Damn, you really hate the rack! I think we all get that by now.


I've had mine on and off a number of times now, and it really isn't any big deal, takes about 3 minutes longer than the Yakima rack on our Jeep. I wouldn't discourage anyone from getting it, as it is very solid, and supports more weight by far than any other aftermarket option out there.

 

i was wondering...the dealer im buying from this week has a mini that is close to what i want but it has a rack on it...they said they will take it off and deduct the price....is it ok or am i going to have to worry about rust later on if rain gets in or are these holes easily covered?

 

the r56 rack does not have holes drilled and the part of the rain gutter removed for the rack is nominal in terms of water/rust protection... the car is painted so it should be okay as long as the paint isnt scratched.

 

Did you get the touring or fork mount holder? Is it a pain to get the bike up there? I'm short and I'm afraid of smacking my paint as I hoist my bike up there. . . (never had a rooftop carrier before).

 

Great thread and thanks for the how-to and pics oldopelguy

Has anyone bought the fork mount bike racks? Any opinions/pics? Only saw a description (no photo) in the official MINI parts catalog.

Thanks,

--Steve

 

i asked my dealer about buying the rack and installing it myself... they said that it takes them 1.5 hours @ $190/hr to install and that its not easy... I just wanted to know the price to see if they could beet morristown but it looks like i will be ordering it from them afterall..

Just one question for those that installed it themselves though... do you need a special tool to install or not?

 

Ordered my base rack today from Classic MINI of Ohio - $188 plus UPS shipping (20% off). Very helpful and very informative.

My local dealership quoted $453 for the racks, including installation - hence the DIY route for me....

Still interested to hear what the fork mount racks are like, so if anyone has any info/photos, please pass it on.

--Steve

 

Yes you do need some special tools, but the rack comes with them in a nice little package.

 

I'm actually using a very old Thule fork mount rack on one side, so old in fact that I haven't used it in years in favor of newer Yakima ones on my other cars. It took a 5 min modification to the bottom of it for it to fit, as well as a couple of mounting parts I used from the basket kit I ordered.

On the other side I'm using a more modern both-wheel-still-on Yakima rack that was mounted with parts from the xadapt1 kit from Thule. With the exception of a small spacer I had to make it pretty much went right on too.

I'll probably take both of the trays off, though, in favor of a set of old Saris ones my folks are digging out from their basement and sending my direction. I had completely forgotten that I had that set, but when my father saw the rack his comment that they looked the same reminded me about them. Since the trays mount basicly the same way as the Saris stuff, I think it should be quick swap and then the two sides will match.

 

This one should fit your R56s too, fits my R53 jus' fine: Performance Bicycles XPORT roof rack, includes two fork-mount bike mounts the rack bars, AND the "287" roof clips are the ones to order - all for $99 + shipping! Hard to beat. (No, I don't work for them, just have had the Barrecrafters version of the same rack for 20 years and can't break the thing). I bought a new one just because, well, this old one is ugly. It's the same unit as pictured, only new. www.performancebike.com, site search for XPORT.

Here's a couple pics of the old one on the car... I hadn't tightened the clips for this shot, just set it on there and took the picture, but (pardon the pun) you get the picture... It installs and removes in 5 minutes (at least that's how long it took me to put it on, take these 2 pics, and put it away). When on and tight, it's a little further back on the car and those pads are more flush with the roof.

 

1.5 hours? Wow, it took me about 30 mins, and the tools are included. The "special" tools are a set of tweezers, a plastic credit card like object, and then the one tool that tightens the rack.

 

seriously... i knew the dealer is just trying to rip me off. Im definitely going to install it myself... i just gotta decide on when and where to order, although i think im going to go with morristown unless someone has a better place in mind.

 

I'm picking pepe up on Sat with the dealer installed bike fork roof rack and will post some pics - not saying DIY is not cheaper but just so you can see the comparison.

 

can't wait to see pics of the fork mount!

congrats...

