Great review. I just ordered one! But I won’t be roof mounting (I got the hitch adapter). Everything you said is everything I want in a bike rack. I only have a need to carry one bike and there are not many (good) options out there in a one-bike configuration. It has a simple, elegant but extremely functional design, and the hitch also looks easy to disengage if I don’t want it on my car. Thanks!
My friend has the hitch model and it really is nice. You'll like it. The only modification I've made to mine in the last year is to add thick, black duct tape to the wheel tray. I'm going to start using my fat bike with studded tires and worried that they'll scratch the nice, powder painted finish.
Thanks for the review! Wondering if the rack is still holding up well? Any issues so far with the arms engaging\staying engaged or parts wearing out? Looking at this for road\gravel as well as an MTB, and possibly also a multi-bike Piston hitch mount as well... so far these piston racks look the best.
I'm into my second year with the Kuat Piston SR rack and it is holding up really well. Barely any indication that it has been used and I kept it on my car throughout the winter. The pistons themselves are still super smooth and showing no signs of wear. No surprise to me that it is holding up much better than any of my previous Thule racks. It just has better quality components and materials than your typical Thule and Yakima racks. It took me a while to shake an unfounded fear that the arms would just fail one day and fling my bike off the roof of my car. For a while, I was actually securing the arms together using ratchet tie-down cords, just as a backup in case the arms accidentally released. I no longer use tie-downs even on long haul trips. I've never had the arms release unexpectedly and this supports what Kuat told me themselves, that they've never had an incidence where the arms failed. I've used the rack for road, gravel, MTB and commuter bikes. All fit great. And unlike many other racks, the Piston SR fits wide fat bike tires straight out of the box. My buddy has the hitch mount version and it has worked flawlessly as well for years. Hope this helps! Cheers and thanks for watching.
@@bikesbymike Thanks so much, really appreciate your reply! "It took me a while to shake an unfounded fear that the arms would just fail one day and fling my bike off the roof" - haha yep I can already relate to this feeling but I think we would have heard about an issue sooner if there was one. Glad to hear it is holding up well, I would likely lean towards just leaving it installed too so that all sounds good. 🙏
I have the Piston Pro X hitch rack but this is the first I've seen for the roof. Great design and functionality but they cost a small fortune. I would be a little bit nervous having a bike or two up there with only the tires being held, especially heavier mountain bikes than yours. Like someone mentioned I would strap down the tires as well for added peace of mind. I do that for my mtn bikes on the piston pro x although probably not needed.
You make a good point. A rep for the company commented to me that they have never had a case of the wheel arms accidentally releasing, but having a backup securing strap like you say still just makes a lot of sense. I’m going to use a short Velcro strap on each wheel for redundancy. They’ll go on and off in seconds, so hard to justify not doing this.
The rack does not lock onto the crossbars. Whether you go with the Universal mount or the T-channel mount, the rack is connected to the crossbars with T-channel nuts, bolts and mounting plates. So, if a thief had the proper size Allen key, they could remove the bike rack from the crossbars, but it would take a lot of time and persistence.
Another reviewer mentioned the rack has a whistling noise at speeds over 50mph. Has that been your experience? Any other cons now that you've used it for a while?
I don’t get whistling sounds at any speed, but I’m using this rack with a INNO Universal Mount Fairing (wind deflector). Before I installed a wind deflector I’d hear whistling at pretty much any speed over 20 mph. Whistling is more often than not due to airflow over the crossbars rather than the bike rack itself.
Mike, great review. From what I've seen of Kuat racks, they look really well made and built to last. I wonder about the pneumatic pistons that open out though. I wonder if there's a risk that somehow they open by accident while on the road causing the bike to fly off the roof. Another consideration is mounting a fat bike with studded tires. This is an issue with all racks as the studs are really sharp and scratch the hell out of anything they touch. Personally I've covered parts of my Thule Criterion rack that come in contact with the studs, with Gorilla tape. Not pretty, but it keeps the plastic pieces from looking chewed up.
