Atera SRADA bike rack
 

This is the Atera Strada DL bike rack. In the UK it's mounted on the tow bar and takes 10seconds to mount. The bikes take a bit longer! I have the 4 bike rack on a XC90 (sorry) but the 4th child this year cancelled the X5. Cost £300. The 4th rack does include straps to the tail gate, which makes it more stable, but I may not use it!

http://www.chwhite.btinternet.co.uk/...ra_strada.html

I had the Thule 3 bike rack last year and it was easier to use (bike loading wise), but heavier and big to store. It was the sliding function that won it for me.

Wow - this is a great option. I've been dragging my feet because I don't want to put on a trailer hitch. Is there some sort of "quick disconnect" that allows you to remove the rack quickly for, say, parking the X5 in a garage, or do you have to completely unbolt it?

Is the rear bike rack available for E53?
 

Does anyone know if this rack will also fit the earlier x5's? I have an 03 and this looks like a great option.

Thanks

That looks like a great bike rack but I have called a few dealers here in the UK and they don't seem to be able to get hold of it! Apparently they are not available in the UK yet - does anyone know if they are available anywhere else???

I got mine from roofbox.co.uk for about £300 .... BUT, I do have a problem with it. The mounting leaves the bikes at an angle (leaning back) so they look like they are falling off! So, I hope they haven't been pulled from the market while they fix it ... they do lean back quite a bit.

New Part Number
 

FYI, the part number for this has changed. I started looking for this a couple of weeks ago, and BMW's website still had the same part number that Nikos posted listed for the X5. I called a bunch of dealers, and everyone said the item had been discontinued, and there were none in the country. :yikes: I did a quick search on e-Bay, and found a rack being advertised as fitting both the X5 and the X6, with a different part number. I went back to BMW's website, looked up the bike rack for the X6 on the accessories page, and sure enough, there was what appeared to be exactly the same rack, just a different part number. Called the dealer, ordered one up for my '08 X5, and it fit fine. Looks to be exactly the same rack as the one in Nikos' pictures. :thumbup: I noticed that BMW has now updated the part number on the accessories page for the X5.

Here's the new part number: 82710443424.

That is such a great bike rack. BMW really improved the tailgate bike rack from the e53 x5 to the new x5. Its so nice that you don't even have to install a tow hitch. Enjoy and happy trails!!

no good for heavy downhill bikes though :-( Went with hitch mount + Thule.

Anybody know if the BMW rack can be removed and reinstalled quickly? From the photos it appears that it might have some sort of quick disconnect fitting.

what to the rear parking sensors do when the bike rack is installed and loaded with bikes?