# THE KUAT NV....REVIEW (with comparisons to the Sherpa)



## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

Ok finally got around to my Kuat NV review.

So lets start off, that after having the Kuat Sherpa https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=582452&highlight=sherpa for 4 months, I am glad I upgraded to the NV! Now before you start to judge, the Sherpa is a great rack and my reason for getting the Shpera initially was the rack was going to be placed and removed on the hitch often, and my wife might use it, weight was a concern. That and by having the choice of going from 2" and 1 1/4" hitch relatively easy and still keep Kuat's cam system at its full potential was important at that time. Well as my wife decided she isn't into "the whole bike thing" that is no longer an issue. I have also decided to race more often and one less thing to carry, not to mention just have on hand anytime the rack is attached, the workstand was a selling point for me.

Ok now on to the NV!! Other than being noticeably heavier than the Sherpa (not a big deal, its not that much) its way solid. I thought the Sherpa was solid but the NV ups the ante. Bikes mount the same as the Sherpa and most similar tray racks. One major difference from the Sherpa and the NV is the rear wheel attachment. On the Sherpa you had a small "cup" with a strap that rotated to accommodate different wheelbases-really nice as you just set you bike in and it moves for you, just strap and go. The NV has a strap that slides along on a rail type system and the tire rest anywhere along the tray. So you have to slide the strap into location. Whats really nice about this is larger tires are easier to fit. On the Sherpa anything bigger than a 2.5 and many 2.35's were a tight fit. Not an issue on the NV.

On the front (the really sexy part) the two tubes extending out to hold the front section of the tire tray for the front wheel are BEEFY! I can't imagine anyone having much of an issue with the strength of these. The front trays are also stepped like the Sherpa and many other racks to accommodate "Skinny" wheels and tires. One note though was when mounting my daughters BMX mini, the front tire sat in the tray funny as the radius is different. In the Sherpa it wasn't as much of an issue. Nothing to worry about though as the bike sits in the rack SOLID once everything is in place.

Now one of my favorite features was the pin that holds the rack in position either up, flat or tilted for rear access to the vehicle. Why? Well it looks like a giant spring loaded QR, and functions beautifully. There are two holes that a pin catches for either upright or level positions. In the down position the rack remains movable without having to operate the QR lever, just pull up to the level position and the spring engages the QR to lock on the level position. From there you have to operate the QR to the upright position.

The cam system on the NV is like the rest of their racks. I think the inner bolt on the NV may be a bit larger in the 2" hitch than what was inside the Sherpa. I do like the simple round knob to tighten the cam preventing most rack sway. I think both racks felt solid in the hitch, may just a bit more with the NV since its a dedicated 2" rather than 1 1/4" with an adapter.

The workstand....man what a convenience! Lets say this is not the sturdiest stand you can have or the easiest. (my home workstand is a Sette that has easy and smooth levers to operate and clamp the bike into position). The good, its fully adjustable height and rotation of the clamp let you put it just about anywhere you need it. The bad, well the clamp that holds the stand in its position could have been better executed (two small tabs welded on the tube with a QR), the clamp that holds the bike is somewhat cumbersome to operate (not too bad though but worth noting) and it is not secure to the rack. What do I mean by secure? Well one of my friends decided to play a joke on me and take my workstand! A simple release of the QR for the workstand and its gone. Drive off with the rack in the level position with bikes loaded and the stand "could" fall out if you forget to secure the QR (which is slim but possible). My quick fix was to drill a hole in the end of the stand (which pokes out of a hole on the part closest to the vehicle-see pic) and place a small padlock for insurance (not yet done but will be this weekend).

Now the last feature, the lock! Not the hitch lock, I am talking about the BIKE lock. Yup this baby has an integrated lock for your bikes. It stows into the arms of the rack so you can't forget to bring it. It is on the short side and to lock 2 bikes up you can only really go through the left chainstay on each bike. But it does its job. Now I am not about to take some cable cutters to test its strength, but it is a nice feature to slow down any thief. I am not one to leave my bikes unattended or out of site for long anyways. ((I never understood why people would have several thousands of dollars of bikes on a bike rack while staying the night in a hotel and expect their bike to still be there....especially in Las Vegas-yes it happens)).