Thanks, Norm. I’d trust the Kuat rack over the Thule any day to keep my bike from flying off. Actually, I’ve twice had the wheel mount on my Thule release while driving. Yes, both times it was my fault as the two front wheel arms weren’t fully engaged. But that’s because the engagement is not obvious and the cable actuation lever sometimes sticks, so unless you are looking closely for this issue, you may think it is engaged when it in fact is not. What I will say about the Kuat is that the engaged is solid and very obvious both by feel and by sound. Once engaged, the one-tap lever requires a bit of force to release the arm, but you are correct that if something were to bang it, it could release. Same goes with the Thule Upride lever, though. If something were to hit it, it could release. However, for the Kuat, the instruction manual stipulates that the wheel arms must engage with the wheels at the 10 or 11 o’clock position. I suspect they require the rack be used this way specifically for the reason you mention; that should one arm accidentally release, the other arm is sufficiently positioned to hold the other wheel in place and to not pop out of the rack tray. As for the damage caused by fat bike tires, I have the same experience. Studs scratch anything they touch. What I’m going to try is to apply the clear 3M vinyl film that I use to protect my bike frames.
Mike, thanks for the review. Now that you had the rack for a few months, what do you think. Any issues? BTW where in Toronto did you buy it? I'm thinking of getting it for my Golf.
My opinion hasn’t changed much since my original review. Still works as expected. Hasn’t released unexpectedly and shows no signs of wear. One thing I would say is that if you really pull the wheel mounts tight then the “tap” of the release mechanism is more of a solid hit. Not a big deal but something to think about. Also, it’s easier to mount the bike if the tires aren’t inflated super hard. Would I buy it again if given the chance-yes. The build quality is so much better than anything else I’ve owned. I purchased mine from Rack Attack’s online Canadian store. Very fast delivery for me in Toronto.
It's $669 CAD and $498 USD. (Review says $498 CAD.) I don't recommend the rack. I'm very surprised because I had the Kuat NV 2.0 rack on my previous vehicle and I loved it. It was a top-notch rack and worthy of all the rave reviews. I moved to the Piston SR when I got my most recent vehicle a few weeks ago, thinking it was a no-brainer as it's the best on the market -- or so I thought. I've had the Piston SR installed for one week and I'm already talking to Rack Attack; they are reaching out to Kuat to see if there's some kind of issue after they verified that my install was correct. Here's my experience: (1) it rattles a lot when a bike is mounted, which seems to be due to excessive play in one of the tire cradles (i.e., the plastic piece that contacts the tires); and (2) it moved during transit. I drove for 3 hours with a bike mounted and the rack had slid back 4-5 inches over the course of the trip. I didn't realize it moved until I tried to open the rear hatch (after taking the bike off and closing the arms into the stowed position) and heard a crunch when it hit the rack. Now there's a mark in the paint that I hope can be polished out. The rep at Rack Attack also verified that the rack slides. It doesn't take much force to move it forward and back, plus sideways. (Note that I am using the universal mount as described in the directions. We also verified that is the correct way to install for my application.) The rack also has no soft contact points for the crossbars, so the metal rack is against the metal crossbars and the the metal mounting brackets the same. Now that I have removed the rack, the finish on my new Yakima TimberLine FX crossbars is scuffed up. I'd suggest some rubber coating or strip on the mounting brackets to solve this and perhaps a soft strip along the bottom of the rack. That wouldn't stop the forward and back motion, but it might stop the side to side and would also protect the crossbars. The sad thing is, the construction and materials are top notch (aside from the one piece rattling) compared to other racks I see at the shop. I had high hopes for this rack, but I am truly disappointed.
@@EarlGreyIslander that's too bad. That's the rack I was going to get when my new car arrives. If you do find out what caused the rack sliding around, I hope you can post an update.
@@thefifth1788 will do. Hopefully I’ll hear back today. There’s another install method I can try on the TimberLine FX crossbars which is the T-mount install. However, the same problem may occur. If you look at the Piston SR instructions, there’s a channel along the length of the rack where you install the bolts. That’s what slides - along that channel. So in the end not sure that the alternate installation will help. I’ll try it though.
@@EarlGreyIslander Thanks for the detailed explanation of the problem. I haven't experienced the slippage that you have, but I see the potential with the T-mount fasteners. I'm going to check those bolts regularly to make sure they don't loosen up. Looking forward to hearing what solution Kuat / Rack Attack offers.
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Great review. I just ordered one! But I won’t be roof mounting (I got the hitch adapter). Everything you said is everything I want in a bike rack. I only have a need to carry one bike and there are not many (good) options out there in a one-bike configuration. It has a simple, elegant but extremely functional design, and the hitch also looks easy to disengage if I don’t want it on my car. Thanks!
