BMW Rear Bike Rack Pics
 

I just purchased and installed the BMW Rear Bike rack for the E70. So far so good. Very nice quality and very sturdy for two bikes. It will permanently stay attached for the summertime. The only thing that sucks is that the PDC is useless now and it beeps continuously every time I back up.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/...47c96313cb.jpg

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Nice! Can you tell us if you need to open the trunk, do you need to dismount the entire thing or just lower the vertical bar?

I don't know how bike racks usually work, but that must be one sturdy rear bumper to have 2 bikes' weights on it for any length of time.

Please do tell how easy/hard to access the trunk now...

It is very easy to access the trunk. On the right side you will notice a green button. Once pressed, the rack slides away from the car and it clears the trunk easily. The rack slide away loaded too. Once pushed back in its original position it locks securely. I will try to post new pictures tomorrow with the trunk open.

I don't think it's mounted to the plastic bumper cover, I think it goes right into the actual bumper.

That is correct. I took off the two plastic covers on the bumper and I screwed it in the holes that are used for towing the car.

Interesting. So you don't actually need the tow hitch for this? That is an excellent design!

It looks a great set up, thanks for posting. How much did you pay for it?

$372 plus tax. From BMW of Sterling Virginia.

Here are the promised photos of the rack sliding away from the car to open the trunk. I apologize for the bad quality. The pics are from my iPhone.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3104/...dce12577_b.jpg

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Two questions... first, does the bike rack cover the camera view when backing up as well? second, how secure and how fast is it to load and unload your bikes?

I've been considering the BMW one or looking at a Thule rack instead... Not sure which route to go.

Thanks for the post!

I can't tell from your picture, but is this a hitch mount rack?

Sorry fo the delay in replying but I was on vacation. The camera view is partially blocked but still ok. After the initial setup the loading is fast and quite secure.

No it mounts in the towing screws that are found inside the bumper.

does it fold
 

Hi,

Nice Bike rack. I was wondering if the bike platform could fold upward toward the vehicle when not loaded, to decrease the distance it protrudes from the back?

No unfortunately it does not fold up. I agree it would have been a great feature.

Does someone has the part number for this?? I want to order it from BMW of Morristown for a discount.

Here you go: 82710427337

Very nice. I just wish you can get it with a 4 bike option but then again, it would be sticking out way too much and may be too heavy since it's only mounted by screws.

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?

They beep continually whenever you put it in reverse, as they think you are running over two bikes.

It isn't a quick-disconnect coupler, but it is only on there with two bolts, so it would be relatively quick to unbolt (either for you, or somebody that wanted your bikes, I suppose).

Wow old thread. So I'll just crack a joke.

Looks like the car has braces.

*whistle* Hey nice rack!!

Seriously though, looks like a cool design to utilize the towing studs.

The way they hold the bikes looks kinda odd though, I bought the Thule T2 which is extremely sturdy and folds flat against the back of the truck, but needs a 2" receiver to work.

If you have a hitch I recommend the Thule for sure. It holds the bikes by their tires instead of the upper contraption grabbing the frames.

This rack holds the bikes by their tires too, in addition to the upper arms. There is no quick release mechanism; you have to unbolt the whole rack, but that takes less than a minute to do. And no, others can't do that and take your bikes and rack, if you remember to lock the provided rack and bike locks, that is.

is there any way to disable only the rear parking sensors so it does not beep constatnly when in reverse?

Can't you just hit the button on the dash to disable it (have to do it each time I know)

Good info, thanks.

I use Thule and ATOC fork-mount carriers on the roof rack. They are all locked to the rails as well.

Thanks! That's the info I was looking for.

The Thule also holds down the bottom of the rims, but the difference is that it holds the top of the rim with an arm, contacting only the tire, instead of having to be clamped to a painted surface on the bike. Thule went away from clamping tubes.

Thule T2 is an excellent rack. It also tilts up when not loaded and tilts down from the loaded position to allow the rear hatch to open.

