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This premium rack carries 4 bikes when the whole family wants to ride, or it can be quickly converted into a 2-bike rack for couples. Simply un-bolt the 2-bike add-on and throw it in your trunk or garage. Includes a work stand for on-the-go repairs.
Features:
Specs:
Note: May interfere with bikes with front fenders.
The NV 2.0 has ratcheting hooks that grab your bikes firmly by the front wheel - not the frame. It's perfect for carrying carbon bikes or bikes with a custom paint job. To load a bike, simply place your front wheel in the cradle, rotate the arm up and over the wheel, and press down firmly on the ratcheting hook.
The front wheel cradles will easily accommodate fat bike wheels. They can also be adjusted to perfectly fit each bike's wheelbase. Use the included Allen key stored in the compartment at the back of the rack to adjust.
Ratcheting rear-wheel straps slide along the wheel trays to accommodate bikes with a variety of wheelbases. Press the quick-release button on the strap buckle to remove your bikes. An extender strap is included for use with 1 fat bike. Additional extender straps (sold separately) are available if you have more than 1 fat bike.
The spring-loaded foot lever is easily accessible even with your bikes loaded. No more crawling through your bikes or squeezing between the rack and the vehicle to hit the tilt release lever.
The foot lever lets you tilt the rack down with bikes loaded for cargo area access. It leaves both hands free so that you can lower the rack in a controlled manner. When the rack is unloaded you can fold it up for storage.
The Trail Doc is a handy repair stand that attaches to the front of the rack. It lets you position your bike as needed for adjustments, cleaning, and on-the-go repairs. It can also be locked into place to prevent theft and includes a cap for the housing if you prefer to use the rack without it.
A spring-loaded clamp grabs your bike by the seat post or top tube. It has a soft, rubber coating that won't scratch your bike's paint. The rotating clamp arm lets you adjust the angle of your bike and the locking collar secures your bike at the desired height.
Note: The Trail Doc is shipped installed on the base rack. Simply remove it from the base rack, install the add-on, and install the repair stand on the add-on.
The knob at the front of the shank lets you quickly and easily install the rack. Just slide the shank into your hitch and turn the knob until snug. The knob deploys an anti-rattle wedge inside the shank to help take play out of the hitch connection. The locking hitch pin has an Allen tool on the end that further tightens the hand knob if you are still experiencing rattle after hand-tightening.
The NV 2.0 includes integrated cable locks that lets you secure your bikes to the rack. A 1/4" thick, braided steel cable extends from each wheel tray, threads through your bike's frame, and locks back onto itself.
A locking hitch pin is also included to secure the rack to your vehicle. Lock cores (sold separately) let you key each lock alike so you only need 1 key for the rack.
Average Customer Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars (441 Customer Reviews)
This premium rack carries 4 bikes when the whole family wants to ride, or it can be quickly converted into a 2-bike rack for couples. Simply un-bolt the 2-bike add-on and throw it in your trunk or garage. Includes a work stand for on-the-go repairs.I have had my Kuat NV 2.0 4-Bike Platform Rack - 2" Hitches - Tilting - Metallic Black for a month now. Amazing engineering. Solid rack. I have four or five old (cheaper) racks and this is the best rack I have ever seen by far. Extremely happy with this. I will reserve comment on whether or not a bike rack should cost $xx.xx but it’s a great rack.
Possible improvements:
1) The rack is just too heavy. With the amazing engineers that worked on this, knocking 10 lbs off the rack would be easy. I know it is one of the lighter ones available but it is still too heavy. The center rail is all steel and the heaviest part. The outer part of the swing arms are steel (inner part is aluminum). The arms have really nice bushings on the hinges. The whole thing is amazing, well-built, and well-engineered. IDEA 1: lightweight the center rail by using U-lube instead of square tube. Or just make holes through the top and bottom of he square rail. IDEA 2) The Aluminum platforms are amazing. But use less Al and more plastic. The ones for the back tire add significant weight.
