The Kuat NV 2.0 (Base and Regular) is a super popular hitch mount bike rack with a pretty major design flaw. In this video, the issue as well as a simple work-around. Support the channel! www.thebikesauce.com/
Thank you so much for posting this. I recently purchased a Transfer V2 because I wanted to replace my old rack with one that did not contact my frame. I have had multiple times now where I have found the hook over the tire to be loose so I am glad it was not user error and there is a simple solution to help prevent this.
I'm glad you made this video highlighting this. I personally have a 1up (single - the cheapest one they have - i'm forgetting the name) rack, on my car, which i use and love. To carry 2 bikes, i used my buddies Kuat NV 2.0, and the bike which was exactly in the position you have it in the video, came loose THE EXACT SAME WAY before we got on the highway. It managed to slip off completely , with the wheel almost touching the ground- the only thing stopping the front of the bike from touching the ground, was the handlebar scrapping my left rear lights and getting stuck on top of the lights (like resting your hands on a table). Thankfully, we weren't on the highway when this happened. Since then, i've never borrowed my friends rack. Feels like we have to come up with our own solution for a problem which shouldn't exist in the first place when using this rack. Love your videos btw!!
Same!! I have this rack on the back of a lifted Jeep. The bike would come loose a lot. Went with the extra strap to hold it in place. Placing the hook farther forward looks good, will try that also.. Thanks for this video!!
Great video. I have the Kuat Sherpa and have had my bikes come loose on me multiple times despite my best efforts to really tighten everything down. This includes heavier mtbs to lighter road bikes. Extremely disconcerting. Have taken to using a couple of Volet straps in similar fashion to hold the bike more secure and that has solved it - but agree that given the cost of the rack this should not be needed. Looking forward to your next review.
Another nice vid. I have the same rack, bought it since it also works with my wife's heavy ebike with 20" fat wheels. I do the same with the strap on the bottle of the front wheel to the rack, I just use a long velcro strap with a loop. And since I'm paranoid about that failing, I also use the same velcro strap to strap the top of the arm to the crown of the fork, to keep tension of the arm towards the rear of the bike.
Had this rack for years. Carried everything from road bikes to enduro bikes on it across the country several times, and never once experienced the issue you mention in this video. I currently have the Kuat Piston Pro X, but mainly purchased it for the built in lights.
@@StephenTy-wb8xx I have taken mine off road many times and not once have I had my bike be loose when I got to my destination. I do push it against the fork though and haven't had any paint damage on my bike.
I couldn't agree more, I had the exact same issue. The rubber on some of the hooks eventually wore away and started wearing on the forks. I solved it with a front tire strap also, but I also place rubber hook much further forward on the wheel, so the arm crosses near the axle. With that combo, the hooks never move. I've got more than 40,000 miles on it with that set up, most of the time with 4 bikes. No issues. I will say though, Kuat's customer service is EXCELLENT. They've sent me replacement hooks and other parts immediately and without question, every time.
I've talked to 4 CSRs from Küat. Out of those three were excellent in how they were willing to help. Buuuuuuuuuuut, I got this one older woman who spent a lot of her time being argumentative about the NV Racks allowing bikes to shift to the right. She basically tried to tell me that there wasn't such an issue, because she owns the NV 2.0 as per her. I had to explain like 4-5 times what was happening, and then when she realizes she was being a semi-suto azz in talking to me she finally says " How May I help you?" I say so you finally got to where you should have been at the start of this convo? I told her document that call, and get it to the guys in the back room that solve issues. I reminded her that her job is t9o help and not be adversarial with customer!! I did call back in later and got a rep that was interested in the issue and he wrote a ticket on the problem. I even sent him this video, so that they could see for themselves. He sent me something to test, and I just submitted that result back to them yesterday.
@@skiaddict08 Yeah there is an Update. I'm having a company name Kody Technologies create a rear signaling light package that works for the 2.0 base. So the Kody Rep and I had this convo about a 160mm bolt and it I would need to use one. I told him that I would have a convo with Kuat. I hung up with Kody and called Kuat. Still Impeccable customer service, as the GSR went thru they list of inventory to find what I needed. She then made me aware that they sell this bolt on their site and where to find it. We even had a conversation about my testing the strap for me from tire that they sent out for me to experiment with. She told me that she had seen the video that I created and sent to them..
