Yakima Viper Bike Mount
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At the top of the fork-mount food chain, the Yakima Viper bike mount supplies premium performance and drop-dead styling.
Shop similar products- Carry almost any bike with the 9mm stainless-steel skewer
- Easy-adjusting red lever provides quick installation and security, even when mounted outside the tower
- Ergonomically designed lever has same-side adjustment
- Fits the widest range of tires and rims with the wheeltray and wheelstrap design
- Mounts equally well to round or square crossbars
- Lockable with Yakima SKS cores, sold separately
Imported.
| Best Use | Cycling |
|---|---|
| Number of Bikes | 1-bike |
| Weight | 6.5 pounds |
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Works Great
I had originally purchased the Raptor upright bike rack but quickly returned it in favor of the lower profile Viper. Sure you have to remove the front wheel every time, but securing the front fork makes the bike much more stable on the roof and makes the bike a little less appealing to steal. Contrary to what other reviewers have found, I've had absolutely no problem attaching the front fork to the skewer.
The best roof-top bike carrier!
I own and use both the current and previous versions of the Viper. While the new skewer is a little different than it used to be, once you get the hang of it it's great. Otherwise, both versions have been great for years! I carry road, CX, and mtb bikes (with disc brakes) with my Vipers, and have been very pleased. This system is the perfect mix of price and function. Don't spend less $$ on their cheaper versions, especially if you have or may have bikes with disc brakes. Unlike the Copperhead, you can fit any bike on this. And unlike the Boa, it has a stiff tray that stops your bike from shaking violently down the expressway. I have not tried the more expensive ones, but can certainly appreciate the benefit of not having to remove the wheel (as with the Raptor, Frontloader, Highroller, etc.). However, I always have room in my car for a wheel or two, so I don't mind flipping a quick-release once or twice with the Viper. Additionally, with the skewer on the Viper clamped down, I have NO qualms about driving 70mph down the highway. I am 100% confident my bike will stay on, especially with SKS locks locking the skewer in place.
Solid rack, with some issues...
Okay, I've got three of these racks (older, non-plastic models) on two of our cars, and once they're on and set up, they're great. Once I get the bike in there, it's not going anywhere, and never had any fear of losing my ride. But there are a couple of caveats: First up, the adjustment screw really is a pain in the backside. I realize that it makes the rack theftproof when locked, but I've lost count at the amount of skin I've lost on my thumb trying to adjust it. Second, removing the racks is a pain in the backside, because of said screw. If you just want to be able to pop your bike tray off and on when it's needed, you need to completely unthread the quick release, and completely remove the bolt skewer from the head in order to remove the tray. Again, I get that the design makes it theftproof, but... Third: On THAT note... I recently traded in my old car for a new Audi, and moved a pair of the Vipers to my new wheels. One popped off (relatively) quick, but the other skewer would NOT come out. Finally had to use a thin piece of plastic rod and tapped it out with a rubber mallet, and discovered that the metal skewer was bent. Now, I do cinch my bikes down relatively tight, but not to that extent! And this was the rack on the passenger side, which means it only had a bike in there if I was driving with a friend's bike on there - which only happened a handful of times. Took the part to a Yakima Authorized Repair dealer, who told me that if I wanted to replace the bolt, I had to buy a whole new skewer assembly for $30. Pfft. Fourth: And this is just purely nitpicking I guess - but anything red on your Yakima rack will fade like CRAZY in the sun. The plastic on the head, as well as the buckle on the rear straps are now a shade of dirty pink as opposed to bright red. Small thing, but... c'mon guys, use some UV-resistant plastic or something? Still tho, all in all, a decent rack for hauling your bikes around, and when purchased on sale is a good buy.
Simple Secure Rack If It Fits Your Bike and Rack
I did not like the two-wheels-up style bike racks, so I opted for the Viper as a fork-mount style. Remounting the front wheel before a ride is no big deal and mounting the bike is simplified. I have not had any problem with my disc brakes, but some people have reported problems with the locking skewer and their front disc brake. Be aware of this. Once mounted, the bike is very securely held in place. I am talking about transport secure, not theft secure. I have no comment on the latter except to say that in the six plus years that I've owned the Viper, I've never lost a bike, either through clamping failure or theft. I am docking the rack one star because the rack's front bar mount is for round bars only. If you have anything else, it just won't mount properly. If you are using another shape, check out the Forklift.
Disappointing
I'm normally a Yakima fan, but this was a disappointing effort by them. First off, the "one-handed" adjustment on the skewer is not easy to use. The skewer on the previous version of the Viper was worlds better. I'd go so far as to say that the skewer on the previous version of the Copperhead (no frills quick release, like the one on your bike) is superior to what is currently offered on the Viper. Second, even with all the effort required to use the adjustment on the skewer, it had a tendency to loosen its grip on my bike while driving on bumpy gravel roads, even at speeds as low as 10 mph. The final and most inexplicable shortfall of adjustment for the skewer was that the diameter is so large that it does not clear the bottom of my bike's fork leg. The fork actually has to move up to accommodate the adjustment mechanism of the skewer, which results in a skewer that isn't fully seated in the fork dropouts and an adjustment mechanism that is rubbing against the bottom of the fork leg. Of my three complaints, this is the most baffling. I ride a 2003 Fox Float F80 RLT fork, which has pretty standard size fork legs. How Yakima designed a skewer that isn't fully compatible with this fork size is beyond me. One of my more disappointing purchases. I will be returning this.
Yakima - Yakima Viper Bike Mount
Bought this for my Cannondale Trail 5. I like the rack, it looks very sleek on my 07 Honda Civic. This front bolt that the other reviews are talking about it a little tricky to install but it didn't bother me too much, since the bolt is a little tricky it will be harder for someone to steal.
Awesome
Like all Yakima products, this rocks. This is my 4th and final Viper (I keep adding to keep up with a growing family). I love it!
Tricky
This difficult to use. The skewer is threaded backwards and difficult to adjust or remove. Not recommended.
develops slop, skewer hits fork leg.
There are two major problems with this tray, first is the fact that the plastic lever is what really puts enough pressure on the clamp holding it to the roof round bars. Works fine to start but over time especially if you do a lot of off road/bumpy road driving getting to the trails the clamping mechanism no longer holds tight enough because the plastic wears/compresses/bends. So not only does the bike not stay solid, but the front of the tray can slide across the round bars. You won't loose a bike off the rack, but who wants their tray sliding around? Plus having the bike wobble means it puts more stress on the fork wheel mount tabs. I've only had mine for a couple years and since it's my center tray it only gets used on big trips and it's already loose enough I can make it slide on the round bars. This has been the weak spot of all of the yakima trays that rely on this plastic lever design to tighten the tray to the roof rack. In the past on my old steehead's I've drilled and bolted them to the round bar, but that's not an option with the viper. The second problem is the new skewer design, the quick adjust lever side is so fat where the knurled adjustment is that it hits the bottom of suspension fork legs, meaning they won't fully engage on the skewer. The copperhead is a much better design that bolts to the round bar, it's not as fast to install or easy to move around, but it won't loosen either.