2) Someone came up with a great idea for dealing with one aspect of the weight problem. One problem is that at 54 lbs. when you put it in the receiver it’s hard to align the hitch pin hole by yourself. So I kludged up a stop using a ring clamp and some plastic tubing. I was going to tap a hole in the center rail for a stop screw but then I could not adjust the depth for different vehicles. So I went with the ring clamp. When installing it (see photo) I noticed that someone already had a great idea and tapped a hole to add a stop. I assume there is an adjustable clip that is secured by the recessed screw. But I did not receive the clip. I just have a beautifully designed tapped hole and recessed screw with no way to use it. Probably an easy answer to this one but i didn't get a clip and didn't see this referenced in the instructions at all.
3) Back tire surface. It almost doesn’t matter where you ride the mountain bike, somewhere along the trial there is sandy, gravely surface that gets on your tires. I have gone in five ‘dirt’ trails and covered my tires with smooth mud thinking that I wasn’t going to hit sand. Then when I get back to the parking lot the mud collects the sandy gravel—either in the gravel parking lot or at the edge of the asphalt lot. Then I put the bike on the beautiful smooth aluminum carrier and scratch it. There should be an improvement to resurface the area where the back tire goes. It looks like there has been some weak attempt to provide a plastic coat but it doesn’t work. I am going to buy some rubberized truck-bed liner or spray rubberized spray rust proofer to refinish this.
4) Last possible improvement. The only people that should be buying this bike rack are people with high end mountain bikes. The reason for the platform carrier is to accommodate the odd frame geometry of mountain bikes and to protect the full suspension from dangling and getting air in the cylinders. If you have a full carbon road bike then just hang it on the back of your car with a $200 bike rack. And no one is going to carry $120 steel Walmart BLO’s with a $xx.xx platform carrier. They are going to strap them to the roof of their minivan. So you could even make this carry less weight capacity to make it lighter. And just tell people to put the 60 lb bike (like ebikes) closest to vehicle and lighter bikes in the back. EVERYONE has a lighter bike… either aluminum, carbon, or just a kids bike. This rack can carry 250 lbs of bikes (4 x 60+). The market for carrying 250lbs of bikes is nearly zero.
delivery was perfect. Assembly was easy with two people; probably could do it with one.
As you can tell, it is a real stretch to find anything wrong with this. But my minor comments are above.
This product arrived quickly, in good condition, and all steps were well-communicated by etrailers.com. This product seems pretty well-made and I added a Kuat Pivot to assist with swinging our 4 bikes out of the way. Very well thought out products overall and we look forward to using it for years to come with our travels. Wish we knew that that Nv 2.0 and nv 2.0 add-on each came with a child bike adapter. I had separately ordered 2 from Kuat for my kids and had to eat the shipping costs on the whole return.
Michael B.
5/30/2023
Several trips later and this rack is still holding up well. I have not seen anything better in out travels and am glad we chose to purchase Kuat through etrailers.
Works great, holds the bike from the tire so you don't damage the frame. Easy to out on and off. Heavy duty to put 4 bikes.
Because it heavy duty it's heavy even in the 2 bike configuration. I only put the additional 2 bike rack when needed and use the base 2 bike rack weekly. So if you only need to carry 2 bike max i would look for lighter one. But i don't mind the extra weight because I know I'll be able to carry 4 bikes when needed.
You get what you pay for.... the Kuat NV 2.0 Hitch Bike Rack isn't cheap, but it is exceptional quality and looks great!! Kuat seemed to incorporate every detail you can imagine: it securely fits and tightens into the receiver so there is NO wobble, the rack folds down/away from our Expedition so we can access storage with the bikes loaded on the rack, the integrated cable/lock is very secure, the bike stand is a great feature to make adjustment, it is well built and should last for years. We love our Kuat NV 2.0 Hitch Bike Rack!
Used it this weekend, easy to load/unload bikes, has nice aesthetic.
It is heavy.
