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Bike Rack Feedback

9113 Views 11 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  Farther, 
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All, looking for some feedback on a new bike rack we are working on. A 60" track that bolts to the tie-down points via custom formed corner brackets. No drilling required and the fit is solid. Tailgate closes on all road bikes, mountain bikes with WB more than 45" the bike needs to be angled or the tailgate left open.

We have a couple on the road and the test customers seem to like it. It is a fork mount, so you do need to remove the front wheel. There are some good tailgate pads out there, but people were asking us for something where the bikes move around less.

You see any improvements we could make?

https://www.rockymounts.com/products/honda-ridgeline-track-kit

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ISO Truck
One suggestion I have is to modify the way it mounts to the tie-downs, so that the tie-downs aren't lost. In other words, somehow maintain the tie-down cleats available for use. The photos aren't the best, but it appears the current design eliminates the tie downs when the bike-rack bar is mounted.

Will you be making a version that works with the original 1st generation Ridgeline (2006-2014)?

You are doing some nice work there. Keep it up.
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Heli ATP
I like you design. There are many threads on The ROC of DIY bike racks. Here is one from where you may gleam some ideas...

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/...towing/43649-another-bike-rack-my-take-3.html
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B
thanks for the input. if you position on of the bike mounts where you want it, you can use that as a tie down. we do not have plans to make one for the 1st generation. cheers,
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B
thanks. we just need to be a little more "pro" than wood :) cheers
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McChizzle
Since Honda made and sold an OEM one for the Gen1 but didn't make one for the Gen2, you have a market opportunity. However, there may be a reason Honda didn't make one for the Gen2, the Gen1 may not have sold well. Maybe it was because the Gen1's bed was too short so the tailgate had to be left open or maybe it was the price. If the ladder, here's what the OEM bracket for the Gen1 is going for these days:

One thing I've read on the forum is that some owners didn't like having to take off their front wheel. Others didn't like not having a bracket for the front wheel when it was off the bike (it just flipped around in the bed). So maybe if you made a bracket that would hold the bikes with the front wheel on (the tailgate would be open) as well as a bracket that could hold the front wheel beside the bike when it was detached, it could make your mounting system more attractive.
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smufguy
I was just going to say that the setup mimics the OEM G1. IMO, With the bike the way it is, I would lose cargo and cannot get into my truck without getting all the bikes off (4 if you are a family or with friends) and not to mention the wheels that need to get stored.
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hygieneboy
I'm not a fan of having to remove the front wheel when transporting bikes.
I used to use a tailgate pad on my old Tacoma but it didn't do well with road bikes so I got a KUAT Sherpa 2.0 platform hitch rack that works with road or mountain bikes.
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Bjatx
Your site says not available till may, is that true? I'd like to get one now.. also I'm assuming you use the lowball track mount not the lowball right?

Thanks
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B
We decided not to make one where you leave the front wheel on, the bed it too short and the tailgate will always have to be left open. With the fork mount style, most of the time you can close the tailgate.
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B
I know this thread is 2 years old and you're selling the rack already, but I thought I'd share my thoughts. I was about to buy this rack today, but decided against it. I also regularly haul a motorcycle in the back, and I need as much of the bed length as I can get. This rack would interfere with the front tire of the motorcycle, pushing the bike back a couple inches, and is therefore a no-go for me. I would buy a rack that spanned the two lower tie-downs on the front of the bed, as that would work just as well and not interfere with my other needs. Or, if the rack bolted to the front bulkhead using the 3 existing bed bolts, it would tuck nicely away. But as it is, it reduces the useful length of the bed.

Food for thought.
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Farther
I like it although I failed to see the "integrated tie down" feature.
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