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Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack

$127.19
$159.00^*

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Item # 783751

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A first for Yakima, a fork-mount bike rack that attaches directly to most factory crossbars right out of the box! Meet the the Yakima Universal ForkLift.

Rack installs quickly and easily, and it fits round, square and most factory crossbars
Rack is designed to accommodate most bike forks with disc brakes
Sliding wheel tray makes positioning the rear wheel simple
Lockable skewer has an integrated adjustment knob for simple 1-handed operation; SKS lock cores are sold separately
Sleek design and nice finish look great on your vehicle

Please note: Yakima products can only be shipped to U.S. addresses.

Imported.

Item 783751

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Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack

4.1

(based on 30 reviews)

79%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Easy to install (25)
Easy to use (24)
Stable (21)
Lightweight (16)
Durable (12)

Cons

Best Uses

Mountain bikes (14)
Road bikes (13)
Small cars (7)
Large cars (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid cyclist (18), Casual/ recreational (8)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (15)

Reviewed by 30 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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May

2013

5.0

Simple Sturdy Product

By Cody Martin

from Tucson, AZ

About Me Competitive Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Large Cars
Mountain Bikes
Road Bikes

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

I use this product facing forward on the factory roof rack of my 2nd generation Nissan Xterra. The installation is quick and painless everytime - so much so that I actually take it off after every use to go through the car wash or regain the factory mpg rating.

I've tried it with four bikes (26" mtb, 29" mtb, old ten speed road bike, Cannondale road bike) and it holds everyone of them securely with little to no motion or acoustic noise.

I've had it for two years and I expect it to last for many more. Not long after buying it, I drove under an overhang with my bike still attached. This thing is so bombproof that it ripped the crossbeam off my Xterra and bent the handlebars on my bike, but the Yakima rack was still holding onto both and didn't show any signs of damage. Great product.

Comment on this review

Apr

2013

2.0

good...if you don't mind it whistling

By cycleb

from Austin, TX

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Noisy

Best Uses

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

The rack was easy to install on factory crossbars and lightweight, but once I started driving around with it, I quickly noticed a high pitched whistling noise whenever I got over 40mph. Highway driving was almost unbearable. The two bar design made this product anything but quiet.

I ended up switching to the Thule Circuit. Comparable to the Yakima, but I don't even know it's on the roof because it's much quieter.

If you don't mind noise, the Yakima works just fine. If quiet is something you value, check out the Thule.

Comment on this review

Sep

2012

(0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

The whistler

By L

from St. Paul, MN

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to Use
Lightweight

Cons

Doesn't Fit My Car
Whistles

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes
Road Bikes
Small Cars

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

This carrier was purchased for use on a 2012 Subaru Impreza sport with factory aero crossbars. An instore factory rep told me that it would work with my car. The carrier does not fit facing forward, the clamps cannot close tight enough to grab the crossbar. A rear facing install was necessary which meant that the endcap was facing forward. The underside of the endcap is not solid plastic, which means that at highway/freeway speeds it produces an obnoxious whistle that becomes quite irksome after a while.

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Aug

2012

5.0

Nice on my Toy Rav4

By rdmyers

from Houston, TX

About Me Competitive Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

Really easy to install, did it in REI parking lot in about 15 minutes. Solid connection to Rav4 factory cross bars, though the factory bars themselves are kind of flexy. Drove ~2700 mi with bike on top, no problems.

Comment on this review

May

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Be Careful About Mountain Bikes

By Running Writer and Cyclist

from Santa Rosa, CA, and Greenville, SC

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Hard to Install or Use
Unsuitable for Some Forks

Best Uses

Road Bikes

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

Purchased two Yakima Forklift racks because our Highlander has factory-installed roof bars. Installation went OK, but not easiest (keep reading for a recommendation).

Our first disappointment with this rack was that, although it was supposed to be fine for mountain bikes, NEITHER of our MTBs fit: the Ellsworth Truth with Manitou Black fork, nor the Gary Fisher Cake with Rock Shox Recon fork. On BOTH bikes, the disc brake caliper unit at the bottom of the left fork arm came into contact with the front part of the rack, which mounts on the crossbar of the roof rack. It was completely impossible to secure the fork to the skewer.