Some other notes that I like about this rack. If I only have one bike mounted and its on the outside tray I can fold my tailgate on my 2007 Chevy Avalanche down without any interference!! The workstand is not completely useless when the rack is in any other position other than upright. I used it to hold a bike frame I had for sale while I had another complete bike on the rack in a tray for sale. I think I covered just about everything between these 2 reviews of the Sherpa and NV. If you have any questions feel free to ask!









































































The lock system
























The workstand
























...this is the part I am gonna drill a hole in (I already marked it) and put the padlock 
















The position lock and cam system
















Tailgate down








Little bike


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## jmill79 (Sep 11, 2009)

Nice review man. ****, still cant decide. Just got the 1.25 hitch put on my car today, and this rack WILL be going on and off for every use (leaning toward the Sherpa) Dont really need the trail workstand but damnit if the internal lock cable and the way the back tire sits arent sweet (leaning toward the NV). 

Wish I could find a local place with these to play around with in person.


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

Thanks man. I try and call it like it is. Anyways, hope this answer helps....both do the same basic function-hold 2 bikes up by just the tires and in a similar fashion. Internal lock/cable and workstand are items of simple convience. Just really nice touches that add to an already nice rack. Both fold up, level and tilt down for access to the rear of most vehicles. The Sherpa only came in an 1 1/4" with a 2" adapter. The NV comes in one or the other (but I am sure you can get an adapter to go from 1 1/4" to 2" if it doesn't already come with it). I think the NV feels more solid in any position and is easier to use. Now if you are taking DH bikes with larger tires, my suggestion would be go NV. The Sherpa can be a tight fit on large volume tires 2.5 or over. ((I didn't think I was gonna get into DH which was another reason I went with the Sherpa initially-but the DH bug has bitten me)) If you ride ALOT I would also say go NV, the workstand could be rather handy if you have the opportunity to use it.


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## jmill79 (Sep 11, 2009)

Hey quick favor, If you have the opportunity I was just wonderin the total width of the NV (end to end). I can find what I think is the Sherpas width @42" but cant find anywhere it states the NV's. This is goin on my Grand Am and Id like to have an idea of how they compare width wise.

Also, as far as the Sherpa, how sturdy was the rear wheel pivot (how good is the plastic and will it hold up) 

BTW I will be haulin 2 XC bikes only (one FS Stumpy and occasionally my daughters Rockhopper) So I dont think weight will be a concern

Thanks and I appreciate your time.


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## Rouleur321 (Feb 27, 2004)

Hye, whats the deal with the "cam system"? Is that a mechanism to put the rack on the hitch with no tools needed?


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

RkFast said:


> Hye, whats the deal with the "cam system"? Is that a mechanism to put the rack on the hitch with no tools needed?


The Cam is basically just to take wobble and play out of the hitch. In no circumstances are tools involved, just slide the rack in the hitch, place the locking hitch pin, and turn the knob to take out any play at the hitch. **the Cam does NOT replace the hitch pin**


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

jmill79 said:


> Hey quick favor, If you have the opportunity I was just wonderin the total width of the NV (end to end). I can find what I think is the Sherpas width @42" but cant find anywhere it states the NV's. This is goin on my Grand Am and Id like to have an idea of how they compare width wise.
> 
> Also, as far as the Sherpa, how sturdy was the rear wheel pivot (how good is the plastic and will it hold up)
> 
> ...


NV width is 66 inches across total. When folded up it sticks out at about 16 1/2 inches from the end of the receiver to the end of the Cam handle (furthest point). When folded flat it is about 34 inches to the end of the workstand.

As far as the Sherpa goes....its a pretty durable plastic that seems playable (not brittle) so should last for a long time. Either rack should suit your needs fine for the bikes mentioned. When I had my Sherpa we made a few trips with 2 DH bikes no problem. It just depends on the bells and whistles. For me I would almost always say drop the extra cash and get the NV.