Nice rack indeed. Unfortunately, it's not an option if one does not have a hitch. I wish Thule or anyone of the other rack manufacturers would make one that would fit the X5 bumper towing eyes. Competition would drive the price of BMW's down. With no competing racks (that I know of), BMW can and does sell theirs for $499 + tax!!! Damn them! :mad:

It's a bloody disgrace that BMW doesn't allow you to switch off the rear PDC permanently.

All you have to do is hook up a trailer harness and it is disabled.

I'm going to mount a set of LED taillights in my Thule T2 and that should take care of the PDC and safety issues.

Yup I know rear pdc is disabled if it sees a load on the hitch electrical outlet however LEDs didn't work for me and I had to rigg up something that mimics loads that are equivilent to lamps. Btw it requires loads on brake, blinkers and plate lamp.

Unfortunately even after all of that the tow hitch electrical system still throws out errors that are logged by the car.

Why the hell you have to go to this much trouble to simply disable rear pdc is a joke. BMW are aware of the issue as I've spoken to one of their NA reps about it but they don't have a easy fix as it requires "extensive" re-engineering of multiple systems and it's not cost effective to fix.

Sorry to hear about the PDC problems. I remember the threads where you posted a solution involving adding resistors into a plug, creating a dummy load for the trailer controller. Guess that didn't work out.

All of this makes me very glad my bikes are on the roof and not on a hitch-mounted carrier. PDC works great. Bikes stay clean. However, I have moved and now have underground parking. I now need to take the bikes off outside and ride them in to my bike locker, a little more complicated than the loading/unloading process at the house was.

that is one ugly bike rack

I have Thule 954 Ridgeline. Its a much better looking and sturdy bike rack.. Can hold up to 4 bikes.

Weight/tire width limit on BMW bike rack?
 

Anyone know what the BMW bumper-mounted rack can hold as far as weight is concerne?. I saw the post about not being capable of holding heavy DH bikes. Just wondering if someone that has the rack can tell us if there are any weight or tire width limitations. From the picture, it looks like just about any moutain bike wold work on this rack. Thx.

With the Ridgeline the bikes hang from the clamps and can contact each other. That may not be an issue for mountain bikes that get banged up in daily use, but I wouldn't want to put nice carbon road bikes there.

But it's absolutely useless if one does not have a hitch, which is the point of getting the BMW rack, ugly or not.

I have the BMW hitch with the thule t2 with extension ... 4 bike mounts. I use it to shuttle 4 heavy ~45lbs each DH Bikes. Never one issue. You try sticking those things on the roof. It would do your back in !!

If I had to ride a 45 pound bike it would do more than just my back in. I guess if you only ride downhill....

Our roadbikes are 15-16 pounds each. Our racing tandem holds two, and is still only 30 lbs plus pedals. It is a one person loading job onto the X5 or X3.

Agree completely.

I don't understand your concern over the BMW price. You paid under $500 from the dealer? My three-bike roof top system may be pretty high line, but it is currently priced at $1440 on the web, including Thule load bars and Crossroad 450 feet, 2 Peleton fork mount carriers, 2 wheel holders, and one tandem carrier. All the matched locks were extra. $500 sounds like a deal.

I'm not familiar with roof top bike rack system prices, and let's compare apples to apples. I can tell you that at $500, BMW's bike rack is by far the most expensive trunk/back-of-car rack I've ever come across. For comparison, Thule's top of the line T2, Saris's top of the line Bones RS, and Yakima's Hold Up can each be had for around $250! The best price online I could find for BMW's is around $450, and that was at a shabby looking website that I would not buy from. So, having to pay double what all other manufacturers' equivalent racks cost is NOT a deal. If one or more of these other manufacturers would make a rack that can be affixed to the towing eye sockets of the X5, I bet you BMW's would all of a sudden be available at around $250.

For those interested at getbmwparts.com if you search within the accessories tabs the rack is listed for $449.99. However if you do a part number search the item is listed for $399.92. 82710443424 part number.

