This premiun 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 (325 Customer Reviews)
This premiun 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.
Rick F - 05/08/2021The 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!
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!
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.
Works great for us! Very happy with this product and also the service provided thus far Thanks
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.
Best on the market. But heavy
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
The heavy weighted bike rack is what comes with the quality of this rack I have used a simple 4 wheel dolly from [oversupply store] to easily move and store away when not in use.
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
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.
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
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.
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
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!!!
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
Love the fit and solid quality build of this bike carrier. Can't wait to try it out. I am using this carrier for two e-bikes and I am confident that it will hold up very nicely and will have no problem holding the weight of the 2 bikes.
Eric L - 06/20/2021Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
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.
Marc - 04/19/2019Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
This Rack Rocks! I go from no rack on the car to rack installed, bikes lock and loaded in about 5 min. It’s sturdy, and so far seems very resistant to the elements. I have had the NV2.0 for a year now and love it!
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
Wow, I'm impressed. I use hitch Rack about 3 or 4 times a week. After 1 ride, I stopped at a convenience store for some coffee & a snacky. Store was busy so it took some time. I had 1 bike on the rack. When I came out I noticed that one arm of the rear most rack was bent. Somebody backed into the rack, of course they were long gone. I looked closely at the rack & the only damage was the 2 bolts that hold it together were bent inside the rack. 2 new bolts come tomorrow. That's good solid construction.
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
The Kuat rack is superb. Had to wait a short time because the racks are out of stock everywhere, but since I have done business with etrailer previously I felt they would do the best to make sure I got what I needed the fastest. They did not disappoint. I was kept abreast of my order status which I greatly appreciated. The rack arrived on the promised delivery day. Good products; great service - what more could you ask for!
Gordon - 08/22/2021Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
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.
Laura E - 05/31/2017Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
My friend was rearended last week, and our Kuat rack destroyed. I called etrailer and Alex was on top of it, found us a $xxx rebate, and get our rack to us before the weekend so we could get our bikes out to the trail. I actually ordered another one for my truck as well! Great Job etrailer and Alex!!!
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
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.
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
This is one professional business. Great service and follow through. I ordered a Kuat bike carrier and it even happened to be on sale - welcome surprise. One other item I ordered and later decided I did not want, called to arrange a return. Again, no hassle and made it very easy to print a return shipping label and ship it. The lady who helped with the return was a joy to work with. Again a nice experience. Great line of products and in my earlier RVing days, wish I would have known about them. Happened to mention this place to a neighbor and they immediately commented they had purchased from them and also were impressed with their service. I normally don’t do reviews but felt they are worthy of these comments as deserve the recognition. Lastly, couldn’t be happier with the Kuat bike carrier. Total quality, great instructions for assembling and exactly what I wanted for our two new electric bikes.
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
Fantastic bike rack!! After getting fed up with loading my bike up repeatedly in the back of my 2003 GMC Sierra pickup (with a hard top cover) I decided to purchase this kuat rack. I wish I would’ve sooner. Assembly was easy and straight forward however I would use a magnetic parts bowl if I had it to do over. Kuat doesn’t included any extra nuts so I had to contact them to get another after I dropped and lost one (they were very polite and shipped one right away.) As far as function goes this rack is really easy to use. Just slide it into the receiver and put the lock pin it. Just like in the video you then tighten the knob at the back to secure the hitch so there is no movement. Load your bikes up and secure them and you’re ready to go. I did utilize the retractable cable locks after my ride when stopping to eat and they are very easy to use. No worries at all about a stolen bike. And the tilting feature is great too. It does allows you to access your truck bed with the tailgate down just as in the video. As an added bonus this rack fits perfect in my standard size truck bed even with the hard top cover closed (my truck is too long to fit in the garage with the rack folded up installed in the hitch.) Michael H. was outstanding providing schematic drawings with the dimensions so I would know this before my purchase (they’re on the Q&A page.) The free shipping was very fast so that made the purchase even better. I will definitely be a repeat customer as eTrailer is the one of the best companies out there with great customer service and timely communication. Great job!!
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
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.
Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
I LOVE this new rack!! Now I just need to get the 2-bike add-on. The price was the best I have found, the shipping was a day early and parts were in perfect condition.
Michael - 11/02/2021Review from a similar NV 2.0 in Hitch Bike Racks
I am totally in love with this rack. It works exceptionally well--easy to load and unload my bikes and they feel stable. I replaced a 5 bike, Thule hanging style with this rack. My absolute favorite thing about the rack is that the rear door of my 2017 MDX can open and close with the 2-bike rack in place (not loaded, folded up toward the car). This is a total game changer. I have 3 small kids and I love that I no longer have to battle a bike rack every time I need access to the back of my car.
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