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## jmill79 (Sep 11, 2009)

Thanks again bro, Ill be ordering _*something*_ by Friday, lol.

Take care..


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## k1creeker (Jul 30, 2005)

I mounted my 1.25" NV yesterday. The selling point for me was the fact that this rack is the only one that specifically considers the type of hitch mount to be used. For the 2" model, the bottom beam runs straight back from the hitch. The 1.25" model has an upward "jog" in the mount tube that raises the rack about another 6-7" from the 2" model. This is best illustrated in the pictures on www.etrailer.com

Somebody finally figured out that most cars can only mount a 1.25" hitch and would probably need the extra ground clearance from the 2" which is found on most trucks and mall cruisers. Kudos to Kuat for thinking this through and taking the extra step required to do it right. :thumbsup:

Also, a warning to anyone with a late model OEM Subaru hitch... Subaru's hitch pin hole is too near the end of the receiver tube to utilize the tightening cam...and you WILL want to use the cam. What you'll have to do is drill a new hitch pin hole in the hitch receiver tube 2.5" back from the end the tube.


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

k1creeker- good call on that (step up on the 1 1/4" model) That is something I didn't know about and never really thought about because I mostly only have trucks. But definilty a nice option if you have a car.


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## Rouleur321 (Feb 27, 2004)

WingNutt said:


> The Cam is basically just to take wobble and play out of the hitch. In no circumstances are tools involved, just slide the rack in the hitch, place the locking hitch pin, and turn the knob to take out any play at the hitch. **the Cam does NOT replace the hitch pin**


But no actual hex threaded bolt like most fasters used by Thule, Yak, etc., correct?


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

RkFast said:


> But no actual hex threaded bolt like most fasters used by Thule, Yak, etc., correct?


Not totally sure I understand the Hex bolt, but sounds like something similar?

The black knob you see in the pic, simply turn that to the right and a small wedge located within the receiver when the rack is mounted slowly slides (wedges) itself against the inside of the receiver.










Here is a good video on the NV that explains the rack.


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## jmill79 (Sep 11, 2009)

k1creeker said:


> I mounted my 1.25" NV yesterday. The selling point for me was the fact that this rack is the only one that specifically considers the type of hitch mount to be used. For the 2" model, the bottom beam runs straight back from the hitch. The 1.25" model has an upward "jog" in the mount tube that raises the rack about another 6-7" from the 2" model. This is best illustrated in the pictures on www.etrailer.com
> 
> Somebody finally figured out that most cars can only mount a 1.25" hitch and would probably need the extra ground clearance from the 2" which is found on most trucks and mall cruisers. Kudos to Kuat for thinking this through and taking the extra step required to do it right. :thumbsup:
> 
> Also, a warning to anyone with a late model OEM Subaru hitch... Subaru's hitch pin hole is too near the end of the receiver tube to utilize the tightening cam...and you WILL want to use the cam. What you'll have to do is drill a new hitch pin hole in the hitch receiver tube 2.5" back from the end the tube.


K1 could you possibly take a pic or two of this rack mounted. I was actually kinda concerned that the sweep up on the 1.25 would stick the bikes way up in the air. Ive watched every vid everywhere and it all been the 2 in model.

Thanks!


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## k1creeker (Jul 30, 2005)

jmill79 said:


> K1 could you possibly take a pic or two of this rack mounted. I was actually kinda concerned that the sweep up on the 1.25 would stick the bikes way up in the air. Ive watched every vid everywhere and it all been the 2 in model.
> 
> Thanks!


Hi Jmill,
I'll try to get pics tonight and will post them as soon as I can. I can tell you that the height of the bikes to car ratio will largely depend on how far your hitch mount is from the ground and how tall your car is. My WRX STi hatch offers a little more wind deflection than say a small car with a traditional coupe or sedan body style. Someone on this site posted pics of his NV mounted on a Mercury Cougar coupe. I think my body style hides the bikes from the wind a little better. But, it could also be that my hitch is lower to the ground than his(?)