--steve

 

So are you getting the factory base rack system I assume? Are you sure you want the fork mounted system? If I understand this mount type, you will need to do something with your front wheel. I personally think taking off the front wheel is pain. For one, you will need to make sure the fork mount will work with your bike(s). Not sure what type of biking you do but I dabble in mountain biking. Putting a very dirty wheel in the car is out of the question for me. Plus once the wheel is off, you have to be real careful with the protruding metal forks, may scratch your baby. At least with both wheels on, typically only rubber will hit paint, albiet could be sandy and could scratch. I plan on using my Yakima HighRoller http://yakima.com/Product.aspx?id=98 carriers on the factory rack. This is the only carrier I have used but I really like it. I believe I will just need to get the Yakima universal mighty mounts. I believe an advantage to the fork mount is stability but these highrollers have wider bases than previous models and are pretty stable, IMO.

Just a few thoughts, maybe others can chime in as well.

 

Fork mounted bike racks do not allow the rear hatch to open completely on the S model. The documentation mentions this, and suggests adjusting the rack - which really can't be done. The front of the fork mounted rack sits exactly on the front roof rack, non-adjustable. I'll see what I can do to get photos tomorrow. I just got these racks last night, and haven't decided if we'll keep them or try to find something different. When I picked up my car last week it had the wrong racks, and they were horrid to try to use - not going back to those.

It may be possible to trim a few inches off the end of the tray to allow the hatch to open.. will have to measure out the bikes first to see if that is even possible. My friend gave my bike and me a lift home w/ her R53 S - no problem with the bike rack interfering, as the spoiler was shaped differently.

 

We have tandem bikes and a local bike builder mounts his tandems on his Mini backwards. That way the bulk of the bike hangs out over the hood and not the back. That's what we are going to try when we get the car. Pretty funny sight to see actually. The bike is almost as long as the car is.

Kathy

 

I use a hitch rack on a MDM hitch for our tandem, it kinda hangs off the edges a bit but works great... my cycling friends chuckle a bit, until I ignite my 9 year old stoker and chuck them off the back... :LOL:

 

Man, I never figured you could mount a tandem sideways on the back of a Mini! Figured it would stick out way to far. I might have to consider the MDM hitch down the road. It would be nice to have the capability to tow something small or do what you're doing with a hitch rack.

Kathy

 

Appreciate the thoughts - I am an Ironman and completed the Coast to Coast 2 day event - www.coasttocoast.co.nz without sounding up myself - if anyone has questions about whether they can lift a bike up to put on the rack, or worried that they are not sure what they should do with their front wheel.... you need a rack that goes on the back of your car... roof racks are for folks that understand what they are doing... ok this does sound up myself... we lost the quarter finals last night to France you have to forgive me

 

My hatch opens fully and doesnt come close to the rack - will take some pics when I get a chance to post

 

i originally wanted the high roller as well but i noticed that the front mount is stationary and would make the rear end hang way over the tailgate. Obviously you could mount the rack backwards but i think im just going to go with a thule sidearm. Someone over on MTBR, wouldnt be suprised if they were on here too, posted pictures of there factory rack with the thule sidearm and it seemed to work well. Ive also heard that the high roller is quite a handful in terms of mounting and dismounting a bike because of the dual arms. Anyway, if you do get the high roller post up some pix of how it looks!

 

That Performance rack's fork mounts don't come close to the glass...

The Tandem sticks out a little, but if I'm going longer distances I remove the front wheel and skootch it over a bit to center it. I'm still careful not to "broomwagon" anyone off the road on the shoulder side!

The MDM hitch is great, holds it nice and steady and the MCS is a super tow vehicle (understanding that I'm not towing a Donzi here...!).

 

Glee, check out my posting in one of the other threads about the R56 rack. I purchased the Thule bike mounts and attached to my R56 rack with some Thule bolts. The bike mount was adjustable - I moved it forward about 5 inches. Problem solved wrt hitting the rear hatch.

oh - and I think the whole R56 rack is system is a great solution. I find it very easy to install and remove - and love the fact that there is nothing touching the roof paint. I never did the rack for my R53 because the Thule and Yakima solutions feet rested on the roof.

 

I am not sure what you are trying to say but I apologize if I have offended you with my comments.