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Re: Roof Racks? (archive)
[ Follow Ups ] [ 8-series (E31) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]
Posted by Stan on July 06, 2000 at 17:14:26:

In Reply to: Roof Racks? posted by GeorgeV on July 06, 2000 at 12:51:20:

I've looked into Thule and the other major mfg's and they (apparently) don't have a roof rack set-up for the 840/850. The BMW set-up is expensive, and the cheap strap-on trunk racks will mess up the finish on the car if left on too long (short hauls on smooth roads MAY be OK). IMO, the best bet is to go with a trailer hitch. Either the OEM hitch (which was available at sometime, it's in the parts books, cost???) or have a lightweight aftermarket hitch installed and use a hitch type bike rack. I would go to a good muffler/welding shop or reputable hitch shop and have a hitch installed as bolt-in. (We actually did this years ago on my partner's autocross car. Bolt the hitch on and trailer a small tire/parts trailer to the events, pull the hitch (4 bolts) and you're on the go.) As you're not worried about the load of a trailer, just a rack and a coupla' bikes, a 4-bolt set-up would be adequate. I'm not sure about the undercarriage details (but there must be a place for the OEM hitch to attach), I'll look the next time the beast's up on a rack (perhaps someone who's done this can enlighten us). If you go with the BMW hitch, and live in non-metric countries, you'll need an adapter (Land Rover should have them. or Lez may be able to get them (Lez?)).

My preference for the hitch mounted rack is simple: if the bikes fall, they'll scratch someone else's paint ;-) Also, easier on the back not lifting the bikes over the top of the car. And, the hitch mount allows you to get into the trunk, and as we know, you can't put a whole lot of stuff in the back seats! (Actually, you can't put a whole lot into the trunk, either :-)

Now, here I am pontificating on this and we don't even have one working bicycle left in our house (gee, next discussion thread...What bicycle do you own? ...... just kidding!!) We're looking around, currently for a nice pair of hybrids (street/trail), and after that it's a rack for the Bimmer. Anyway, for what it's worth (you get what you pay for), my US$0.02.

Stan C.
'92 850iA

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