I wouldn't let the added ride height keep you from deciding on the NV. The NV puts the bikes 6" higher in the air than my old Saris Cycle-On Pro. IMO that's not that much more exposure (handlebars, and saddles). Knowing I can pull into my steep driveway without scraping the rack on the ground was worth any extra wind resistance I may encounter. And the wind resistance is still going to be a lot less than mounting the bikes on the roof.


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## Ocho (Dec 1, 2009)

I'm looking at the Sherpa over the NV....weight being one issue and the other is I have one vehicle with a 2" receiver (Honda Element) and one with a 1.25" so being able to use one rack for both is nice. The workstand retro fits to the sherpa too from what the web site says...has anyone tried that? 

Thanks.


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## mbcracken (Aug 12, 2006)

k1creeker,

I'll be curious to see your pics. I am looking for a 2 bike trailer for my 05 Subaru Legacy GT wagon. I have the outback trailer hitch to mount up on it but might hold off if I truly need to drill a new pin hole.

Cheers,
Mike


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## k1creeker (Jul 30, 2005)

Hi mb,
I got word from the machine shop that my drilled hitch won't be ready until Wednesday. I left it with them so they could do it on a press. (I thought I would have it back tonight).

I'll post pics of the installed rack as soon as I get it back. :thumbsup:


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## cracksandracks.com (Oct 22, 2009)

nice review...looks like a nice rack. 
i can tell you are psyched about it.


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## k1creeker (Jul 30, 2005)

*Pics of 1.25" rack*

Sorry for the delay guys. Here are pics of the 1.25" hitch on my STi.
The new hitch pin hole location is 2.5" in from the back end of the receiver.

Hope this visually answers any questions regarding the increase in rack height from the 2" version.


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## 245044 (Jun 8, 2004)

So what's the cost of these racks?


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## k1creeker (Jul 30, 2005)

I got mine from etrailer at $475 shipped.
There are certainly cheaper alternatives out there...


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## Killer Squirrel (Mar 11, 2010)

Ocho said:


> I'm looking at the Sherpa over the NV....weight being one issue and the other is I have one vehicle with a 2" receiver (Honda Element) and one with a 1.25" so being able to use one rack for both is nice. The workstand retro fits to the sherpa too from what the web site says...has anyone tried that?
> 
> Thanks.


That's why we went with the Sherpa also, and we ordered the Trail Doc as well. It should be delivered sometime next week, so I'll post up pics and details once we get it.


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## sin13 (Apr 28, 2010)

I bought the Sherpa from etrailer for $379 found a 10% coupon out there. I have a Nisan Xterra and ran into the same problem with the hitch pin hole located to close to the end of the receiver. I will have to take a look to see If I can drill a hole in the back. Anyone else have any other solutions? People at etrailer suggested a 2" to 1.25" adapter but that woruld required two locking pins and I am not sure how stable that might be. I really like this rack but not willing to buy a new hitch.


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## 245044 (Jun 8, 2004)

I got my NV rack the other day. It's assembled, but I have not been able to put it on my car yet since it's still at the dealer( Grrr!).

Regarding the workstand security, I think that there may be a way to secure the arm simply by putting screws in the post that would prevent the arm from being withdrawn completely. I see the end plates bolt on to the main body of the rack. Access to the arm shaft could be gained here and the bolts installed in the lower part of the arm.

EDIT: Just looked att he rack and this idea does not work.


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## speed_bump (Sep 30, 2004)

*Check your cable*

FYI-

I was admiring someone's NV at a local race and he let me borrow the work stand to make some repairs. My son was with me and was also fascinated by the rack. Like any curious 3-year-old, he was exploring it--poking, pulling on the arms, pulling out the cable, pushing it back in, etc.

About the third time he pulled on the cable, it came completely out of the rack! Apparently whatever had been crimped on to the end of the cable fell off.

Hopefully this was just an anomaly and most other racks won't have this problem. He may be strong for a 3-year old, but if he can pull the cable out, it won't stand a chance against a determined thief!

