Tailgate Bike Rack Success on the S211

[Fly_Boy_Rez]

I know some of you frown heavily on the use of bike racks off the back of cars and the S211 isn't supposed to be suited to taking one but Dammit I had a perfectly good Saris Bones 3 and I wanted to use it... so I thought about it, applied engineering judgement and here it is... apparently it can be done!

1.

Photo 08-09-2013 10 43 59 AM by FlyBoyRez, on Flickr

2.

Photo 08-09-2013 10 44 11 AM by FlyBoyRez, on Flickr

3.

Photo 08-09-2013 10 44 36 AM by FlyBoyRez, on Flickr

4.

Photo 12-09-2013 06 48 53 PM by FlyBoyRez, on Flickr

Apologies for the images quality, it was a touch windy when I shot them on the iPhone!

Cheers!

Rez

 

[Satch]

Congratulations on devising this cunning apparatus

The first ever bondage equipment for an S211.

 

[The Polisher]

I'm sure you have looked into this properly, but from looking at your photo, it seems to me that all of the weight of the carrier and the bikes is resting on the plastic bendy bit of the bumper?

I'm lucky, I have a towbar so I was able to do this instead!

Also, be aware, by law you need to have a trailer board with lights and a number plate on the back of this, as the bikes obscure the number plate and some of the lights. So, you need to have towbar electrics fitted to put on a trailer board, in which case, you might as well have a towbar mounted one?

 

[Troon]

Consider yourself frowned upon - heavily.

Putting the horrible misuse of the tailgate aside, as The Polisher says, your 'plate and lights are almost totally obscured. If you get rear-ended, this'll count against you with an insurance claim.

Sell the Saris and put the money towards either a towbar and rack or a roof mounting system. I carry five bikes when we go out: two on the roof and three on a BuzzRack on the towbar. It's quick and easy to mount and load, uses mounting points that are actually designed to take load, tilts down so I can access the boot when it's loaded up with bikes, and provides a lightboard.

 

[NickGLE350DE]

+1 concur on plate and lights issue. Further benefit of the towbar mounted carrier (mines a Thule) is you can lock the bikes and the rack to the Car, works like a dream