Can a 2010 Mazda 5 Carry 4 Bikes with a Trailer Hitch Mounted 4 Bike Rack

Question:

Hello, I am looking for a good solution to carry 4 bike on my new mazda 5 . Some people said to me the mazda 5 cant hold 4 bike on the hich . Is it true ? 100 pouds on the hitch is the max because of the frame limite and 4 bike is more than that ? thanks you

asked by: Marc

Expert Reply:

You are correct, the hitches available for 2010 Mazda 5 are all Class I hitches and will not support 4 bikes and a 4 bike bike rack on the rear of the vehicle. The weight of the bikes and bike rack, and the distance out from the back of the vehicle would cause too much torque on the vehicle frame and/or hitch, resulting in damage.

There are options for carrying 4 bikes with your 2010 Mazda 5 though. You could install the Curt Trailer Hitch, item # 11338, and use a 2 bike rack like the Swagman XC2 Wheel Mount Bike Rack, item # S64650.

You could then add a roof rack system and two bike carriers for the roof of the vehicle. The complete Yakima roof rack system for your vehicle includes the following items.

Q131 Q Clips for Yakima Q Towers, item # Y00731
Q12 Q Clips for Yakima Q Towers, item # Y00612
Round 58 inch CrossBars for Yakima Roof Rack System, item # Y00409
Yakima Q Towers Roof Rack Feet for Naked Roof, item # Y00124

You would then need two bike racks to attach to the cross bars on the roof. The Yakima Raptor Aero Roof Mounted Bike Rack, item # Y02093, would work well on your vehicle.

In both cases, hitch and roof, you will need to keep the weight of the bikes and all items installed within the capacities recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.