The quality and ease of operation is beyond of what I expected. I have used other products to include Yakima's, this one is the way to go!
It took me, reading instructions less than 30 minutes to put together the main part. I used the box as my helper. Put the addition together again with the help of the box in under 10 minutes.
I was impressed with how easy it was to load the bikes and secure them. I was like it can't be this easy. HIGHLY recommend it, worth the investment!
Extremely well made. Very sturdy. Fits all of our needs. Only draw back is uts weight when in the four bike set up and the fact that it's a big process to go from two bike to four bike versions so we always keep it in 4. Great company from a service side.
I was so happy to find this product available at etrailer and really appreciated how they kept me updated with the status of my order. It even arrived sooner than expected. I would recommend this business and will purchase from them again.
Works great for us! Very happy with this product and also the service provided thus far
Thanks
Best on the market. But heavy
This thing is built like a tank! It is of the best fit and funtion I have seen in a bike rack! Solid as can be, fits my bikes perfectly and looks awesome! Plus it folds completely out of the way to access the rear liftgate on my 2022 Rav4!
Great service from etrailer and the rack arrived as expected. Fairly easy assembly. OK video on Kuat’s site, but didn’t cover the foot pedal. Really glad we got the 2” hitch. It tightened up and we’re impressed with the quality and the stability of the rack. We haven’t done a road test yet, but look forward to putting it to the test. We have a Ford F-150 and it works great. The bikes were fairly easy to load with the batteries out and two people. We do need the strap extenders for our RadMini Step Thru’s. The tires are too big for the ones that come with. Only one set of extenders came with the bike and one adapter for a smaller tire. It’s okay, but since it’s a two bike unit, would have been nice to have both extenders. Otherwise, we are really liking the look and stability.
I have had this rack 1 year and I would buy it again. My wife had a hip replacement and it is so easy to get the bikes loaded and going down the road. We have travel probably 5 thousand miles using the Kuat and it is very secure going down the highway. It’s nice to know that a company builds a product that is built like a tank and performs so nice. I have also bought two Curt trailer hitches from trailer and they are top notch as well.
Rack arrived today. I will not lie, it is heavy and therefore cumbersome to assemble. Despite that, I was able to assemble and install it in just under one hour. I did this on my own, another person would have cut this time in half. The rack checks all the boxes of wants and needs. That same weight noted before makes it rock solid. The anti-rattle feature to tighten the hitch is wonderful. Handle/pedal to change from upright position to bike holding rack to tilt away from my Subaru 2010 Forester was incredibly simple and smooth. I was all set to buy the Thule T2 Pro XT 2 and a friend told me about this Kuat NV 2.0. I am so happy. I knew it was more expensive, but free shipping and price was discounted at checkout when I purchased it from etrailer.com. Great surprise. This rack is well thought out, has superb quality features, and I am convinced that I made the best choice. All things aside, it also really looks nice.
I have no bike rack envy ever!!!
This is the best and well thought out design
Assembly was not as difficult as I expected. After watching some videos, the instructions do make sense. I also used the box with some of the foam packing to support the frame because, as suggested, it easier to put together"upside down". Once it's together it seems very solid and well made. Installing on my 2017 Hyundai Tucson Eco was simple and easy to do. Putting the bike on the rack was even easier and will make impromptu bike rides no problem when I'm by myself. In the pictures the bike was on the outside rack because I was demonstrating it to my friend who thankfully assisted me with the hitch installation.
Fantastic bike rack. Switch it between a Honda Ridgeline and a Subaru Outback Wilderness and it works perfectly.
Accidentally lost the locking pin that secures the rack to the trailer hitch and when I inquired with Kurt about ordering a replacement lock keyed to match the locking cables on the rack and the Kuat rep sent one to me for free. (I removed the rack and left the lock sitting on my car bumper. Later that day I drove off and lost the lock on the highway).
