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      07-29-2011, 11:46 AM   #1
lateshow
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Bike Rack - Yakima attached to OEM crossbars is successful

I thought I would post this as a quick FYI because I've seen a few threads on this topic that have gone relatively unanswered.

I got the OEM cross rails as part of my $500 gift certificate. I've had them for months now sitting in my garage. My wife has a triathlon this weekend and we've got some rides coming up, so it was time to make a decision on what bike rack to go with. I had actually placed an order to a dealership for the OEM Racing Cycle Holder, but then I started thinking about it. 1) The rack appears to be made for racing bikes only due to the seemingly narrow width of the rear wheel support. If that's the case, I'm not going to be able to use the same gear to transport my mountain bike. 2) These things are freaking expensive for what they are. A rack + front wheel holder is about $250 and I need 2 of them.

What I ended up doing was canceling my order and doing some more homework. Yakima makes a new bike rack called Forklift. http://www.yakima.com/shop/bike/top/forklift

It's $125 on amazon and it supposedly attaches to all types of OEM, non-Yakima cross bars. I bought 2 of these and I couldn't be happier. The BMW cross rails install in about 10 minutes. The Yakima mounts attach to these in about 15 minutes each with no tools required for either. The Yakima mounts are not silver to match the OEM bars, but the black matches well with the black brackets of the OEM bars, so I think it looks sharp.

If anyone would like some pictures I'll get some for you soon.
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      07-29-2011, 05:43 PM   #2
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You know the drill ...





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      07-29-2011, 08:59 PM   #3
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Great info. Really appreciate it. I'll be ordering an X3 soon, and bikes will spend a lot of time on the roof. Both mtb and road.

Do either Yakima or Thule make a rack system including towers and crossbars that attach directly to the new roof rail system on the X3?

I really, really wish BMW had stuck with the old tried and true rail system like on the X5 and previous X3.
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      07-30-2011, 12:49 PM   #4
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Okay okay.....here are some quick picks. I've used it a couple of times already and I'm really pleased.







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      07-30-2011, 12:51 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kosmoHR View Post
Great info. Really appreciate it. I'll be ordering an X3 soon, and bikes will spend a lot of time on the roof. Both mtb and road.

Do either Yakima or Thule make a rack system including towers and crossbars that attach directly to the new roof rail system on the X3?

I really, really wish BMW had stuck with the old tried and true rail system like on the X5 and previous X3.
I'm not sure about this question, but I would guess it's going to be a little difficult to find something that will work as nicely as the OEM cross rails. They aren't cheap, but I really am pleased with the engineering and build quality.
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      08-05-2011, 05:20 PM   #6
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I've used the Yakima Forklift system several times now. This is the best bike rack solution I've used in years. The only thing I'm waiting for is a wheel mounting solution (for the front wheel) that will work on the BMW OEM rail. To my knowledge, Yakima has not released that yet. You still have to find room to store the front wheel(s) inside the car.
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      08-05-2011, 05:52 PM   #7
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Just wanted to add another option for a company here in Boulder, Colorado called Rockymounts.com . This is the description

RockyMounts Euro PitchFork rooftop mount fits Euro/slotted crossbars found on European made cars (Audi, BMW, VW, Volvo, Mini) and Thule® rapid aero bars. This bike rack is compatible to fit bikes with or without disc brakes, comes with a locking quick release, and holds skinny road tires up to 2.7" mountain bike tires. The Euro PitchFork is a bomber bike rack with mounting plates that slide seamlessly into the crossbar channels for a flush fit. Talk about a sweet car rack setup- hide all the hardware and keep your ride pimp. You can lock your rack to car and bike to rack with RockyMounts lock cores, sold separately.

Available in nine colors: Black, Silver, Red, White, Yellow, Blue, Green, Pink, and Orange.

Link: http://www.rockymounts.com/Euro_PitchFork_p/1102.htm
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      08-06-2011, 09:27 AM   #8
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Was at the dealer the other day and they had a X5 with a bumper mount bike rack. Looked very nice and looked simple to use. Does anyone know if thet will fit the X3? does it get in the way of opening the rear hatch? Otherwise I will have to go for the roof rack. Although I can place the bikes in the back, it was much easier to carry 2 bikes without taking the front wheels off in my Prius.
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      04-13-2012, 08:04 AM   #9
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any updates?

Just ordered the exact same setup. taking up some casual biking and we could barely fit the 2 bikes in the back of the x3, so figured it made sense to pick up a roof rack.

question around the base support system + bike racks. do you leave them installed all the time? or do you remove the bike rack when not in use? What about the base rails? Is it ok to leave those installed all the time or are you suppose to remove them as well?
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      04-16-2012, 07:42 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaybert View Post
any updates?

Just ordered the exact same setup. taking up some casual biking and we could barely fit the 2 bikes in the back of the x3, so figured it made sense to pick up a roof rack.

question around the base support system + bike racks. do you leave them installed all the time? or do you remove the bike rack when not in use? What about the base rails? Is it ok to leave those installed all the time or are you suppose to remove them as well?
Personally, I remove the cross rails unless I know I'm going to be using them again within a week or two. It only takes a few minutes to remove them. I don't see why there would be any issue with leaving the cross rails installed all the time as long as you don't mind how they look and you don't mind a little bit of wind noise at highway speeds. I also mount a Yakima cargo box to the rails for camping trips. It works great with this setup.
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      06-18-2012, 06:21 PM   #11
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Great tip! I'll buy the oem base and get the forklifts.
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      06-19-2012, 07:56 PM   #12
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Glad to help.
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