Yakima Raptor Bike Mount

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

The only problem I have is that sometimes eventhough I feel like I tightened up the stem crank as much as possible the bike will still lean to the right after driving the car

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

I've had my Raptor a number of years now and it has never yielded its grip on a bike, so that speaks for the durability and security of the rack as a transporter. I love that it can easily fit a wide variety of frame sizes. If you have a nutted front axle and want a cartop carrier, there are not many choices. Recently I took the Raptor off a van and mounted it on a sedan. That's when I noticed that the bike sways A LOT on uneven roads. The rack never lost its grip and the bike always arrived with the car, but it is nerve wracking hearing the swaying. I now pull the front wheel and mount my 29er on a Viper and travel a lot less nervous. Still recommended, but with reservations.

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

only used a BMX bike on it so far but there are absolutely no problems with it. Anyone stating it was difficult to install obviously didnt read the directions, it didnt take me but 5 minutes to get it on my roof rack and get my bike strapped in. As for complaints of stability, that is a farce, the only time ive noticed my bike was even on my roof was seeing the shadow of a bike on the high way. I even sped at 85mph (guilty) and didnt notice the bike. Arriving to my destination my bike was in its exact position i put it in, not tilted more than 5 degrees. My only complaint is the SKS lock does not come with the rack, i mean ive already spent [$] just on the base rack, then another [$] on this bike rack, the least they could do was throw in ONE lock, instead of having to pay another $35 for a nickel size lock.

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

This one is a fairly basic rack which fastens both tires into the rack, then the swingarm clamps onto the frame.

The first comment, of course, is that you don't want to use this with any kind of a carbon or composite frame because those are just not designed to be squeezed the way this rack does. If that isn't an issue for you, then this is a perfectly decent, though not the most convenient rack made.

Rack works better with mid-fat tires. Road tires probably would do better if there was a bit of padding either under the tire or between the tire and the strap. Extremely fat tires (bigger than my 2.1s), might have a tough time squeezing in. Since there's no need to remove or store the front wheel, conflicts with disk brakes or non-standard front fork/axle combinations aren't an issue. Security is good, despite what the previous reviewer stated. The rack attaches at the front with two very long-armed "wing nut" style attachments. IF these are installed properly, with the nuts on TOP and the bolt heads on the bottom, then you can't unscrew them. This is only a problem if you fail to use the factory attachments or if you install it incorrectly with the wingnuts underneath rather than on top. And of course, to be honest, there isn't a bike rack made whose "security" could not be easily defeated by a hacksaw in a few seconds, so if you're really planning on leaving your bike on the roof in a bad neighborhood, some extra locking is called for.

It's not perfectly stable at high speed, but the only racks I've seen that are tend to be the "front wheel off" versions. This has been true for years, and it's inherent in the nature of the beast. As with any similar design, the higher up on the bike you attach the stabilizer arm, the more stable the whole thing will be. I have done well with this one for several years, but it's now become my "backup for a friend" rack, and I'm using a Highroller, which has pluses and minuses as well, but overall is a bit easier.

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

I purchased one of these to transport any one of my three bikes--road, front-suspension mountain, or 13-year-old hardtail mtn. I installed the rack on my 2005 Subaru Outback's factory bars with Mighty Mounts (extra purchase). While I was initially pleased with having this bike rack as a rear spoiler prohibits me from attaching a trunk rack to my car, I have grown so tired of loading and unloading bikes on this model that I'm looking for a fork-mount or hitch-mount replacement. My primary problems are:

1.) I'm 5'5", and while my Outback is not a tall car, I have to stand on the rear seat and reach around the roof to load my bike. I think if I were 6" taller, this would be less of an issue. It's too awkward for me, especially with heavier bikes that are difficult to lift overhead in an unbalanced fashion.

2.) There is a certain bit of unsteadiness in this rack, even when everything is ratcheted down tight. I never felt entirely comfortable about my bike's security, especially when driving on the highway with anything heavier than a road bike.

3.) Speaking of ratchets . . . when mounting a bike with less than fat mtn tires, I really had to ratchet down the two straps that secure the wheels to prevent too much play. However, when taking the bike down, sometimes the ratcheting mechanism would fail to release, I think because the strap was at too sharp an angle. Also, there seemed to be no easy way to trim straps that were too long; I have a few scratches on the roof from them slapping the paint.

I figured having the Raptor would save me some time and effort because I wouldn't have to remove the front wheel. I really wish I had purchased a rack that is fork-mount in the front. Those seem much more stable, lower, and easier to use. Removing a QR front wheel is simple compared to this ordeal.

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

Before you buy this product ask the sales rep to take the straps out of the container and have them show you how to undo them. maybe i just got a couple bad straps but getting them to unlock from around your tires is a major pain. The locking arm itself seems like a low quality piece of equipment although it has always held my bike in place during the infrequent times that I have transported my bike on the top of my car. Also unless your taller than 5'8" it's a pain to transport your bike. I have to pick my bike up over my head, put it in the rail and then step up on the runner of my 4runner while at the same time pushing the bike up straight up vertical so I can then reach down with one hand and install the locking arm on the bike. It's a pain. Maybe if the straps worked better this thing might be acceptable. For me, I hate it. Even though I already paid for this thing, i think the hassle actually makes it worth it to me to spend another 200 and get a carrier that fits the back of my 4runner.

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

I bought this for my Subaru and full-suspension mountain bike. Unfortunately, the bike rack arm does not reach the bike frame. It isn't long enough, even if I adjust where the bike sits on the frame mount.
I also found it somewhat awkward to actually get the bike to sit in the correct place on the frame. I use a similar rack for my road bike and don't have this same difficulty. It could be though that this process is more difficult because the bike is a lot heavier and the rack seems to be higher (I'm short...). I was disappointed with this rack and will be returning.

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

This product works pretty well at holding the bike. However, most of Yakima's products are designed in such a fashion that when they are locked, the bolts that attach them to the crossbars are covered so they can not be removed. This one is not. It attaches to the crossbars with three bolts and they could be removed very easily allowing someone to take off with your bike *and* rack.

I suppose one could use a separate lock to lock the rack to the crossbars but that shouldn't be necessary.

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

I use the raptor for road bikes on my audi wagon. It's quick and easy and you don't have to remove the front wheel to put it up there, a big plus for me when purchasing, and now with use. Getting the bike on/off can be a process, i guess, you just have to think it through and get used to it. Once you get a method that works for you it's easy. I don't know how this or any roof mount rack works well on an SUV, because the roof is so high up, but maybe that's yet another reason we shouldn't drive SUVs. I mostly use the rack around town/area but have carried the bike up to Maine- a 3 hour trip. If I add another rack, it will be the raptor, it works well and the price looks good, comparitively.

Comments about Yakima Raptor Bike Mount:

I recently purchased a pop-up camper that came with this rack. While my Land Cruiser has the "Steel Head" fork mounted racks on the roof, I find that storing the front wheels can sometimes take up a lot of space in the car. That can be a real disadvantage when you are fully packed for a long weekend trip. With this rack, there is no need to take off the front wheel, so it frees up quite a bit of space. As for the convenience, not much beats this system. Pick the bike up and clamp it to all three mounts and go. Takes less time then any other rack. Nothing could be easier. When you are ready to ride, take the bike down and your off and running. Nothing to fuss with. The rack is solid and can be easily adjusted with the usual Yakima wing nuts. Home run with this rack.