We love this rack! It is a nice height for loading and unloading, even with our wagon which is lower than most vehicles. It fits all of our different bikes: road, commuter, mountain (with 2.8+ tires), and the kids' bikes. Adjustments for handlebar clearance are easy with the wrench stored inside the rack. The tilt lever is easy to reach and the pivot is smooth, light, and quiet. The locks are sleekly integrated with the rack and stow away magnetically when not in use. The Trail Doc is a sweet feature that I haven't used yet. I have owned several racks and I frequently use many other bike hitch racks at my work. This is one is superior.
I love this rack. I was worried about the weight based on reviews but it's navigable by myself. Also building it was (mostly) a breeze by utilizing the box it came in to help hold things in place. I did get the rack on a reallllly good sale (hence my value rating), but I would have still gotten it even without the deeper discount. The ability to fit pretty much any bike, add capability for 2x more later if needed, plus repair stand are tip top for me.
If you are looking for a hitch mount tray bike rack, look no further then the Kuat NV 2.0. This is by far the most innovative feature rich rack out there. You can save some money and get the NV, you then lose the stand but otherwise the same rack. Also if you won't have a need to add +1/2 you can go with the Sherpa. I bought this one as I needed to get the +2.
As far as assembly, installation and use, its a breeze. I went from a hanging frame mount rack and this one just blows it away as far getting the bike on and secure, no matter frame dimensions.
Pros: Bomb-proof; extremely easy to use; built-in locks for hitch, and both bike racks; built-in bike stand; holds bikes extremely well; once assembled that's it.
Cons: heavy; some assembly required and the install guide is not great (so pull up a youtube video to assist and have a helper ready)
The best hitch mount bike rack i have ever know. I transport my road bike, my triathlon bike and my mountain bike with ease. Rack is very secure with zero wobble while driving. The extendable bike repair stand is an absolute bonus as well.
In today's world I am rarely impressed with quality of anything I buy but this is truly a high quality piece of equipment. Fit and finish were very nice and it was very simple to assemble and use. It is a bit pricey but you get what you pay for and I see this lasting for a very very very long time.
The only con is the weight. On the flip side of that it just goes to show you how well it's made. The rack locks into the hitch so there is no movement what so ever. Built in lock cables for each bike a plus.
I've always been a Yakima fan for their quality. This rack is far superior even to the highest quality Yak Racks. It's so well mad I wonder if it's over engineered which has driven up the cost. Sure it is very sturdy but I love that my bike goes on ready to drive in 5 seconds. The cable locks are fairly beefy at 9mm, but I'd never leave a high priced rig out of sight. Still, much thicker than many racks out there. They also have clever details you might miss such as stops to hold the cable locks tucked into place to prevent them from just falling out when setting the rack up for storage. These kinds of things can be a pain if left out at design time.
The double carrier is quite heavy. It seems strange to need a 55lbs rack to hold a 17lb bike, but okay. I really like the hitch securing mechanism designed to remove rack wobble. Most hitch racks have a single bolt to pull the rack to one side of the hitch receiver. That stops side-side wobble but up and down is completely uncontrolled. Kuat designers most cleverly use a steel ball that engages the corner of the square hitch receiver on the inside. This contacts 2 sides of the receiver hole so it does not flop up and down or side to side. And you don't need a wrench to secure it. Brilliant. The finish is also top notch and looks great.
I have owned the original Kuat NV and that has served me a great deal in transporting my bike for years. You can mount any bike on this rack from road to fat bikes. Unfortunately another motorist rear ended me and damaged it. I had to get another rack and it was a no-brainer for me to choose the Kuat brand and it did not disappoint with the NV 2.0. This rack is far better overall than the NV. Stable, easier to lock and unlock to the hitch. This thing is solid and has no play up or down, side to side when mounted. My old NV rocks up and down quite a bit. For the price it is well worth it. And by the way, their customer service is top notch. Kudos to the guys at Kuat.
This is the perfect bike rack for our needs. We pop it on for occasionally trips, and can lock the rack to the car and the bikes to the rack for security. Its sturdy with the ability to make bike adjustments. And pivots down to allow us to open the trunk. Worth the money!!
I had been looking at this bike rack for a while, and Bike Tires Direct had the best price out there. This really is the best quality, stability, and easy to use bike rack out there. I plan on getting the add-on kit eventually, but I also love that Kuat makes it this way with a 2-bike rack and an add-on, so you can adjust depending on how many bikes you need to take.
Did some research and came to the conclusion that the Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Hitch Rack would be the best solution for us. We transport road and fat tire bikes. It's easy to put on the car, easy to fasten the bikes. It's a very solid good looking hitch rack. Very happy with our purchase.
Nice sturdy rack. No movement in the hitch when internal cam wedge applied. Will NOT WORK with F 150 pick up if you want to lower tailgate. Front tire trays hit and will dent tailgate. You will need to load your truck first and then put on rack and bikes unless you want to climb overside of truck or tailgate to access your bed storage. Bikes are secure when properly mounted. Self stored locking cable not long enough to reach frame of bikes, good only to lock front wheel. Hitch lock ok, but would be better if lock was integrated into knob that you turn to set cam wedge and disengages like the Thule rack. Then a would be thief couldn't just cut locking pin and walk off with whole rack and bikes. Still a very good rack and holds 2 heavy bikes 50 lbs each with ease. No rack is perfect. You have to pick your preferences.
Removed 1 star because cannot lower pick up tailgate with rack on truck and also there could be a better engineered hitch lock to prevent someone with grinder or cutting wheel to cut off lock and walk away with all your gear.
This rack is pricy but is worth the money. Absolutely rock solid construction. You will never need to worry about enroute damage from bikes rubbing against one another and loading and unloading is really quick and simple. The only down side is weight and storage considerations. In the four bike configuration the rack is really heavy and will add four feet to the overall length of vehicle.
Bike rack certainly built well. The rack weighs in at 70 lbs and the 2 bike addition weighs nearly 50 so you need to be able to lift 115-120 lbs to place into hitch. Took a bit to assemble as it really needs 2 people due to weight and awkward attachment but looks to be built as a long term investment.
