This platform rack has arms that deploy with the tap of a lever, making loading and unloading bikes almost effortless. Arms hold your bikes securely by the wheels. Bikes can be loaded onto the wheel trays front to back to prevent handlebar contact.
Features:
Specs:
The Piston Pro carries 3 bikes, however the front position can be easily removed so there's less of a load on you and your vehicle if only 2 people are going riding. When it's not needed, simply remove the front section with the included tool and throw it in your trunk or leave it at home. A 2-bike add-on (sold separately) lets you convert the rack into a 4-bike carrier.
The Piston Pro has arms with hydro-pneumatic struts that deploy automatically by simply tapping the release levers, so you can easily load your bikes with both hands. They operate like the gas struts on your SUV that lift and support the rear hatch.
To load your bikes, tap the levers to deploy the hydro-pneumatic arms, set your bikes on the trays, and rotate the arms up over the wheels. Ratchets hold the arms in place, so once you squeeze the arms against the wheels there's nothing left to do. When you're ready to unload your bikes, tap the levers to release the arms - it's that simple.
The U-shaped arms have bridges that secure your bikes firmly by the wheel, so they won't scratch or scuff the bike's frame. Each arm has labelled settings for its bridge - 20", 24", 26", 27.5" and 29" tires. Just pinch the spring-loaded levers on each bridge and slide it to the corresponding tire size for each bike - no tools required.
The Piston Pro doesn't have cradles for the wheels like most platform-style bike racks. Instead, it has wheel trays that allow you to position your bikes on the rack exactly where you want them, not where the cradles dictate you place them. This helps prevent your handlebars and other bike parts from bumping into each other. Additionally, the trays have grooves in the tracks that accommodate narrow 18c road bike tires up to 5" fat bike tires.
The rack tilts down with your bikes loaded. So, whether you're at the trail or the grocery store, you don't have to remove your bikes to access your cargo area. It also folds up when not in use. This leaves a smaller footprint, so you can keep the rack on your vehicle to park in your garage. And if you want to remove it, it doesn't take up as much space to store it.
The spring-loaded hand and foot pedal is easily accessible when the rack is tilted up. When you're ready to load your bikes, simply step on the pedal and lower the rack with both hands. To tilt the rack with bikes loaded, reach under your front bike and pull up on the pedal with your hand. No more crawling through your bikes or squeezing between the rack and the vehicle to hit the tilt release lever. To return it to the upright position, pull up on the lever and raise the rack until it clicks into position.
The rack is easy to install. Just slide the shank into your hitch and use the included security tool to tighten the flatlock cam. As you tighten the cam, an anti-rattle wedge is deployed inside the shank to help take play out of the hitch connection.
The security tool has a hollow-point hex indentation, so it can only be used with the Piston Pro. This helps keep the rack secure on your vehicle. When you're done using it, you can store it in your trunk or glove compartment.
A cable lock is included to secure your bikes to the rack. The 12-mm thick, braided steel cable threads through your bike's frames, and locks back into the rack. The cable has a soft rubber cover that won't scratch or scuff your bikes' paint. A stainless steel hitch lock is also included to secure the rack to your vehicle.
An aluminum ramp (sold separately) lets you roll your heavy e-bikes on and off the rack - no heavy lifting required. The ramp telescopes to ensure it touches the ground so you don't have to lift your bike at all. It can also be used to decrease the angle of approach to make loading even easier.
A hook-and-loop strap kit (sold separately) lets you carry bikes with fenders. The Fender Kit Only setting on each arm indicates where to place the straps so they don't make contact with your bike's fenders.
California residents: click here
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi everyone, Aidan here with etrailer. Today we're gonna be taking a look at the Kuat Piston Pro three bike rack and seeing how it fits on the back of our 2023 Toyota 4Runner. The Piston Pro is a really nice bike rack. It's gonna be a dual wheel mount design, which just means it holds the bike by both tires. What that translates to is zero frame contact, making it a really good fit for carbon frame and alternative frame bikes. The one downside to the three bike version that we have today is the weight capacity.
It can support up to 40 pounds per bike, so still good for maybe a heavier mountain bike, but as you get into that e-bike territory, it's probably not gonna be compatible. The two bike version can support more weight up to 67 pounds per bike. So keep that in mind. If you don't need the three bike capacity, go with that two bike version. But if you're looking to get you and some friends to some mountain bike trails, then this three bike version might be for you.
This does have the ability to tilt away from the vehicle. There's a pedal by our front tray that we can pull to release and tilt the whole rack down. Now it's important to note that it's got a pretty aggressive tilt. And if I had three bikes loaded up, this one would be in my face right now. So you might have an extra set of hands help you lower it down because it is a large heavy bike rack.
And if you've got it fully loaded, it's gonna be pretty unruly. But that aggressive tilt does give you plenty of room to open up the larger than normal lift gate on the 4Runner. Have tons of room to walk around, maybe grab a cooler, or just have a place to sit down and change our shoes before or after a ride. The thing that really sets the Piston Pro apart though, is the one-handed operation. If you wanna open up the rack and load up your bike, all you got to do is hit these buttons with your palm and it'll open up the arms for you so you can load up your bike really easily.
