[CINCYFAN]

Hey, I have a quick question about the X3 trailer hitch option. My wife's new X3 has the trailer hitch option installed and we've never had one before. It seems as if the BMW online accessories stores don't have too many options available for the G01 yet.

Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone had experience or thoughts on which 2-3 capacity bike racks are best? I'd also be interested in finding out if I was supposed to get a trailer hitch "cap" or if that's something I need to purchase separately. I reached out to the guys at getbmwparts.com and apparently it's not specified if the optional caps they have are compatible w/ the new X3. I guess another question is do I need a cap/cover?

Thanks!

[cgroves]

Both our X3s came with rubber covers for the hitch receivers. It is a standard class3 (2" although it seems loose, which I'll cover in a different thread) receiver so you should be able to get a wide range of hitch covers from anyone, not just BMW specific.

[KevinAC]

Mine came with a charcoal grey cover. Nothing fancy, but it does the trick.

I've been using a Yakima Dr. Tray bike rack that has been wonderful. No tools required for installing or to adjust the trays;its also one of the lightest out there. I do take the rack off whenever I'm not using it. Being light helps a lot and with no tools required, it only takes about 90 seconds install or remove from the hitch. The only flaw is the built in cable/locks. They can be difficult to thread through the bike and come up a bit short if you have a longer wheel base. The rack is rather pricey too, but the convience has made it worth it.

[Jeepersjoey]

I have owned plenty of rear bike racks.

The best I have used and continue to use it the Saris Cycle-Pro upright.

In 15 seconds I can have two bikes attached and secure. Yes, 15 seconds.

Flip the wheel lock up, click into place, flip the rear lock. Done.

Do not EVER get the kind where the bike dangles. Only get one that locks onto the wheel. Although the Saris brand is somewhat obsolete, Thule and Yakima have similar products.

The key is that it has to be Extremely fast so that you never consider NOT taking it with you.

(mounting the rack to the car takes longer tho...get one that is also easy and one that secures the rack in the hitch so that it does not rattle or randomly rock)

Paul

[TX3M]

Originally Posted by Jeepersjoey

I have owned plenty of rear bike racks.

The best I have used and continue to use it the Saris Cycle-Pro upright.

In 15 seconds I can have two bikes attached and secure. Yes, 15 seconds.

Flip the wheel lock up, click into place, flip the rear lock. Done.

Do not EVER get the kind where the bike dangles. Only get one that locks onto the wheel. Although the Saris brand is somewhat obsolete, Thule and Yakima have similar products.

The key is that it has to be Extremely fast so that you never consider NOT taking it with you.

(mounting the rack to the car takes longer tho...get one that is also easy and one that secures the rack in the hitch so that it does not rattle or randomly rock)

Paul

What do you mean by your statement: "Do not EVER get the kind where the bike dangles."

I have a Thule trailer hitch mounted rack where the bikes hang (not "dangle") from the horizontal arm. The bikes mount very easily and quickly, are secured on the arms (I also use a few bungie cords so the wheels don't swing), and you can mount 2-4 bikes closely together so they don't stick out far from the back of the vehicle. I have never had any problems with this type of rack.

[Jeepersjoey]

I stand by my statement. Absolutely not worth putting money into a setup that is inherently designed to hit the back of your car every time you slow down.

Since this person is new to the entire concept, I want him to start right and not slap his head when he sees there was a (much) better way than holding onto the bikes using industrial rubber bands and rubber stretchy ropes.

No sir. No love for the dangly bits.

Paul

[TX3M]

Originally Posted by Jeepersjoey

I stand by my statement. Absolutely not worth putting money into a setup that is inherently designed to hit the back of your car every time you slow down.

Since this person is new to the entire concept, I want him to start right and not slap his head when he sees there was a (much) better way than holding onto the bikes using industrial rubber bands and rubber stretchy ropes.

No sir. No love for the dangly bits.

Paul

I appreciate your opinion and respectfully disagree. I have 2 expensive bikes that have never hit the back of my car, never made contact with the rack or one another or have had any other type of damage (to the bikes or my X3) while on my Thule hanging rack with the anti-sway technology. I'm not saying platform racks are better or worse than hanging racks, they both have their pros and cons.

OP: Here is a link to a good article on the pros and cons of hanging vs. platform racks.
https://www.etrailer.com/question-75877.html

[Spitfire-]

My hitch came with the cover as well. Right now I'm using the Kuat NV 1.0 rack with the 2 bike attachment (4 bikes total) and I've had/been using this rack since 2015. The downsides I've noticed so far are

• It is HEAVY
• The rack is wide so it gets in the way of the blind spot detectors. You'll need to turn it off otherwise the triangle in the side mirror will always be on
• The integrated lock cables could be longer especially with the trend of mountain bikes getting longer
• Built in bike stand arm doesn't extend far out enough

Other than that I've liked everything else about it

• You can adjust how tight the rack sits in the hitch so that it won't rattle around
• It has fit every bike I've had to transport without any issues (26", 27.5", 29")
• I've never had to re-tighten any of the bolts
• The rack itself is very sturdy
• With the bikes on, you're able to lower the rack down to get access to your trunk
• Built in bike stand comes in handy for any trail side/parking lot repairs
• Built in lock cables allows us to go grab a bite of food without worrying too much about the bikes

Here's a pic of it in action

[CINCYFAN]

Originally Posted by CINCYFAN

Hey, I have a quick question about the X3 trailer hitch option. My wife's new X3 has the trailer hitch option installed and we've never had one before. It seems as if the BMW online accessories stores don't have too many options available for the G01 yet.

Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone had experience or thoughts on which 2-3 capacity bike racks are best? I'd also be interested in finding out if I was supposed to get a trailer hitch "cap" or if that's something I need to purchase separately. I reached out to the guys at getbmwparts.com and apparently it's not specified if the optional caps they have are compatible w/ the new X3. I guess another question is do I need a cap/cover?

Thanks!

Just to bring this full circle, thanks to everyone who weighed in...I'm doing my homework and will let you know which bike rack we end up with.

In the meantime, I ordered the trailer hitch cap from the guys @ getbmwparts.com. It fits perfectly...

[X3M40i_Nev]

Given you have a hitch/towbar:

https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/bike-...-125-_-1691038

[FCBayernFTW]

Did someone say hitch cover? 😂😂