My friend has the hitch model and it really is nice. You'll like it. The only modification I've made to mine in the last year is to add thick, black duct tape to the wheel tray. I'm going to start using my fat bike with studded tires and worried that they'll scratch the nice, powder painted finish.
Thanks for the review!
My pleasure!
most complete review, thx!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for the review! Wondering if the rack is still holding up well? Any issues so far with the arms engaging\staying engaged or parts wearing out? Looking at this for road\gravel as well as an MTB, and possibly also a multi-bike Piston hitch mount as well... so far these piston racks look the best.
I'm into my second year with the Kuat Piston SR rack and it is holding up really well. Barely any indication that it has been used and I kept it on my car throughout the winter. The pistons themselves are still super smooth and showing no signs of wear. No surprise to me that it is holding up much better than any of my previous Thule racks. It just has better quality components and materials than your typical Thule and Yakima racks.
It took me a while to shake an unfounded fear that the arms would just fail one day and fling my bike off the roof of my car. For a while, I was actually securing the arms together using ratchet tie-down cords, just as a backup in case the arms accidentally released. I no longer use tie-downs even on long haul trips. I've never had the arms release unexpectedly and this supports what Kuat told me themselves, that they've never had an incidence where the arms failed.
I've used the rack for road, gravel, MTB and commuter bikes. All fit great. And unlike many other racks, the Piston SR fits wide fat bike tires straight out of the box. My buddy has the hitch mount version and it has worked flawlessly as well for years.
Hope this helps! Cheers and thanks for watching.
@@bikesbymike Thanks so much, really appreciate your reply! "It took me a while to shake an unfounded fear that the arms would just fail one day and fling my bike off the roof" - haha yep I can already relate to this feeling but I think we would have heard about an issue sooner if there was one. Glad to hear it is holding up well, I would likely lean towards just leaving it installed too so that all sounds good. 🙏
I have the Piston Pro X hitch rack but this is the first I've seen for the roof. Great design and functionality but they cost a small fortune. I would be a little bit nervous having a bike or two up there with only the tires being held, especially heavier mountain bikes than yours. Like someone mentioned I would strap down the tires as well for added peace of mind. I do that for my mtn bikes on the piston pro x although probably not needed.
You make a good point. A rep for the company commented to me that they have never had a case of the wheel arms accidentally releasing, but having a backup securing strap like you say still just makes a lot of sense. I’m going to use a short Velcro strap on each wheel for redundancy. They’ll go on and off in seconds, so hard to justify not doing this.
Thanks for the great review. Question: Does the rack itself lock onto the crossbars so it cannot be stolen easily?
The rack does not lock onto the crossbars. Whether you go with the Universal mount or the T-channel mount, the rack is connected to the crossbars with T-channel nuts, bolts and mounting plates. So, if a thief had the proper size Allen key, they could remove the bike rack from the crossbars, but it would take a lot of time and persistence.
Another reviewer mentioned the rack has a whistling noise at speeds over 50mph. Has that been your experience? Any other cons now that you've used it for a while?
I don’t get whistling sounds at any speed, but I’m using this rack with a INNO Universal Mount Fairing (wind deflector). Before I installed a wind deflector I’d hear whistling at pretty much any speed over 20 mph. Whistling is more often than not due to airflow over the crossbars rather than the bike rack itself.
Mike, great review. From what I've seen of Kuat racks, they look really well made and built to last. I wonder about the pneumatic pistons that open out though. I wonder if there's a risk that somehow they open by accident while on the road causing the bike to fly off the roof. Another consideration is mounting a fat bike with studded tires. This is an issue with all racks as the studs are really sharp and scratch the hell out of anything they touch. Personally I've covered parts of my Thule Criterion rack that come in contact with the studs, with Gorilla tape. Not pretty, but it keeps the plastic pieces from looking chewed up.
