# Civic SI bike transport setup. LOTS OF PICS



## lobos8403 (Nov 28, 2004)

Heres a couple pics for those of you who own a newer civic and are looking for an efficient way to transport. The hitch was about 100 it is made by curt. And the rack is a 1/4 thule t2.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Dec 2, 2005)

nice. I'll have to post mine when I order it. I'm planning on getting the exact same setup for my Subaru Impreza. I'm a little shocked by how far that rack sticks out though. Nice setup, I like seeing what mine will look like


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## Killroy (Mar 9, 2006)

That is a tight Civic. I have that same rack and I love how easy it is to use. I dont know for sure, but I would guess that the hitch racks are better for fuel economy because the bike is in the draft of the car.


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## Zachua (Jan 21, 2008)

Have you noticed any diff in fuel mileage? I noticed with my trunk mount rack and 2 bikes that my mileage dropped about 6mpg on a 280 mile trip... (98 Civic EX).


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

I would suggest moving the bike as close to the reciever as possible, the closer the bike is, the less leverage you're putting on the whole system. Those little 4-bolt things that clamp the trays to the rack HAVE failed, and you'll minimize that by moving it in as close as possible. You can access the trunk still by taking the pin out and using the "tilt down" feature of the rack of course.


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## BloorwestSiR (Dec 18, 2006)

Glad to see a fellow SI owner. Here's a shot of my old '06 SI with a Yakima rack.


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## lobos8403 (Nov 28, 2004)

I havnt noticed much mileage differance... However i only put the rack on when i go riding.. it bolts on and off about a minute or two. Id rather not perminately attach it to my ride.


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## f2f4 (Aug 10, 2007)

Ohmygod.

That Si is... incredibly hot.

How do you like it? What's the room in the back seat like for the coupe?
I may not get a Fit after all...

I would test-drive one, but I'm deployed in "Southwest Asia" right now. Heh.


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## A Grove (Nov 12, 2006)

how do those SI's run? They are just the sex...


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## lobos8403 (Nov 28, 2004)

The back seat is a little small but ive sat 2 people back there comfortably its just a pain for them to get out lol.. It has a great amount of trunk space, its never been an issue even when i go riding with full kit. It drives great super stable and vtec is fun to play with. It isnt a super race car, but fuel economy along with the vtec makes it a really fun car to drive...


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*Dang....*

That this is sooo purdy. Like a little piece of cherry hard candy.

Daddy like.


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## mtbcyclist (Jan 23, 2004)

Thanks for posting the pics. I am thinking about getting one myself as I took a job where I drive a lot and my 05 Xterra drinks gas. I love my X but need something more affordable to drive. :thumbsup:


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## aLLboutLx (Aug 11, 2007)

Do you guys prefer that type of rack or the kind that goes on top of the car?


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*Hitch racks....*



aLLboutLx said:


> Do you guys prefer that type of rack or the kind that goes on top of the car?


... are where it's at. I tell you what.

Roof racks suck more gas, make more noise so you can't open the sunroof, can't drive into parking garages, and typically mess up the paint on the roof.

Then again, your bikes don't get trashed if somebody rear ends you, and roof racks don't make it hardter to park in tight spaces.


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## mtbcyclist (Jan 23, 2004)

I have had both and like the hitch rack as you can take it off the vehicle in a few minutes, and for the reasons pimbot said. They are also nice if you have a tall vehicle. I run a Nissan Xterra now which is a pain in the a$$ to get a bike on a roof rack as its very tall.


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## BloorwestSiR (Dec 18, 2006)

My preference is for roof racks. Part of that may be because I switch cars so often (on average, once every 2 years) and it's cheaper to just buy a couple of new clips than have a hitch installed everytime. 

You do have to be mindfull of overhangs and underground garages but I have yet to hit anything with a bike on my roof (knock on wood)

As for not being able to open the sunroof, I think that would depend on the type of sunroof you have. On the Civic, it opens by sliding into the roof so there isn't any clearance issues. I can also install my roof rack in about a couple minutes. It almost takes longer getting it out of my storage locker. 

One additional hidden benefit for hitch racks and some trunk racks is that they can partially/completely obscure your rear plate so that you can get away with driving on the automated toll highways and not have to pay.


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## dgaddis1 (Jul 1, 2007)

Hey man, I never get tired of seeing your Si and bike! (I've seen it a few times on 8thcivic)

Here's my Si, a sedan, with the curt hitch. I don't have any pics w/the rack and bike on yet.

FA5 all the way!

BTW - The pic w/the painting in the background was taken outside of Andy Jordan's Bicycle Warehouse in Augusta, GA.


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## lobos8403 (Nov 28, 2004)

Sweet FA5, what kind of rack are you running?