Our second disappointment was REI support. We've been REI members for almost 20 years. We looked at the Forklift at our local store first. No indication from the store personnel that the Forklift wouldn't work for our bikes. But the store didn't have the Forklift in stock, so we ordered from REI online. However, when the racks arrived, and didn't work, we called REI. What was the customer service rep's suggestion? Call Yakima! C'mon. We know it's probably a challenge for REI to keep up with the number of products the company sells. But we've always shopped with REI for the company's expertise. We could have ordered the racks from any discounter and been told "Call Yakima."

I did phone Yakima to be sure we weren't missing something. Rep asked for time to check with a supervisor. After a few minutes, she came back and asked exactly what bikes, and more specifically, what forks, we were using. Took down the details because, apparently, Yakima is still wrestling with which bikes work and which don't.

There IS a workaround, if you absolutely must have a fork-mounted rack. Although our local store didn't have the adapter, the adapter (if you can visualize this) is a "false axle" mounted on very short posts that end in "false dropouts," which then mount on the rack's skewer.

Not acceptable for us. Our solution? In the first paragraph I said "read on." Get the Yakima Frontloader rack. We didn't purchase Frontloaders from REI, as a result of the lack of customer support ("Call Yakima"). But one of our local bike shops unpacked a Forklift and checked my Ellsworth on it. They confirmed neither my fork nor my wife's would work, even on the 2012 version of the rack.

The shop's staff recommended the Frontloader, based on staff experience. The Frontloader mounts on factory bars. The rear mount is the same as the Forklift, but the front mount is more substantial and easier to install.

Their team installed two Frontloaders on our Highlander, and showed me how to mount a bike on the rack. The Frontloader also comes with a cable to secure your bike to the rack. Final note: you will need to purchase Yakima lock cores (1 to mount the Frontloader to the car and 1 for the cable lock to secure the bike to the rack). Hope info this is helpful.

Comment on this review

Apr

2012

5.0

Solid & sturdy

By raeberha

from Washington, D.C.

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Large Cars
Road Bikes
Small Cars

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

Very easy to install and use. Fit snug on the factory bars on my Mountaineer.

Comment on this review

Mar

2012

4.0

Good Bike Rack

By 5UZ4NNE

from Twin Cities, Minnesota

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

I bought this rack about a year ago to carry my Specialized road bike on my '11 Santa Fe. It was easy to install once I figured out that I have to mount it facing backwards in order to open the back hatch while the rack is in place. It's quick to put the bike on and off of the rack, and quick to uninstall and reinstall the rack on the car as I don't leave it in place unless I'm using it. It stays steady as a rock through freeways, rough roads, and everything in between. The only downside is a whistling noise at anything over 40 mph, perhaps because of the backwards mount that I mentioned above. Other than that, this is perfect for my needs.

Comment on this review

Mar

2012

5.0

Solid Reliable Rack

By like2bike

from Pennsylvania

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

My first roof rack. I was always skeptical of the ability to load / unload and of the security of the bike on the roof. I should have tried this sooner!! Very Easy to instal on my Honda Element factory rack. Very Easy to load and unload. Very secure. Great rack for the price. Will not go back to a hitch mount. No have rear-access to my car again!!! dont have to remove and load the very heavy hitch mounted rack anymore!!!

Comment on this review

Aug

2011

5.0

Easy to install and use!!

By Lucas B

from Fresno, CA

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

I installed this on my factory crossbars on a 2010 Subaru Impreza 5 Door and was surprised at how easy it was to install. I also love how easy it is to mount my mountain bike and lock it in to place. After reading other reviews I was a little worried about the difficulty of mounting my bike but had no problems at all.
I was concerned the first time I took it out on the highway that it might break or loosen during high speeds but after 80+ on the highway and super tight cornering I've had no issues what so ever. Great product!!

Comment on this review

Jul

2011

5.0

Love it!

By Stumpy182

from Mt. Hood Oregon

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Yakima Universal ForkLift Bike Rack:

I purchased this for both my cars, a 08 Honda CRV with factory bars and a Subaru with after market bars. It works great on both and keeps the bike very stable. I love the ease of moving it from one vehicle to the other. The only thing I would like to see them change is securing the back section so it would not easly be taken off. I used unique screws for the duel purpose of securing the end cap better and making it harder for anyone to remove the rear tire tie down.

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