I felt bad that my 3-yr-old had just broken someone's $500 bike rack, but at least he knows not to trust the lock. Hopefully it will be fixed under warranty.


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## 245044 (Jun 8, 2004)

Interesting to say the least. The racks carry a lifetime warranty so that rack will most likely be repaired.

I was still going to use my Kryptonite lock to secure the bikes, but I always have at least a couple different ways of locking them down.

Thanks for the heads up.


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## thrasher_s (Oct 5, 2009)

I hadn't realized that the 1.25" hitch size version of the NV was so much different from my 2" hitch NV. It looks flimsy in comparison, though I am sure its not.

Compare between the pics of the OP's 2" hitch on the Chevy Avalanche and the 1.25" on the black Subaru.


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## 245044 (Jun 8, 2004)

I just noticed that in the first set of pictures the shaft of the repair arm sticks out the other end...Mine does not.


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## swordsman (May 20, 2010)

I have a Honda Fit, and would like the NV, due to its added features. Would i have trouble with the slightly longer width of the NV? Or would i be better off with the Sherpa instead, as it's a smallish car to begin with?


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## Ocho (Dec 1, 2009)

Are you staying with the 2 bike version? I love the NV but the weight is really too much. I have a Honda Element and the 2 bike NV with the 2 bike extension is 80 lbs according to Kuat. Since I need up to a 3 bike system, thats just a lot of weight hanging off the back. Plus that negates my wife being able to use it.


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## BenR (Mar 31, 2007)

Here is the Sherpa on my Honda fit to give you some perspective...BR

Not sure why the pic is sideways, was not that way prior to download.....


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## swordsman (May 20, 2010)

There's a recall on a few of the NVs. Checkout http://www.kuatinnovations.com/index.php?page=recall


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## 245044 (Jun 8, 2004)

swordsman said:


> There's a recall on a few of the NVs. Checkout http://www.kuatinnovations.com/index.php?page=recall


 Thanks for the information. Fortunately, my rack isn't under this recall.:thumbsup:


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

Mine is part of the recall.....I spoke with the owner and here is what he had to say:

"The pivot tube on the front tire ratchet arm is the part which has been recalled. We have been unable to reproduce the failure in house, but after two reports of product failure, we decided to issue a voluntary recall. Kuat stands behind our products and we want to instill confidence in our customers for years to come. Only a small portion of NV racks are involved in the recall (450 units), but we suggest that all NV owners call Kuat or go to www.kuatracks.com to determine if their rack is part of this recall. "

Now although I have not had any problems with mine I am going to take advantage of the recall and let you know how it goes.


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## swordsman (May 20, 2010)

A couple of product failure reports and they issue a recall...now that's customer service at its best!


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## XCfanatic (Jul 14, 2010)

*Rust?*

I bought a Yakima Hold Up 2 rack. Left it on less than one week. It rained couple of days here and now it started rusting. Spoke to Yakima who sounded surprise, but this left me with no confidence in the rack. I never plan to leave it on the hitch during the winter, but to not be able to leave it on during the warmer months is too cumbersome. Thus will be returning it. Thinking of pickup up a Kuat NV. Does anyone leave their NV on (when not transporting bikes) the hitch? How is it holding up to the rain, any rust showing?


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

Honestly, I don't know of any rack that doesn't have at least some sort of steel material in it somewhere. I have left mine on for over 2 months without any issues, but living in Las Vegas is a bad example as it doesn't rain much here. The hardware could easily show signs of rust, again this is going to happen with most any rack. Nuts, bolts, and pins. I am not sure if they are coated or not with any sort of rust inhibitor. You may want to call or email Kuat directly to see if there could be any issues.


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## XCfanatic (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks WN. I completely understand the nuts and bolts since they're probably not coated, but the platforms / trays (obviously the non-plastic parts) on the HoldUP are showing rust and it was just one week no less. I'm hoping it's less of an issue or no-issue at all for the Kuat since those parts are made of aluminum.


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## 245044 (Jun 8, 2004)

Mine has been rained on several times and it's been humid as can be this summer. No signs of rust or corrosion thus far.