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## BloorwestSiR (Dec 18, 2006)

Nice Fiji Blue. I went with the same colour on my '08 Si. We don't get the Mugen Si here in Canada so when I traded in my Habby Red for it, a lot of people have asked if it's the Mugen. 

Now if only there was a way to get a rack on my other Honda:


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## beez (Dec 23, 2007)

Lobos, did you install the hitch yourself or did you have it done? 

I was considering doing this on my s2000 even though it would probably look stupid.


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## dgaddis1 (Jul 1, 2007)

Not sure about lobos, but I installed mine myself. Well, a friend and I did it.

Kind of a pain, but not too bad.


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## beez (Dec 23, 2007)

Bloorwest, That car is badass! Is the engine in the rear, or are those side scoops just for looks?

I'm pretty sure we were never offered that in the states.


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## BloorwestSiR (Dec 18, 2006)

The scoops are real. It's a mid-engine Honda Beat. Sort of a half scale NSX. The engine's a 600cc 3 cylinder with an 8500 redline.

They weren't sold outside of Japan but in Canada you can bring in pretty much anything over 15 years old. Check these guys out for what you get up here in the Great White North:

http://www.terra2imports.ca/

Oh and it's right hand drive...:thumbsup:


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## lobos8403 (Nov 28, 2004)

I did it myself its was a pain in the ass, however if i was wise and had a freind help me hold the hitch assembly up whilst i bolted it on id imagine it would be much easier. should'nt take more then an hour or two.


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## QwaarJet (Jan 28, 2006)

where did you buy the curt hitch? is there is a specific model number? I would like to have the same setup for my Civic SI


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## scubastevect64 (Mar 1, 2008)

thread revival ftw......I'm glad to see some fellow 8thcvic users on here. I want to do the hitch setup I'm just concerned it will look bad. I have a Fiji Civic Si Sedan


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## BuckeyeRT (Jan 24, 2008)

That looks awesome! :thumbsup:


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## dgaddis1 (Jul 1, 2007)

As promised here's some pics of my car/rack/bike combo. I mountain bike also (mostly actually) but, this gives you the idea.

(the car's on ProKit springs btw....for anyone who might care)


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## scubastevect64 (Mar 1, 2008)

thanks for the pics


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## Bryank930 (Jun 12, 2006)

How about a shot of the back of the car without the rack mounted. I would consider this for my car ONLY if the hitch is well hidden and doesn't hang way down. The ideal hitch for me would be something like my parents used to have on their old van. The drawbar was about 4" wide and about 1/2" thick, and was WELL hidden under the bumper. I'll have to try to find something like that for my car...

Bryan


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## dgaddis1 (Jul 1, 2007)

Just look at the my first pic above, you can see the hitch pretty well there. I wouldn't say it's well hidden, but I wouldn't say it's very noticable either. I chose the hitch because I don't like the look of any of the roof racks (not to mention the noise and decreased gas mileage) and I don't want to put a trunk rack on my paint. With the hitch, nothing ever touches the car, which is what I wanted.


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## vans380 (Sep 11, 2005)

Thread revival...! I just got a Civic SI coupe...do you have to drill to attach the Curt hitch, or does it just bolt on to the car? What is the cost of the hitch?


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## ZoSoSwiM (Dec 2, 2005)

My Curt hitch for my 07 Impreza was direct bolt on. Check etrailer.com and they should be able to give you a general idea. I bought my hitch and Thule T2 off them.. great prices and free shipping since I spent enough.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Bryank930 said:


> How about a shot of the back of the car without the rack mounted. I would consider this for my car ONLY if the hitch is well hidden and doesn't hang way down.


If it's going to be totally hidden, it is going to hang "way down" and cause the rack to hang way down and possibly cause problems on sloped roads/driveways. I haven't seen many hitches that stick out much at all, and you can only notice them from certain points of view (directly behind) anyway. Way less of an eyesore than a roof-rack any day. There is sometimes a problem with those "hidden" hitches and low sports cars, because they are just too low. The T2 does have good approach-clearance, but if the hitch is too low then it doesn't matter.


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## lobos8403 (Nov 28, 2004)

Its just bolt on, the only thing u need to do is cut the heat shield for the muffler a bit but u can almost do that with a hardy pair of scissors. Other then that its pretty cake if u have a freind to help. The directions suck btw..


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## wormvine (Oct 27, 2005)

lobos8403 said:


> Its just bolt on, the only thing u need to do is cut the heat shield for the muffler a bit but u can almost do that with a hardy pair of scissors. Other then that its pretty cake if u have a freind to help. The directions suck btw..


Damn Lobos, I never thought South Florida was so identifiable until I saw your picture. 
If I had to guess, Those pics were taken in West Broward CO. Looks like my old hometown of Coral Springs.


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