I have the Kuat transfer rack. Also the same problem. My solution was to wrap the hookarm with rubber foam and electrical tap. A little ghetto but allows me to cinch it against my frame without scratching it. I just wedge a fresh chamois between the arm and frame and never gets scratched. The second strap sounds like a good solution too but one of the advantages of the Kuat rack is how fast and effortless it is to just slide the hook arm off the wheel and and go.
I have the same rack. I just use heavy duty reusable zip ties that loop over the front wheel clamp and the bike fork as well as anther zip tie that loops over the rear wheel and the rack bed to ensure the bike stay in place even on rough unpaved mountain roads.
I use heavy-duty anti-slip cinch straps. The anti-slip grip keeps my tires in place really well. They are long enough to wrap around the tire and top tube as well, reducing wiggle.
I have a similar rack, the Rocky Mounts Monorail, and had a similar issue with my gravel bike but rolling forward. This is what I did to solve it, although the monorail has a support for the back of the front wheel so it can't roll backwards. The instructions still say to put the hook as close to the fork as possible, which means the only thing holding the bike in place is the the friction between the hook and the tire. It works OK with knobbies because you can lock it in, but on a smooth tire bike it can roll forward a bike much like this video shows the bike rolling back. Contrary to the instructions, I put the hook between 11 and 12 o'clock on the wheel. That way, the bike can't roll forward, because the hook would have to get longer for the wheel to pass under it. The bike can't roll backwards, because of the support. And the hook can't fall down because the difference in the pivot point of the arm and the radius of the wheel means the hook would need to get longer to fall down. I'd put this into a video if I knew how. I'm a little worried about the situation, but I've done 1000s of miles this way (with an eagle eye out my rear-view mirror), and the bikes haven't moved.
Out of curiosity, I wonder if changing the placement of the arm would make a difference? Moving it more forward over the front wheel, applying more force to keep the bike from rolling forward.
That is the identical design of my Yakima Dr. Tray. I've never had my rack do that. I wonder if that wheel tray for the front wheel keeps it from shifting.
I have a microfiber towel i put on the fork to keep it from rubbing and I click it down enough to actually compress the tire slightly…and another little tower for the real wheel loop to keep it from scuffing the carbon. Works fines, have tons of hours with it on the back of a very bouncy jeep wrangler. BTW i have the 1UP rack with 4 bike holders, they’re both fine.
I just purchased this rack today, and are glad I saw this footage. Personally I think Küat should supply additional straps to allow the binding of the forward wheel. That being said, in the kit there is a wheel adapter that comes with two straps. There is a Rear Tire Strap Extender, and a Front Tire Security Strap which would both work. Or as you have done simply fabricate a Front Wheel Security Strap. Let me say that prices of Bike Racks is borderline insane. But if you have a Carbon frame and wheels you just cant go with a lot of the cheaper racks. Lastly, I ordered the License plate adapter for mine from Küat, since I don't need a ticket for an obscured plate. Now I need to find out if I need a third plate so I don't have to change plate locations if i decide t not have the rack installed on any given day?
Noticed this issue way back when I had my Sherpa. I used to tighten it all the way to the fork and the brake hose holder on my mtb would shred the hook up. This was actually a large reason for why I sold it 7-8 yrs ago and got a rack that only holds the outer half of the tires (Saris Superclamp, had a pro deal, otherwise would love a 1Up)
Kuat Sherpa 2.0 owner here and the velcro strap came with my rack and I always put one at the pivot arm side like in the video. Might as well use it if it came with the rack.
Before I heard your solution, I had an idea. Frankly, I've never left any space between fork and arm. And the fox fork brake line securing bracket it has chewed up each and every arm I've had. Here's my idea: Create a (3dprinted) bracket that is secured via zipties to better sit between the arm and the fork without damaging it. The downside is that the bracket might need to be specific to each fork AND tire combo. But it could work for me if I find a way to do it. OR: Create something that goes over the brake line bracket. But its still going to be the primary point of contact as there isn't anything else that can help. And I want to carry friend's bikes who won't have that.