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## XCfanatic (Jul 14, 2010)

Good to know. Just put an order in at the LBS and will be picking it up tomorrow.


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

XCfanatic said:


> Thanks WN. I completely understand the nuts and bolts since they're probably not coated, but the platforms / trays (obviously the non-plastic parts) on the HoldUP are showing rust and it was just one week no less. I'm hoping it's less of an issue or no-issue at all for the Kuat since those parts are made of aluminum.


I would think its definitely less of an issue due to material and the fact its powdercoated. Its a nice rack you will like it.


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## david8613 (May 31, 2005)

besides the repair stand feature this rack reminds me alot of the saris cycle on pro, anyone care to compare?


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

Ok sorry for the delay. Been super busy with the new website and my day job as well as I am the SuperDad that takes the kids to ALLLLL of their activities and sports. Anyways here are the details of what I received from the recall on the NV. Its basically the side of each tray that holds the front wheel. From what I was able to gather was that the arm than cinches down the front wheel had come loose on a couple racks. So after just 2 reports Kuat decided to keep their name in good standing and do right. After receiving the package in the mail (only 5 days after notifying Kuat) I spent a few hours combing over all the parts trying to pin down what would be the difference in my old and new parts. And what would be the likely hood of the new ones failing. To be honest with you I don't think the old ones will even fail. But to put things in a nutshell the biggest difference is there is definitely a more positive engagement or "click" throughout the range of the arm as you cinch things down.


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## cracksandracks.com (Oct 22, 2009)

we just received our first shipment of the kuat bike racks into the store, and immediately assembled the kuat NV for display. it didn't take 10 minutes before i put it on my honda element and decided to drive around with it for awhile. i already decided its coming to moab next month.

my first impressions are that it is a nicely made rack. we ended up spraying some silicone lube into the spring mechanism and the action became noticably smoother. the lock seems a bit short, as others have said. aesthetically, it's really easy on the eyes.

i was really impressed at how far the rack tilts away. on my element, which has a clamshell style of opening, the rack will tilt away far enough to lower the tailgate portion with no interference. with bikes in standard travel mode, the liftgate goes up no problem with bikes loaded. we tested it on a 4 runner here in the shop with a bike loaded closest to the car and no problem opening the rear gate.

construction is solid, and while at first i thought it was really missing the rear wheel tray, the rear wheel strap is capable of holding the bike up by itself. the ratchet for the front wheel is nice, with good lever actuation.

the bike stand is a nicely made, but see that it can pull straight out without much trouble, so we'll research a bit more to help with a mod on this if necessary. it holds the bike well and would definitely be handy for cleaning, lubing and especially derailleur adjustment.

waiting on the sherpas (they are b/o from kuat) and some trail docs to outfit t2 and holdup racks.

good job kuat....the nv is top-shelf stuff.


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## damnilocano (Oct 23, 2009)

WingNutt

Have any pics of the drilled the hole and padlock?


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## WingNutt (Jan 31, 2008)

damnilocano said:


> WingNutt
> 
> Have any pics of the drilled the hole and padlock?


No nothing loaded on the computer right now. I can try and take one this weekend if I get a chance. All it is the end of the trail doc when pushed in all the way pokes out of the hole closest to the bumper of the vehicle. Although when you add the 2 bike add on this is no longer an option. What I plan to do is just slide out the trail doc and store it in the vehicle. There are some new updates coming soon and some already on the latest racks.


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## cracksandracks.com (Oct 22, 2009)

we've taken a good hard look at the kuat NV and posted some of our observations and a bunch of closeups of the rack here in our blog post.

i hope you find it worthwhile reading.


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## nitropowered (Aug 30, 2007)

I got my NV in yesterday and here is a few things I noticed.

If you looked at the pics with the Subaru STI, the trail doc does not extend past the back plate. So you can't drill a hole and put a pad lock on it for the 1 1/4" guys\

Like most other people have noted, the built in cable is kind of short. Does anyone know of a lock that fits into the built in lock to extend it?