This is a fantastic bike hitch. Sturdy and securely holds 2 bikes. I traveled to Florida from New York and then back this past spring with 2 bikes on the hitch and had zero issues. Only downside is the weight of this hitch; it is a beast to get on and get off...clearly however the weight of the hitch is the reason it is so sturdy and effective. Highly recommend, with the caveat that you have to muscle it on and off your car.
Just received this carrier today. I haven't even opened it yet and can tell you that it is a great carrier, we have had one before. The fantastic thing about this whole process is the attention you get from etrailer.com. They are GREAT to do business with. They fill and ship orders so quickly that it dazzles me. I ordered this on Saturday night, it was shipped on Sunday and I received it on Wednesday. Shipping was FREE!!! What a deal. And Ashley even emails me when it is shipped and again when she gets notice it is delivered. GREAT SERVICE!!! Thanks! I am proud to recommend etrailer.com.
EVERY BRAND HAS ITS PROS AND CONS. THE PROS ON THIS RACK IS THE HIGH QUALITY OF MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION AND THE INNOVATIVE FEATURES. THE RACK IS EASY TO USE AND EASY TO INSTALL. I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE INTEGRATED BIKE STAND. IT IS EASY TO USE, UNOBTRUSIVE, AND COMES IN VERY HANDY WHEN YOU WANT TO MAKE A TWEEK ON YOUR BIKE WHILE AT THE TRAIL HEAD OR IN THE PARKING LOT. I KNOW THERE MUST BE A NEGATIVE TO THIS RACK, BUT AFTER A YEAR OF USE I HAVEN’T FOUND IT YET. IT IS A BIT PRICEY, AND IF YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT DURABILITY, QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION, OR ADDED FEATURES, THEN A LESS EXPENSIVE BRAND MAY WORK FOR YOU AND YOU WILL SAVE A FEW BUCKS. ALSO, IT IS A BIT HEAVIER THAN SOME OTHER RACKS, BUT I AM IN MY 70’S AND I CAN HANDLE IT FINE.
Have used it on a 2015 Audi Q5 with an aftermarket Curt 2" hitch.
LOVE it! We were looking for the longest tongue that we could find so that when stored upright, it wouldn't hit the bumper.
With the advice of the etrailer phone rep...we got 4 place model which is what we ended up with..(we got the add-on)
Avid mountain bikers that love this setup. The model is very solid with 4 bikes! Also like how you can adjust the front wheel cradle so that the bars won't rub on other bars/seats. Heavy when you lower the rack "loaded" to open hatchback, but that's what you'll deal with when going with a setup that doesn't touch the frame which is what we want and need. Much nicer than the Thule/Yakima options that other friends have. A lot better looking too!! It does slightly block the tail lights so added some reflectors for those "distracted drivers" ;-)
Highly recommend and feel price is worth it.
We are just assembling the bike rack. So far easy instructions. We cannot wait till it is nice enough to go biking again. I look forward to using the bike rack so I do not need to load it onto our pickup. I will be a lot more independent with this.
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Rick F.
5/8/2021
After one year: Bike rack is amazing. my few concerns previously were largely due to my lack of understanding. I have the four bike rack but primarily use the two bike rack. The reason for the heavy steel is for four bikes it seem overkill for the two bikes but its really nice when carrying four. The tapped hole is not for a stop at all. it would be nice to have an adjustable stop to limit how far you put it into the receiver so the pin lines up. also, when I put the rack on alone I put the two bike rack on, stand it up, and then add on the four bike extension vs. trying to put the four bike one on alone. adding the four bike rack is very easy... four minutes. This rack is just amazing. we use it every week for mountain bikes but it also carries our road bikes and cyclocross bike really easy. And the bike length can be adjusted in seconds. our road bikes have a shorter wheel base and it adjusts super easy. we beat on it pretty good and the only thing we have broke is lock user error. One of the kids unlocked the lock and did not it back into the frame all the way until the magnet clipped it in. so the lock dragged down the road. this is absolutely worth the money.