I've hauled 2 bikes on mine fir 1000s of miles with no issues. I put the clamp up against the head tube/fork with no indication of any paint wear. Just make sure the clamp and that area of the bike are clean.
I’ve had my Kuat rack for 8 years. I’ve taken it off-roading with no issues. I feel like this issue is making a mountain out of a molehill. I also just mount the front clamp against my fork with no issues of rub. If anything, the plastic is wearing more than the paint on my fork.
He demonstrated entirely the flaw, showcased how it can seriously be an issue. Just because you're lucky, doesn't mean the rack design isn't flawed. Some people don't want the clamp wearing against their fork.
Interesting…I have a Kuat Sherpa which has a curved tray for the back wheel which prevents the reward movement. My bike has never come loose. The NV appears to be designed differently.
So you’re going against the manufacturer instructions to correct their flaw and defeating the purpose of a no touch rack; which is a feature many purchase a rack of this type for.
Seems to be lots of agreements that this rack is flawed. Yet it is the one recommended by every professional bike technician I have talked to. This includes cycle loft and REI. So what IS the recommended bike rack? I have 2 new canondale neo 4 e-bikes what are 50 pounds each. I need a dependable solution.
interesting video. We've had our Kuat NV 2.0 for almost 7 years now and never encountered issues with it. Living in BC we go on bumpy dirt roads, highways full of potholes and windy conditions and it did not really move anything. We do always lock our bikes up with the cable lock and/or additional cable lock because of thieves, but not sure if that would necessarily make it more stable. Had some wear on some parts and the company was awesome to deal with regarding warranty! We do always shake and pull the bike on the rack to make sure it is secure before heading out. Yes the bike rack moves when you drive, but that has never caused issues.
Same here. I have two 60lb e bikes and 3 years with the rack. Boy it does rock. But never had an issue of the bike jumping out. The swag actually keeps tailgaters back 😂
Ive had the NV 2.0 on my forester for a month and the problem i found was that when the rack is in the folded up position the cradle that hooks over the front wheel sits right in front of the exhaust pipe and has melted it slightly
Here is my issue: I drove 400 miles before realizing that the magnet keeping the cable lock secure inside the housing is very weak. It dragged along the road melting its way into Colorado. Embarrassing and unfortunate. Just bought this rack 3 days ago.
Have used mine for many years without this issue. Instead of having the hook near the fork, place it further out and cinch it down. There’s a sweet spot where the hook only tightens regardless of the direction the bike moves. Generally this is about the 10 o’clock position. And if you still insist on strapping that front tire, a Velcro strap is so much easier.
Of all the issues I have with the rack bikes coming lose is not one of them. I carried 2 electric mountain bikes, I carried 4 bikes with extension. I crossed speed bumps and I saw the bikes dance in the rear window but never lose. I even forgot to cinch the rear tire on the I side bike and the bike didn't fall off or even dropped the tire. I did have problems with original locking pin for the hitch, rust on locking cables and failed arm. But Kuat would send replacement parts for free every single time. These racks are everywhere. Clearly people value the quality and durability. The rack lives on the car too, pretty much comes off before a skiing trip.😊
Solved it with my bodge: a cut piece of foam from a corkscrew pool noodle. It acts a cushion between the Kuat fork arm and my carbon fork. Makes the contact solid and doesn’t mar the carbon fork. Oh and my Sherpa 2.0 came with that front velcro strap.
Glad I saw this review. Was about to buy this rack. For the same price I bought the 1up Super Duty which is all aluminum. I’m not going to spend $900 on a rack that’s mostly plastic. I’ve already seen enough reviews where the plastic tire buckets, which are riveted, have broken off the rack. I also don’t trust mechanical, locking parts that are plastic.
