Hitch Bike Rack Recommendation For Two Heavy E-bikes On A 2015 Lexus RX 350  

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Your RadRover 5 weighs 69 lbs and your Eunorau 48V250W+350W FAT-AWD All Wheel Drive bike weighs 77 lbs. Both of these bikes exceed the weight limit of the Thule EasyFold XT. In fact, even if you remove the battery of the Eunorau, it will still exceed the weight limit of the EasyFold XT. So it is important that your hitch receiver has a large maximum tongue weight to support the bikes.

Now I do have a hitch receiver recommendation for your 2015 Lexus RX 350. The Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2", part # C13143, fits your vehicle. It has a maximum tongue weight of 600 lbs and a gross maximum tongue weight of 5,000 lbs. This hitch receiver measures 5" from the center of the hitch pin hole to the edge of your bumper. This is very important because we only have one hitch bike rack that is rated to carry a bike as heavy as your Eunorau e-bike. In order for this rack to fit we need to add a hitch extender to your setup. Please keep in mind adding an extender reduces the maximum tongue weight by 50%, so the maximum tongue weight will now be 300 lbs. I recommend the Yakima StraightShot Hitch Extension - 2" Hitches - 7-1/4" Long, part # Y69VR. I prefer this extender under this circumstance because all we need is to reduce the distance from the center of the hitch pin to the edge of your bumper by 2". This extender provides the least amount of extension so you will not have your hitch bike rack extend that far from your hitch receiver.

The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE Bike Rack for 2 Electric Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount, part # HLY84FR, can carry bikes up to 80 lbs This rack comes with an anti-rattle handle that reduces movement of the rack in the hitch receiver. If comes with a hitch lock and security cable to lock your rack to the vehicle and the bikes to the rack. The tilt down mast allows you to access the rear of your vehicle at all times, even when carrying bikes. It is also fat-tire compatible right out of the box. This hitch bike rack will hold your bikes by the wheels and the frame, so it is also fender friendly. That is important since both of your bikes have front and rear fenders.

Here are the weights of this system: your bIkes = 148 lbs, the hitch extender = 9 lbs, and the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider = 54 lbs, for a total weight of 211 lbs, which is less than 300 lbs maximum tongue weight.

I have included product description links, a video installation of the hitch receiver, and a review of the Hollywood SportRider SE below.

expert reply by: Mark Smith

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