And then the arms we'll just ratch it down over the tires like you see on our road bike right here. The whole process is really straightforward. And it means you can keep a hand on your bike as you're doing it or as you're unloading. Again, you can just keep one hand on the bike, and very easily we'll get it released on both sides. Then all you have to do is just lift up and away. With our bike unloaded, we can get a few measurements starting with our ground clearance. The 4Runner already sits high off the ground, but with a really good rise in the shank, the bike rack gets up to 30 inches of clearance at the back which is gonna be pretty impressive. So I don't think you have to worry about bottoming out, hitting any steep driveways or hills with this. And with it being a three bike rack, we do have to take into consideration that it's gonna be pretty long. From the bumper to the furthest point out, we're adding 40 inches to the 4Runner, which is gonna be a lot when you're considering parking spaces or just normal driving around. You just wanna be careful of it when it's back here. Now if you wanna leave it in the hitch between rides and save some space when bikes aren't loaded, just use that same pedal as before. Only this time, push it up instead of letting it tilt away. This will fold the rack into the storage position and cut down on that length quite a bit, only adding 15 1/2 inches to the back of the bumper now. If you are driving around at this in the folded position though, you wanna be wary of how much it blocks because it is a pretty large and bulky bike rack. It's going to pretty much completely block your license plate and your backup camera. Depending on the state you live in, the license plate might be a pretty big deal. So just check your local laws and regulations and be wary of that. But as far as your taillights and your back window goes, that's gonna be fine. Completely unobstructed, so you can still look out the back window obstruction free. And other drivers on the road will be able to see your signals, again obstruction free. At the hitch, it's got a locking hitch pin, and it's fitting into the factory two inch by two inch receiver tube on our 4Runner. There is a built-in anti-rattle device keeping the bike rack solid in that hitch, but it's not a threaded hitch pin that does that. It's a mechanism on the outside. So we don't have to worry about stripping any threads out on the locking pin, and we still get that security in the hitch. So I think the Piston Pro is a really solid option for the 4Runner. The biggest thing to know is that it's just gonna obstruct that license plate and backup camera at the back. But it works well with the lift gate. It's gonna work with a wide range of bikes. And if you don't like lifting up that 30 inches that it's gonna stick off the ground, you can get a ramp attachment for it to just ease the loading and unloading of bikes. If you wanted to even take a step up and upgrade this, you could get the Piston Pro X, which is more or less going to be the same thing, but it'll have integrated taillights. When you plug it into the four pole on your 4Runner, it'll transfer those lighting signals to the back of the rack, which just helps with extra visibility and I think it could be a really nice upgrade. And that'll do it for our look at the Kuat Piston Pro three bike rack and seeing how it fits on the back of our 2023 Toyota 4Runner. Thanks for watching.
No issues, thank you!
Easy to assemble, sturdy, secure, compa ct.
Very good!
etrailer does an excellent job reviewing and showcasing its products. We spent many hours of research on the site before deciding on the Kuat. Assembly was fairly simple and quick. The features of the rack make it easy to use. Stable ride for our bikes down a wide variety of conditions (highway, dirt road, wash boards). Expensive, but the ease of use and quality make it worthwhile.
I researched tray racks for mountain bikes and knew that Kuat's Piston Pro was the best rack for my needs. I love etrailer for the how to install videos, support and pricing. If etrailer sells an item I'm interested in I purchase from them. I do this because of how hard they work for their customers. This rack is exceptional. Build quality is first class. The assembly was simple, the locking cable and hitch lock are very sturdy. My 29" wheel full suspension Specialized fits perfectly. My son's smaller Scott Mountain Bike also fits perfectly. We are getting Fat Tire Bikes and the trays support 5" tire widths. Adjustments for wheel size is simple, loading a bike is even easier. The bikes are solidly secured in place. 10 out of 10.
It was a surprise treat to have it setup and installed under an hour! Works very efficiently as advertised def worth look into it.
Easiest rack ever to use, holds my heavy ebike stable, sliding parts still working smooth after a year of use and being mounted to my car 90 percent of the time. Highly recommend.
Great bike rack! It came to my house safely and was easy to install.
The piston pro bike rack is easy and fast. I can have my bike off the rack and on the trail in under a minute. Loading it back up is just as simple. It’s definitely a pricier option, but absolutely worth it. This makes me so happy every time I use it!
Very substantial rack. Rides solid on our vehicle. As usual etrailer was extremely helpful and shipping was fast. Can’t say enough about etrailer customer service.
Great service and great product. etrailer really helped me decide (with their videos) and stayed with me through the buying process. I was kept in the loop through the entire order/shipping process. The easiest installation of a product I have ever done. The video and the instructions were good - but the engineers who thought about how the customer will install this on their vehicle were the real stars. Could not be happier.
etrailer does not disappoint , great personal and company. Excellent customer service. Photos of KÜAT Piston pro on a 2026 Honda Trailsport elite
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