Kuat NV Hitch-Mount Bike Rack: Quick Review

Kuat NV Hitch-Mount Bike Rack: Quick Review
by Matt Gersib

The purchase of a new car in the summer of 2013 brought out a glaring flaw in my kit — my rusty, old bike rack. While it was a great rack when it was new in 1997, it’d seen 17 seasons of use on the hitches of four different vehicles. It’d served its time, and I wanted something that worked with the variety of current ‘standards’ out there. And because I like big wheels, it’d need to work seamlessly with every bike in my stable, from road, to gravel, to 29″-plus, to fatbike. No exceptions.

Versatility is the name of the game with the Kuat NV. It took these two bikes, a 29″er and a 29″-Plus, easily, and the anti-sway system kept them stable throughout the trip.

Fortunately, last winter a friend mentioned how happy he was with his Kuat rack. We were riding fatbikes, and he said it was a great fit for bikes of a wide range of sizes. I was familiar with Kuat, but only at a high level, so I set out to learn a little more. My search led me to the Kuat NV, the company’s top-of-the-line rack. Since my car has a 1 1/4-inch diameter hitch, I could only carry two bikes. Those with two-inch receiver hitches have the option of adding capacity for two more bikes.

Kuat’s racks have been featured on TwentyNineInches.com before. Grannygear wrote about his experience with the Kuat NV Core, a slightly lower-priced (and no longer produced) version of the model tested here. The Kuat NV takes all of the features of the NV Core and adds some bells and whistles, most notably a built-in repair stand and a nicely integrated locking cable mechanism. The additional features are reflected in the $549 retail price of the NV (the NV Core was $439).

The locking cable is noteworthy for its mounting, or rather its lack of mounting hardware. When stowed inside the trays, magnets retain the cable halves, making the system both secure and supremely easy-to-use. It’s nice to see such a handy feature executed so well. I’m a fan.

When the NV arrived on my doorstep, I realized my first step was assembly. It was reasonably easy to assemble with included tools and took about 30 minutes. Unfortunately, perhaps it was my failure to read the instructions fully, but my initial set-up of the rack had the front wheel supports on the incorrect side of the bicycle (they should be behind, or towards the rear of the car). I didn’t lose a bicycle during the two weeks I used the rack this way, but once corrected, the rack was much better at holding bicycles still without shifting. Don’t let this happen to you — read the instructions.

The Kuat NV rack has impressed me with its every day livability. Bikes are easy to mount using the ratcheting front wheel supports and stepped rear wheel straps. And the easy-to-use control to tilt or flip-up the rack is a feature I use almost every time I use the rack. An innovative anti-sway system, which secures the rack inside the hitch to minimize rocking and rack sway on the road, is a feature I appreciate on a regular basis. It completely eliminated one of my biggest headaches with my old rack. Bikes stayed silent and stable, even on bumpy roads.

The built-in work stand is one feature I appreciate, but truth be told I haven’t used it more than a handful of times. It’s awfully nice to have when you need to lube a chain or make a last-minute drivetrain adjustment before a ride or race though. A nitpick: I would prefer the head offered unlimited rotational adjustment, as opposed to stepped adjustment, but the design is robust enough that I don’t question its long-term durability.

My 29″-Plus Singular Rooster on the Kuat NV rack. This picture was taken before I realized I had the trays mounted backwards, so the support arms were on the wrong side of the bike. It still functioned OK, but the stability of bikes mounted to the rack improved substantially when the arms’ orientation was fixed.

The work stand is a good feature that may or may not add to your overall experience with the rack. For example, if you don’t know how to work on your bike, it most likely will be of little use to you. I use it enough to appreciate, and it’s well-executed. That said, if the repair stand isn’t important to you, the $449 Kuat Sherpa may be a compelling option. Recently updated, the Sherpa offers similar wheel and bicycle retention to the NV in a simpler, lighter design.

I’ve been using my Kuat NV for about six months now and durability is consistent with what I’d expect of a high-end cycling product. My only complaint is a bit of surface rust around some of the fasteners, primarily those exposed to spray from underneath the car. New owners will also want to pay attention to the tightness of the 8mm Allen-head bolt that secures the rack to the hitch tongue. Particularly in the first five or so uses, it makes sense to check that bolt prior to each use. You’ll notice the bolt ‘beds in’ with time, and eventually requires only periodic checking, but running the rack with it loose is a risky proposition. Pay attention until it settles down and stays tight.

The NV rack is also quite substantial when it comes to weight. Owners of small cars (like my 2013 Honda Civic Si) will want to verify the weight of the rack and two bikes doesn’t over load the hitch, or the vehicle’s suspension. My Honda dealer is actually recommending installation of a $500 adjustable upper control arm to normalize the camber (tilt) of the rear wheels with the rack and bikes installed. This isn’t Kuat’s fault, but is worth checking into if you’re the driver of a small car. Tires for 17- or 18-inch wheels aren’t inexpensive, and it’s not a fun surprise to get to learn you wore out a set of tires prematurely.

Overall, I have been impressed by the function and ease-of-use of the Kuat NV rack. It’ll carry a wide range of bicycle types and sizes with equal security, and its features and quality are appropriate for a top-of-the-line product. While it competes in a crowded marketplace, very few of its competitors offer the same versatility and security. Based on my experience, I’d say it’s a winner.

Learn more at shop.kuatracks.com

Note: Kuat sent the NV for test and review at a reduced ‘industry’ price to Twenty Nine Inches. We are not being bribed, nor paid to do this review. We will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.