I just tried to search for the rack by its part number and I keep getting a "No parts found with that search text" message.

Also, when you add shipping costs to $449, the total cost will probably be approaching that you can get it for at the dealership. One would be saving taxes, admittedly. Thanks for the tip though. I'll keep that website in mind next time I need a BMW accessory.

Curious, I tried the part number search before posting and it directed me to the lower price. Checked again now using copy and paste of the part number to ensure I had made no mistakes and it still takes me to the lower price listing. This is the Tischer site, might be sponsors/vendors here. I know they are/were at e90 forums.

By email Tischer quoted me $449 plus $20-$30 to ship to Chicago. I got it locally for $425.

If there were a lucrative market for X5 screw-in racks I'm sure that other vendors would design and manufacture their own. That's apparently not the case, and the narrow market and subsequent expense of designing and manufacturing relatively small numbers is reflected in the lack of choices and the BMW price. No complaints here.

As per manual, the rack can hold up to 15 kg (~ 33 lb) per cycle rail, of which the rack has 2. There is nothing in the manual about tire size limitations.

Thanks for the info! I have a 'moderately' heavy 36 lb all-mountain bike with 2.55 tires, so it sounds like I am borderline as far as the rack goes.. Now I just have to find one locally for something closer to what some of you have managed rather than the $499 retail price on the BMW site.

You're welcome. Please do post the price you end up getting it for.

I snapped a bunch of pics of my T2 the other day, did a little writeup thread if you guys want to check it out:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...bike-rack.html

http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-8.jpg

BMW sells pedal bikes as well. They don't make them, they just stick the roundel on them. They cost more than double what the same quality bike costs without a roundel. Consumers could buy a non-BMW bike very easily, but until they do, BMW is quite happy to price to the market.

I thought there were some unique BMW (DesignWorks) bicycles also?

Maybe it was Porsche or someone else I am thinking of.

I do know some of BMW bikes are absolutely cool... but also multiple thousands of dollars...

Check out this frame - I don't recognize it as any other brand: (cool rack too)

http://www.usautoparts.net/bmw/pics/x3/13548_1024.jpg

Check out the brakes (Shimano Alivio?), the fork (Suntour?), the derailleur (Shimano Alivio?), etc, and then compare that component quality level to other bikes at your local bike store. It is the paint job on the frame that is selling that bike, as well as the roundel. It is a fashion statement, not a real bike.

The rack is cool, but only if your bike is that clean. Guess they didn't feel they needed to transport the front wheel.

Yea I noticed the lack of decent components on all their bikes in my quick search.

lol @ no space for the front tire - didn't even see that haha

I do not want to add the trailer hitch and my bike is too heavy for the tow hook rack. This has been my solution for the past three seasons. Decided on this ideal after the umteenth time my bike was entangle on the throw rug I used or the third row seat belts. The constant dirt on carpet and accidental contact with tailgate/upholstery was getting old, and I was out of new cuss words.

Pretty simple, 65x36 plywood. 4 inch fixed casters, blocks of wood at other end with 80 grit sandpaper stapled to bottoms for traction. I place rubber bands on the disk brake levers and the bike remains very stationary. The small step ladder fits neatly underneath the plywood during travel. In the event of an emergency stop there is a old shop vac wand the passes through a tight area of the bike frame directly to the floor via hole I made. Obviously only one bike can be carried but for me this works great.

Nice!

I picked up the BMW rack today. Installation was easy, and it can be removed in about two minutes. It's very solid with two 28-pound mountain bikes on it. It folds easily for storage, and I think it is worth the price ($425.)

That's a very good price. May I ask where did you get it from?

This is the pinnacle of bike racks:

Known as "Kuat NV," expensive but sexy as hell. Kuat has solved all of Thule and Yakima's shortfalls. Check it out:

Kuat Racks

Videos:
Interbike Video: Kuat Rack's 'NV' on Vimeo

YouTube - Kuat NV Hitch Mount Bike Rack Demonstrated by Rack Outfitters