Hey Guys,

So I specced out the MINI roof rack and fork-mounted bike holder without really considering that there would be aftermarket options that may be better. What have people used? I have one road bike but it would be nice to be able to throw a friend's bike up there as well, and I'm pretty sure the MINI fork-mounted holder only holds one bike, right?

Are there any aftermarket roof-rack options for the R56 and has anybody used any of them? I hear the MINI rack has to be drilled into the body but that the aftermarket ones are harder to install and may leave scratches. Comments??

TIA!

 

The R50/R53 roof rack required drilling of the roof. The R56 rack does not.
There are actually four perforations inside the drip rail(two on each side) that are removed and the rack bolted on.

 

I have really grown to like the stock racks. A pain to take on and off, but if you are going to use them a lot, they are definately worth it.

 

I ordered my R56 with just about all the options including the large luggage rack with the bag. When the order was placed, my dealer forgot to add the large luggage rack to the order and the bag can't be used without it.
For Christmas, my brother-in-law bought me the large luggage rack. I was excited to try it out and since I couldn't get it home without putting it on the car we went outside to install it. Come to find out, the rack is too big! I tried putting it on every way possible and nothing would work. We called the dealer on Monday and apparently they knew about this problem but neglected to mention it when it was purchased. Nice.
I talked to the dealer again yesterday and they said that they hadn't heard anything back from Mini yet. It sounds like the parts were either renumbered or the parts system has the wrong numbers. Either way, if you get a luggage rack make sure you try to install it before you leave the dealer.

Lumberlog
'07 R56

 

To clarify Lumberlog is talking about the cargo basket that mounts on the rack system, they sell 2 sizes and the larger one is wide enough that to install it the outer two rails actually rest on top of the plastic end caps instead of on top of the aluminum cross beams. You also have to move the mounting clips to the two front to back braces just inside from the edges, which is probably not as strong as those braces are rivited to the main frame instead of part of it.

As to aftermarket options, rather that re-type the information I'm going to refer you to the thread where your questions have already been answered: HERE

Post #66 for the aftermarket rack options, links, and prices, though the rest of the thread is a good read for the most part as well.

 

The fork mount bike rack from MINI dealers is a Thule V2. Holds one bike. Very happy with mine. I've hauled 4 bikes on the factory set-up, something I myself wouldn't try with the aftermarket setups, as the mounting is just too insecure

Do you have picks of your attempted install? Should be about 33" side to side.

 

No, but I can get you some when I get my Mini back. It's off being used as a test bed for a popular upgrade right now and I should have it back in a couple weeks.

I've actually used mine with the larger basket quite a few times, I think it works fine if you load it and secure the load smartly. I just usually leave the bike racks on and they don't all fit at the same time comfortably.

 

thanks for all the info guys--appreciate it!

 

It looks like Morristown Mini (in New Jersey) is offering accessories including racks at a 20% discount (plus shipping but no sales tax). Are any of the SoCal dealers offering similar prices on accessories?

 

quick, silly question (car's not here yet): does a normal-sized men's road bike fit in the rear cargo area with the rear seats down? (I assume the front wheel has to come off)?

 

I doubt it , but you might get one of those Fold-a-bikes in there.

 

Yes, It will. I've carried mine that way a few times before I got a roof rack. Wouldn't want to do it too often, or you will scratch the H*LL out of the interior plastic!

 

The rack really isnt that hard to get off and on, however, the first time I put it on, I proclaimed it that it must be the the only British designed element of the vehicle.

The bars themselves are really high quality. I cant speak for the attachments though, my snowboard rack rattles so badly that I pull it off whenever it is not in use...

 

Bought the stock rack and Mini (Thule) fork mounts. With an S package, I had to shorten the trays as they would otherwise hit the hatch spoiler when it was opened. Added a fairing based on comments elsewhere that the racks tend to whistle. Not sure if needed that, but it's on and I haven't tried to remove it. I leave rack on all the time to make it easy to just load the bike and go. Still some wind noise, but worth the convenience. On my other car I would put the rack on and off each weekend. A bit of a pain.

 

I have the factory rack system on my R53. Thule and Yakama accessories will fit the cross bars, so there are lots of available carrying options.

For mine I have the two of the wheels-on bicycle carriers, two Hull-A-Port kayak carries from Thule, and a cargo box. Love the factory rack. Incredibly solid, highest capacity of any rack system (double that of Thule, Mt Blanc, or Yakama). And as long as you have something connecting the front and rear load bars together it will ride quietly. If not, the load bars start to howl @25mph and don't stop.

So, I either take the rack off between uses or be sure to leave something on to connect the two load bars together.

I'm not sure how easy it is to mount and remove the rack for the R56 but the rack for the R50 & R53 can go on or off in about 5 minutes.

 

I have the factory rack for the R56, as well as the surfboard attachment. The factory rack is a nightmare to take on and off. I would only recommend it if you need it, and are going to leave it on. I can't see taking it on and off. It's a really dumb design.

I'm going to put mine, still in box on ebay soon.

 

I actually emailed both Thule and Yakima asking if they are going to produce a n easy-snap-on-snap-off rack for R56 - just like the one I had on my Honda Element. The Element also has pre-drilled holes in the roof and both Thule and Yakima offer two-parts rack system that works great - you install the adapters into the holes in the roof permanently. The adapters are very low profile, hardly noticeable. The bars with the 2nd part of the rack system attached to them snap easily on and off in 20 seconds (or less depending on your physical shape ).

Anyway - got a long answer from Yakima which I'd summarize as "maybe". Thule never answered.

 

I think the luggage rack you are talking about (the right one) and the one I got are different. The one I got only had BMW markings on the instructions, which were also only in German, and it was so wide that the only way to mount it would be to take the plastic locking caps off the base system load bars, not very pleasing to the eye. There was no way to mount it on top of the caps as the locking clamps wouldn't come together with the caps in the way. The dealer acknowledged that there was a problem and a few other owners in the past month had experienced the same problem.

As much as I love the car, given this issue and the fact that the kick plate under the the steering wheel and the driver's side door handle had to be replaced within 2 months of delivery, I'm not that thrilled with the fit and finish of the car. I'm hoping that I don't have any other manufacturing issues.

 

Hmm, I'll have to bug Thule about that (I'm in the bike industry but they're not always that helpful, even for industry-types). I have the standard Thule system and find it a bit cumbersome for installation, particularly relative to the Saris rack I had on my previous car.

 

Hmmmm is right!! I LOVE the Yakima rack, they are so easy and nice, especially their surfboard attachment. We should all email them, if they get enough requests for it, they will make something.

I put my brand new mini factory rack up for sale in the For Sale forum section if any of yo uare interested.

 

yeah, they wrote smth along the lines of "we are collecting customers' inputs and if there is demand, we'll build smth".

so yes, emailing them will help !

 

You know, I just put 2007 Mini Cooper in on their website, it comes up with a rack that fits. A few months ago, it did not. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Somebody buy it, and let us / ME know if it fits/works!!

 

Put the basket back on this afternoon and remembered that I had promised some pics. This is the "large" basket they claim fits the Mini but that some folks have had issue with. The mounting clamps are supposed to mount on the outer two rails on the bottom, were it dips down to touch the cross bars, and I'm sure that is the strongest mounting location for them. Since the Mini cross bars are so short those mounting locations are actually on top of the plastic end caps, so there is no way to use them to bolt through to the channel.

Rather than complain, I simply moved the mounts to the next two inner braces and bolted it down. I make sure to tie loads down to the rack base itself so as to not pull up on the basket as a result, and have yet to have an issue.