Kuat Racks Sherpa 2.0-2 Bike Rack

I got the Kuat Sherpa 2.0 rack for a 2" receiver hitch in the pearl color. It works great on our 2013 Toyota Highlander and matches the pearl color of the vehicle. I originally got a Thule T2 Pro bike rack but this didn't work on the Highlander because the distance between the hitch pin (center) and the end of the hitch was only 1"; Thule requires a minimum of 1.5". This Kuat Sherpa 2.0 rack is elegantly designed and beautifully fabricated. It's constructed of aluminum and is much lighter than the Thule T2 Pro rack. I use it with two Trek road bikes (Domane and Silque) and it positions them far enough apart that nothing interferes. No need to reposition the seat, etc. The rack folds down to let you open the rear hatch of the vehicle without unloading bikes; this works great on the Highlander. It has fold-out wheel positioners that close up to minimize the height of the rack when no bikes are mounted; the rack then folds up behind the rear hatch to minimize total length; this allows me to get the vehicle in the garage with the rack on. I've looked at a number of premium racks and this is the best for my purposes. It's hard to imagine anything that could be improved on this rack.

Before you buy this rack, read my notes on the installation below.This is an amazingly heavy duty bike rack. Once secured to the vehicle and tightened using the easy-to-reach hitch stabilizer, it doesn't move at all. The packaging was really well thought out, and the rack comes wrapped in some thin foam and has protective tape to protect the finish. Open the box carefully, because the contents are carefully packed in a way that the box works as an assembly platform. There are only 4 bolts, 5 washers, and one nut to attach, but it would be difficult to hold everything in place without the box. Everything else is made of sturdy steel tubing that is cut perfectly to lock into place together. This makes it easy to assemble as a one person job.One thing to watch out for! The instructions tell you in Step 5 to install and tighten the long bolts that hold the platforms to the main crossbar, then insert a perpendicular bolt below in the "rear tray holder". In my case, inserting this third bolt was impossible once the long bolts were tight. I had to loosen everything up, back off the rear tray holder, and then I could just barely install the third bolt through the rail holder. It was tight, but turning the bolt helped to get it all the way through. I saw a couple of one-star reviews that said the bolt holes didn't line up, and I suspect it's because they followed the instructions to the letter in Step 5.This rack is head and shoulders above most similar racks, and Kuat makes very high quality parts. This rack sits one below their flagship model, the NV 2.0. Unlike that rack, this rack is a fixed 2-bike carrier, and doesn't have the option of adding a 3rd or 4th bike carrier, or the somewhat gimmicky repair stand. It also doesn't have built-in cables, just a single lock (uses the same keys as the hitch lock) and an included external cable that plugs into it. On the bright side, it's significantly cheaper, and importantly (to me) weighs significantly less, making it less of a hassle to install and remove.With the 40 pound per bike limit, and 14.5" between bikes, you can carry two of nearly any bike, with the exception of some particularly heavy e-bikes. I wanted a rack that would safely hold my irreplaceable classic bikes without worry, and wouldn't need any stabilizer straps. With my 2" receiver hitch, it is rock solid, and doesn't move at all.Minor complaints: Even though the hitch has a built-in stabilizer, the locking hitch pin doesn't tighten, so it can rattle (a rubber band can prevent this). The rack rides just a little low to the ground for my taste, a couple of inches lower at the back than the 2-bike NV 2.0. It's not perfect for everybody. If you are doing hard-core off-roading, this rack will probably hang a little low and sticks out a little far. For those that need high ground clearance, 1Up USA makes racks that work great for offroad adventures. For those looking for a great sturdy rack that can handle a little abuse while protecting your bikes, this is a great choice.

Sweet Rack!Possibly the best platform bike rack made to date by any company! Weighs 30.8 lbs on my digital scale which is very manageable for most people and that is half the weight of some other comparable brands. The fit/finish is top notch. Assembly was a bit fiddly as some of the holes didn't line up perfectly but I had it assembled in about 15 minutes going slow. The box doubles as an assembly jig for easier one person assembly. It has 14.5" in between bikes so it shouldn't have much seat/handlebar interference unless you have some very wide flat bars and in that case you could simply lower a seatpost while transporting. It fit both my road and mountain bikes fine. I owned the original Sherpa rack. Ground clearance is a bit less with this 2.0 version over the original, it's slightly heavier but cleaner/slimmer, it holds bikes with a more solid feel and holds tighter in a 2" receiver vs the original with an adapter . The anti sway expander ball works great but tilts the rack slightly down to the left. The new hitch pin/lock is larger more solid and has a allen wrench integrated into it if the rack bolts ever get loose. I added a U-Haul hitch stop sleeve to make lining up the hitch pin holes easy when putting the rack on but tape or paint would also work. The new ratcheting arms are definitely beefier and the release button is improved over the old version. The built in lock cable is nice but I would never leave my bike unattended and don't plan on using it . I found the new foot release tilt lever to be a potential surprise shin buster so I will just use the hand lever to be safe. Overall it's a very well engineered, very light, very solid and great looking rack.

I'm happy with this rack now that I've got it installed and working. The design is great and for the most part everything feels high quality.Quality control is lacking, however:-- one of the main threaded rods that connect the whole thing was cut incorrectly on the threading machine, leaving a lip of metal that stopped the rod from inserting properly. I managed to fix this by grinding down the extra metal with a dremel.-- as some others have said, the bolt holes mounting the rack to the hitch frame are misaligned. After loosening another bolt that I wasn't supposed to have to loosen, I managed to get it together.

I use it on a 2017 Subaru Outback. Easy to assemble, very stable, easy to load bikes, and convenient to get into hatch with or without bikes loaded. And to top it off, looks like it was made for my car. An excellent bike rack.