Thanks, Norm. I’d trust the Kuat rack over the Thule any day to keep my bike from flying off. Actually, I’ve twice had the wheel mount on my Thule release while driving. Yes, both times it was my fault as the two front wheel arms weren’t fully engaged. But that’s because the engagement is not obvious and the cable actuation lever sometimes sticks, so unless you are looking closely for this issue, you may think it is engaged when it in fact is not. What I will say about the Kuat is that the engaged is solid and very obvious both by feel and by sound. Once engaged, the one-tap lever requires a bit of force to release the arm, but you are correct that if something were to bang it, it could release. Same goes with the Thule Upride lever, though. If something were to hit it, it could release. However, for the Kuat, the instruction manual stipulates that the wheel arms must engage with the wheels at the 10 or 11 o’clock position. I suspect they require the rack be used this way specifically for the reason you mention; that should one arm accidentally release, the other arm is sufficiently positioned to hold the other wheel in place and to not pop out of the rack tray. As for the damage caused by fat bike tires, I have the same experience. Studs scratch anything they touch. What I’m going to try is to apply the clear 3M vinyl film that I use to protect my bike frames.
…to clarify…10 to 11 o’clock position at the front of the vehicle and 1 to 2 o’clock at the rear.
Any thoughts on Yakima front loader?
Sorry. I have no experience with Yakima racks.
Awesome review! Where did you purchase? Looks like prices have gone up since your review 😅
I purchased it from Rack Attack in Canada. The price did go up after my purchase.
Mike, thanks for the review. Now that you had the rack for a few months, what do you think. Any issues? BTW where in Toronto did you buy it? I'm thinking of getting it for my Golf.
My opinion hasn’t changed much since my original review. Still works as expected. Hasn’t released unexpectedly and shows no signs of wear. One thing I would say is that if you really pull the wheel mounts tight then the “tap” of the release mechanism is more of a solid hit. Not a big deal but something to think about. Also, it’s easier to mount the bike if the tires aren’t inflated super hard. Would I buy it again if given the chance-yes. The build quality is so much better than anything else I’ve owned. I purchased mine from Rack Attack’s online Canadian store. Very fast delivery for me in Toronto.
It's $669 CAD and $498 USD. (Review says $498 CAD.) I don't recommend the rack. I'm very surprised because I had the Kuat NV 2.0 rack on my previous vehicle and I loved it. It was a top-notch rack and worthy of all the rave reviews. I moved to the Piston SR when I got my most recent vehicle a few weeks ago, thinking it was a no-brainer as it's the best on the market -- or so I thought. I've had the Piston SR installed for one week and I'm already talking to Rack Attack; they are reaching out to Kuat to see if there's some kind of issue after they verified that my install was correct.
Here's my experience: (1) it rattles a lot when a bike is mounted, which seems to be due to excessive play in one of the tire cradles (i.e., the plastic piece that contacts the tires); and (2) it moved during transit. I drove for 3 hours with a bike mounted and the rack had slid back 4-5 inches over the course of the trip. I didn't realize it moved until I tried to open the rear hatch (after taking the bike off and closing the arms into the stowed position) and heard a crunch when it hit the rack. Now there's a mark in the paint that I hope can be polished out. The rep at Rack Attack also verified that the rack slides. It doesn't take much force to move it forward and back, plus sideways. (Note that I am using the universal mount as described in the directions. We also verified that is the correct way to install for my application.) The rack also has no soft contact points for the crossbars, so the metal rack is against the metal crossbars and the the metal mounting brackets the same. Now that I have removed the rack, the finish on my new Yakima TimberLine FX crossbars is scuffed up. I'd suggest some rubber coating or strip on the mounting brackets to solve this and perhaps a soft strip along the bottom of the rack. That wouldn't stop the forward and back motion, but it might stop the side to side and would also protect the crossbars. The sad thing is, the construction and materials are top notch (aside from the one piece rattling) compared to other racks I see at the shop. I had high hopes for this rack, but I am truly disappointed.
@@EarlGreyIslander that's too bad. That's the rack I was going to get when my new car arrives. If you do find out what caused the rack sliding around, I hope you can post an update.
@@thefifth1788 will do. Hopefully I’ll hear back today. There’s another install method I can try on the TimberLine FX crossbars which is the T-mount install. However, the same problem may occur. If you look at the Piston SR instructions, there’s a channel along the length of the rack where you install the bolts. That’s what slides - along that channel. So in the end not sure that the alternate installation will help. I’ll try it though.
@@EarlGreyIslander Thanks for the detailed explanation of the problem. I haven't experienced the slippage that you have, but I see the potential with the T-mount fasteners. I'm going to check those bolts regularly to make sure they don't loosen up. Looking forward to hearing what solution Kuat / Rack Attack offers.