I've had my Kuat NV 2.0 for 8.5 years and it functions and looks as good as the day I bought it - and I've used it a lot even cross country 3 times. If it's mostly plastic, I'd like to know how it feels like it weighs 3 tons every time I have to put it on, or take it off my SUV, haha. At 65 pounds "the plastic" Kuat weighs about the same as the 64 pound aluminum 1UP Super Duty. In fact, a lot of people (mostly of the feminine persuasion) complain the Kuat is too heavy to lift to put on a vehicle and they opt for something lighter. I really don't think it is "mostly plastic" in any way. If you look at a picture of the NV 2.0, I don't think anyone could say it's "mostly plastic" without a large dose of hyperbole. In truth, the Kuat is 93% metal/aluminum. The 7% "plastic" parts aren't integral to the integrity of the rack at all. I have 121,000 problem free miles to prove it. As far as overall looks, the Kuat just looks quality. There's no debate about that. The Super Duty looks like something that I could fabricate in my garage over a weekend without much effort with parts from Walmart. Put them side by side and 99 out of 100 would agree with that. And the 1 odd guy works for 1 UP. The Kuat isn't perfect, but I sure wouldn't trade it for a garage sale 1UP.
@@StephenTy-wb8xx Sorry, that actual facts destroy all your nonsense. "Mostly plastic." You are a liar. Probably a shill for 1UP. Now go tell your mommy you want a hug.
Same issue with their Sherpa 2.0. Great rack in terms of weight at 26lbs and supports put to 40lbs per bike.. but i found myself concerned with this same concern.
I replaced my One Up with a Kuat 5 years ago. The Kuat rack came with 2 Velcro closure straps with instructions to use them to secure the front tire. I misplace the straps and Kuat mailed me 2 more no charge. The Kuat is far lighter than the One Up and just as strong.
*solution/protip* When tightening the hook, counter the force of the push by supporting (pulling) the frictional axle. When you are compressing it, the flex in the rack takes up some of the force and isn’t allowing you to fully “click down” the hook, hence the excessive slop you’re experiencing with the hook dislodging. When you get a couple extra clicks to compress the rubber of the tire, this issue should resolve. I’ve driven plenty road trips with this rack without issue. 👊🏽
I have the Kuat Sherpa 2.0 rack, which has a similar issue. I guess the front wheel cradle on the Sherpa is more pronounced so there is less roll-back effect, though. Anyway, I do something very similar -- strap the front wheel down with a Voile strap.
I have this rack and If I know I’ll see some rougher roads, I’ll rotate the crank arm down and wrap a strap around the pedal spindle and the rack body for a third, and central, contact point
I’ve been using this rack for 4 years and I’ve never had a bike fall off or come loose. I frequent many gravel and rough roads. I know you continue to mention the fact the arm should not touch the fork but I actually push the arm up to the fork. Touching the fork and this pretty much eliminates this issue you are having. If anything your complaint video should be on how much the wheel strap can scratch a carbon wheel when it gets dirty on a wet gravel road. I have a permanent scuff mark on a set of roval carbon wheels because of that strap. I just make sure to spin the wheel around and keep using the same section 😂 Oh and the 1up rack, yea you’ll have complaints on that also. The rack tension design causes the rack to lean. Very noticeable in the upright position “stored not carrying a bike”. Also the bike has a lot of movement when going down the road. More than the kuat. You could also mention the fact the 1up black cost extra yet fades after one season. Small issues here and the kuat does the better job imo. GL with the next video.
Correct, the manual states that the hook should be as close to the fork as possible. I have had the Sherpa 2.0 since release, and I have never had a bike come loose either. Bikes don't come loose even if I forget to use the Velcro strap as instructed.
I have the Kuat Sherpa 2.0 and it has the same problem, but I just put the arm up tight to the fork and tighten it down as much as possible. It holds pretty good then. My biggest gripe with it though is that the release button on the arm isn't lockable. Anybody can walk up and push the button and take your bike if you don't have a cable lock securing it.
All the reason to cable your bike if it is out of you direct view imo. Might not be a bad idea to have a spare solo cable that you keep in your car for extra delay of a possible thief?
@@jenniferk5281 Not trying to argue, but I could see how letting air out of the tire would then loosen the grip, but the shock going up and down doesn't change the aired diameter of the tire which is held by the grip. In other words, once the grip is set on the tire, whether the shock is extended or compressed after that, the grip doesn't get looser or tighter.
Wouldn't this issue be mitigated by clamping the tire further to the front of the bike? Basically ignore kuat's instruction and clamp the tire around the 11 o'clock position so that it is pressed into the cradle? In that case they arm wouldn't be able to roll towards the back.