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## cracksandracks.com (Oct 22, 2009)

nitropowered said:


> I got my NV in yesterday and here is a few things I noticed....
> Like most other people have noted, the built in cable is kind of short. Does anyone know of a lock that fits into the built in lock to extend it?


If you bring the cable from the inside - towards the center of the rack - and pass it through the rear triangle of the bike, i think you'll find the cable is plenty long. Originally, when i posted our Kuat NV Review, i pointed out the same thing, and Bill from Kuat suggested I move the cable to the inside of the rack, and I have since mounted several different bike combos and have had no trouble....

if you look in the photos on our review, you'll see I've got it laced through the bikes incorrectly.


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## mharper123 (Nov 14, 2010)

1st post here, regular over on "that roadie" site. I had a Kuat Sherpa and I had a very negative experience with mine.

I had the 2 bike, 2" model on my Jeep Wrangler. Putting my 15 lb S Works Tarmac on that thing and watching it sway back and forth was not comforting. The rack was not as secure as I would have liked. This was not the major problem.

I was told by Justin to take it apart, drill out one of the holes on the base bracket due to finishing issues, the hole in question was not big enough for a sleeve to fit through to stabilize the rack.

So I did that, and it did exactly the opposite. It made it worse.

Trying to get them to help me with a warranty was like pulling teeth. They wanted me to ship the rack back at my expense, for them to fix it. I said why dont they just replace it, as Justin told me it was a design flaw and they already had version 2.0 shipping with the quick release.

He refused, the rack was a week old. I went to the LBS where I purchased it and they had QBP (the distributor) warranty it. My buddy has the same rack with the same problems....

Video that I sent them:






Buyer Beware.....I would never buy a product from them again. It wasnt the defect, it was the way they handled it....


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## Lets Try Science (May 11, 2009)

BenR said:


> Here is the Sherpa on my Honda fit to give you some perspective...BR
> 
> Not sure why the pic is sideways, was not that way prior to download.....


Hey there. I have been searching for a rack for my Scion xB which is about the size of your fit. How is the NV on the class 1 hitch? Does it feel stable or do you worry about it when driving down the road? Anything else I should know before dropping almost $500 on it?

I had looked at the Sherpa which is 20 pounds less but my bike has a 46.5" wheelbase and the guys at Kuat suggested I look at the NV. For only $75 more it looks like it has a lot more features so long as the weight isnt an issue.

Thanks.


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## nitropowered (Aug 30, 2007)

Lets Try Science said:


> Hey there. I have been searching for a rack for my Scion xB which is about the size of your fit. How is the NV on the class 1 hitch? Does it feel stable or do you worry about it when driving down the road? Anything else I should know before dropping almost $500 on it?
> 
> I had looked at the Sherpa which is 20 pounds less but my bike has a 46.5" wheelbase and the guys at Kuat suggested I look at the NV. For only $75 more it looks like it has a lot more features so long as the weight isnt an issue.
> 
> Thanks.


Hey I have mine on an xB2.

Fits fine and is stable. I've had my bike on there going 80 down the highway and no issues.

The hitch is easy to install. A long handle ratchet with a flex head (bent handle is also nice) and 20 minutes is all you need to get a hitch on.

Most of my bikes clear the gate when folded back


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## Lets Try Science (May 11, 2009)

nitropowered said:


> Hey I have mine on an xB2.
> 
> Fits fine and is stable. I've had my bike on there going 80 down the highway and no issues.
> 
> ...


I remember reading that you could get a class 2 or 2" hitch on the gen2 xB. Do you have a class 1 with a 1.25"?


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## nitropowered (Aug 30, 2007)

I got the draw tite class 1 1 1/4 hitch. I got it at etrailer.com for about $90 shipped. Checked the price right now and it is a bit higher.

You can get a class 2 from curt mfg but honestly I don't see the point. You will never exceed the rating with a hitch bike rack.

You can get a 2" class 3 from Quality S, but the cross bar is visible under the bumper. The 1 1/4" you cannot see anything but the receiver square


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