the Transfer rack: it's easy to install, is made of high quality material, and is extremely simple to use. Great product.293928

by: Doron09/19/2016

The cables work fine, although I wouldn't relay on them completely. Cable cutters can cut these like butter. I usually add a U-lock on top of these cables.
The hitch lock seems strong and it will be a challenge to remove (since it was a challenge to put on...)
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Doron

9/20/2017

Still works fine, but like I mentioned a year a go, I dont have full confidence using these locks. It looks like they can be easily cut by cable-cutters. The hitch lock works fine, too.

by: Chris M11/21/2019

Functionally these locks are great. The only issue is that in the stored position the can vibrate out of the tube and dangle off the bike rack. Not really an issue as it doesn’t happen all the time.726980

Chris M.

11/22/2020

Perfect! No issues at all

by: JB04/12/2019

They seemed like a good idea, but I don't actually use them much any more. They are barely functional at this point; too weathered after just a year and I have to use the key to turn the lock mechanism inside to get the cable to insert and lock in place, whereas initially I could push the cable end into the lock and it would lock. Hard to turn the key. Have sprayed stuff into them but doesn't seem to help. The cables themselves are just barely long enough to reach around my bikes. My MTB with a rather slack headtub doesn't work at all...the frame is too far from the rack arm and the cable isn't long enough to reach around it.

So, they worked better initially, but only on some of my bikes, and barely. I just use a 4' cable and padlock now.625691

by: Fritz08/21/2017

Cable Locks and Hitch Lock for Kuat Transfer 2 Bike Rack has been perfect for securing my mountain bike for short periods of time when I stop for a bite after a ride. It is very easy to lock and unlock. Shipping by etrailer was on time and product was well packaged. Still going strong 1 year after purchase.423383

by: CharlesH05/04/2017

Works great! Stores in bike rack; slide out and locks easily onto bikes. 375908

Charlesh

5/4/2018

Still working great after many thousand miles on the back of our car and motorhome.

Just returned from a 3800 mile trip with the Kuat Transfer 1 bike rack on the back of my RV. It was great. Didn't even know it was there. There was no movement of the rack in the hitch and the bike was secure in the rack. The tilt back feature allows me to get at the rear storage compartment. Unfortunately, when installed on my Toyota 4Runner, the tailgate does not clear the bike. This really isn't a big deal since it only takes seconds to remove the bike from the rack. 616047

These worked out great. Easy to install and the added piece of mind is priceless.1606394

Customer service with etrailer.com is awesome. Five stars there. My rating is for the product itself. Also, even though I only gave 3 stars I still highly recommend this lockset. I explain my star-choice and impressions below, for the interested reader.

Install is super easy on your Kuat rack for both the cables and the rack lock. Main complaint on install (and a friend with same rack had same complaint) was that the screw attaching the bike cable lock to the Kuat rack arm ended up being slightly angled so it doesn't screw in flat against the arm. Took a star off for that as it seems to be a minor design flaw.

I took off a second star because the cables themselves aren't going to be the most secure way to lock up your bike. First, while the cable wire is very thick it's still a cable and definitely not going to be impossible to cut with a pair of heavy-duty bolt cutters. I think that it's going to be a great deterrent to your run-of-the-mill opportunistic thief and will protect your bike in that way. However, I live in a city where bikes locked up even with the most heavy duty locks will go missing if unattended for long, so I would NEVER leave my bike secured in a high-crime area like my home city with only these cable locks for protection for more than an hour or two (e.g., overnight), giving someone time to see it and come back with bolt cutters. I'd probably still prefer to park in a space where I could see my car and bike from a window. Still, these cable locks give me more peace of mind when walking away from my bike briefly, especially in lower-crime areas and are well worth the investment for that. Just don't be stupid about them; they aren't infallible. They also only attach with a single screw. The screw head is unique, so you can't just undo it with a simple Phillips head or bike utility tool, but it's conceivable that someone COULD find a way to undo the screw and walk off with your bike, too. Or that a skilled thief could pick the lock. Again, be responsible, aware of your surroundings, and don't over-trust the protection and you'll be fine.

It appears to me that the rack lock (rack-to-hitch) is probably most secure. I personally don't think that even in my high-crime city it is likely someone would steal the rack but it again adds a layer of security that makes me feel that the opportunistic thief is likely to be deterred and gives me (whether justified or not) an added peace of mind. 635079