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Big rides, light rides, and everything between fit on the Kuat NV 2.0. Load up to four bikes with a total capacity of 40 lbs per bike for 4, 50 lbs per bike for 3, or 60 lbs per bike for 2. The sturdy 2" hitch platform and lightweight aluminum frame keep everything steady while staying rust resistant thanks to its metallic black powder coat. Whether you’re hauling the family’s weekend rides or just two heavy rigs, it’s solid and balanced from start to finish.
Carbon, alloy, or custom-painted frames stay pristine. The NV 2.0 secures each bike by the wheels using ratcheting front-wheel hooks and sliding rear straps, avoiding any contact with your frame. Those large front cradles fit wheel sizes 25"–29" and up to 3.0" tires, while the included extender strap handles one fat bike up to 5.0" wide. Wheelbases up to 50" fit with ease, so mixing mountain bikes with cruisers is no problem.
When you need to grab gear, tilt the rack down—no unloading required. The spring-loaded foot lever is easy to reach even when loaded, letting you tilt for cargo area access or fold up the rack when unloaded. Both hands stay free for control, so lowering the rack feels smooth and balanced. With a 3-1/2" shank rise and compact folded depth of 18-1/2", it stays clear yet close.
Maintenance doesn’t stop at the trailhead. The NV 2.0’s built-in Trail Doc repair stand clamps onto seat posts or top tubes 3/4"–2-1/2" in diameter with a soft rubber coating that protects paint. Rotate and lock your bike in position for quick adjustments or cleaning. When not in use, the stand locks securely or caps off for a clean look.
Security and stability come standard. A hand-tightening cam system deploys an anti-rattle wedge inside the shank to eliminate play in the hitch. The locking hitch pin and integrated braided steel cable locks keep both rack and bikes secure. Each cable threads through your bikes and locks back to the tray, giving peace of mind when you step away.
Start with four bikes for family trips or unbolt the add-on module for a lighter, 2-bike setup. The modular design means you can adapt to the day’s ride—from solo sessions to group adventures—without tools or hassle.
Ratings & Reviews
Love this bike rack! The NV 2.0 firmly keeps my road bike and beach cruiser securely in place. The added lock is a great feature for keeping the bikes safe after a day of riding. Even on my tiny Corolla the rack looks and fits great. I never have to worry about the bikes when they're locked onto the NV 2.0
the bike rack is great a little heavy but other wise great. after a few longer trips i let u know but the not raddling or moving around is great.
I am very pleased with the Kuat NV 2.0 bike rack. It was tough to swallow the price tag. However, looking back after purchasing more expensive bikes, and traveling several thousand miles with no issues, I can attest to the quality and durability of this product. For you Jeepers out there, you may need to extend your receiver hitch for proper clearance, depending upon the size of your tires and bikes. Just a tip.
About the Kuat NV 2.0: Buy a Kuat NV 2.0!!! Then, get the 2 Bike Add-On to carry 4 bikes. This is hands-down THE BEST rack on the market. I chose this rack after researching THULE, Saris, Yakima, and many, many others. The Kuat NV 2.0 has a professional car quality finish, is ROCK SOLID so the bikes do not move at all, has built in locks, a built in mechanic stand, and never touches your bikes. Do your research and you will arrive at the same conclusion: THERE IS NO BETTER RACK ON THE MARKET!!!
This bike rack has worked well for our family of 4. It allows us to safely and securely carry all 4 bikes through the mountains of Colorado with our Hallmark Milner truck camper. Strong and durable rack that barely moves when driving. etrailer's customer service was outstanding. The rack was initially delayed and after one phone call to check status a warehouse manager quickly solved a minor issue and got the rack shipped. etrailer was fantastic in managing this transaction with extremely limited staffing. etrailer is the first place I check for anything recreation as I've never had anything but stellar service.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is truly the top of the top when it comes to bike racks. Super easy to put together, balanced when you are carrying it and installing it in the receiver and it couldn't be more rock solid or easier to use. Once again, the etrailer review and assembly videos were 100% accurate and helpful. Fantastic product and fantastic sales experience!!
This rack system ties in well with the Kuat Pivot that I recently purchased (also from e-trailer). I am totally impressed with the quality of the Kuat products. I have previously used Yakima racks beginning with rooftop systems in the 1980's. The Kuat is the best system on the market today.
After much searching, I decided to purchase the Kuat NV 2.0.
I was fairly easy to put together….” Read the directions “ it will tell you exactly what and how to put it together.. Great instructions easy to follow. I was able to adjust the wheel cradle to fit my bike quickly.
I was a SMALL problem…. I did not get any information from etrailer like I have in the passed… which was strange. So I did not know if they were processing my purchase or not… The money came out of my account. So I after my bike rack showed up… I sent a text to them, with in minutes I received at response, that said they were looking into the problem.. maybe 20 mins later I got a response from them … It seems I Fat Fingered my 1 letter on my e-mail address so etrailer could not send tracking information… Thank you so much GREAT SERVICE. I will use them again
Best on the market. But heavy
Used it this weekend, easy to load/unload bikes, has nice aesthetic.
It is heavy.
Works great for us! Very happy with this product and also the service provided thus far
Thanks
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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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.