I think that if the front wheel of the bike is clamped at 11 o'clock it would allow the arm to fall towards the front of the bike and possibly completely free the front wheel from the rack. I have a Thule rack of similar design to the Kuat. I'm going to test it to see if it has the same design flaw/need for front wheel strap.
I have the same rack and I am pretty sure the instructions say to have the front bar touch the front of the bike. That is what I do and I never had this issue. The rubber on the bar is purposely soft and meant to rub away when it comes in touch with the fork or external cables. It can be replaced. This is not an issue.
@@mygamertag2010X Nice, that for finding that. I'd still argue that a brief statement buried on pg 12 of the owners manual is a bandaid on a design issue. Thanks for digging that up!
You have misread the instructions - you cinch the support on the tire right AT the front fork. You are not using the product correctly. I have a 3 bike setup and carry very heavy emtbs as well as light weight xc mtbs. When used correctly the attachment points are very secure.
This style of rack really requires the rack arm to be against the fork crown. This gets in the way of Kuat's "touchless" claims and CAN RISK scuffing the paint/anodization on your fork crown, which is purely cosmetic. The instructions reading "as close as possible without touching" is Kuat covering their a** if someone wants to make a damage claim against them for the paint rub. The 1up rack does remove this issue, and it's a great rack, but it's expensive. The Kuat, and any single arm "touchless" rack, is a fine design if you're willing to accept that there may be a minor cosmetic scuff on your fork crown. Nice to see that the front wheel strap does reduce movement of the fork arm, but I think I'll just keep cinching my Thule T2 against the same rub spot on my fork that I always have.
@TheBikeSauce this is basically the same design as the Yakima frontloader and I had the misfortune of my bike dismounting and flying off the roof on a freeway .these racks are flawed and these companies don't take any responsibility for this
I am very lucky, my neighbor bought one but he has a heavy ebike and this rack is not for ebikes (I always fix his bikes no charge). Well he gave it to me and I did not know they are so expensive, now I am planning to put a hitch in my Subie and haul my bikes with a strap for the front wheel like you showed. Thanks...
Dude, your doing it wrong. The front securing arm needs to be “as close to the fork as possible”, the instructions say nothing about not touching, it needs to touch…….. I’ve used this rack for many years without any issues at all, it is possibly the best rack available.
It's a dumbass design as it would be better with a DUAL rod system top wheel lock system with side rods going to the main mount. This would not only provide better support ( gripping wheel from both sides) but the angle rods down to the mount would prevent any forward or back movement.
@@DougSuna A 3 point rod and arc system is the best way to go, one rod and arc to the front wheel, another for the middle bike bar. the last rod and arc for the back wheel or the seat stays.
The rack SUCKS! I have one, contacted KUAT about this exact issue and was basically told to pound sand. I’ll Never own anything these guys make again. The rack is garbage unless you go from your house to a park, don’t hit any bumps and don’t travel hwy speeds… Any offroad trails are out…and freeway driving is so sketchy we just stopped using it.
I've had my KUAT NV 2.0 for 8.5 years and I have driven it cross country 3 times. I've been on MANY rough and windy mountain roads. I've never had a hint of an issue. I did lose the hitch pin lock once when I didn't fully engage it. Called Kuat to buy a replacement lock. They sent me a brand new one (after 7 years) at no charge and no shipping fee. A $35 value. A better lock than the original. Any time I've had a question or the lock issue, Customer Service gets back to me the same day or within 24 hours. Every time. I can't speak for anyone else, but I found their product and customer service outstanding. I've driven 85mph on trips to SD and MT and hit a lot worse than "bumps." My bikes and the Kuat rack took them better than I did 😊. YMMV and there may be better racks out there...but I wouldn't sell my rack for twice what I paid for it. It's that good. (And, no, I have zero relationship with the company just in case you wondered.)
Pro tip to completely resolve thus issue - take a tire pump with you and deflate your front tire before locking down the tire hook. I mean deflate it way down so that the hook can not allow the wheel to woggle loose. Air up before you ride - air down when you load up again. Problem solved and ZERO STRESS while driving.
