Thinking of buying one of these or making one, does anybody use one? how do you rate it?

cheers

I use one all the time exellent and saves pulling a trailer. I have one for sale as i dont use it anymore send me a pm for details, if your in north wales you aint to far from merseyside.

I have a Dave Cooper 4x4 rack which to date I've found very good in both finish & use. He also makes arms that mount on the same towbar bracket to carry push bikes, I used these last summer & they worked well.

I've got the Dave Cooper rack on my mondeo estate. It's the van version that hold the bike slightly further away so the bars don't hit the tailgate. It's really convenient as it hardly affects the drive, packs into the car so there's nothing to get nicked, and it's well made. Just make sure the inside straps are tight as braking causes this strap to slacken and it can drop off. Either that or carabina (sp?) tiedowns that can't pop off. I had this happen last time out and I didn't notice straight away as it was dark. By the time I did I was on the M25 and had an ar5e-clenching 10 miles seeing the bike leaning out at 30 degrees before I could stop!

I can recommend it thoroughly though; it's ideal for my use and the Copper one is well made and reasonably priced.

Graham

I'd stay away from Kliponoff (if they're still around).

I paid 90 quid for mine, years ago, mainly because Dave Cooper never answered his phone - but too difficult to 'klip' on and off, and my missus hates picking off the body parts that tend to appear when I leave it on during the week

Brother in law bought a Dave Cooper second hand for 15 quid - absolutely ideal - comes off in seconds - I was gutted

I have one that I used years ago to transport Grasstrack/Speedway bikes and it is a great way to go if you only need to take one bike. Top Tip, get a Cycle Carrier mounting strap (the one with the metal hook that is plastic coated and clips into the top of your tailgate or boot lid) and pull the bike forward from the handlebars. My rack has an upright the rear wheel rests against so you cant pull the bike onto the paintwork of the car and the strap stops any chance of the bike starting to work its way into a backwards lean from the car!

I carry both modern and T/S bikes on mine without any trouble,

Do the 4x4 racks have enough rear offset to clear the spare wheel on a Defender 90?

Ta

Do the 4x4 racks have enough rear offset to clear the spare wheel on a Defender 90?

Ta

Give Dave Cooper a call (01732 820 082), he's very helpful.

How do the rear shocks/suspension like the racks ?

How do the rear shocks/suspension like the racks ?

I had one on my little punto ( not the ideal car i know) but it was very harsh on the back end, also bust a hole in the back box with it scrapping on the floor going to some venues. I dont really like the bike rack form of transportation, all the weight of the bike on one point never filled me with confidence. Although they are handy and don't take up as much room as a trailer.

everything is a compromise i suppose

I was a bit worried about the weight, but I reckon it's only about the same as when I have 2 race bikes on the trailer. However, there is more twisting of the towbar so it does needs to be securely fitted. I have mine on a 2005 mondeo estate and the car is fine with it. It's certainly easier than the trailer...

Do the 4x4 racks have enough rear offset to clear the spare wheel on a Defender 90?

Ta

My truck doesn't have a door mounted wheel so it's difficult to judge, the bike is a long way from the back door though. On my old Trooper the wheel was door mounted & I used a Kliponoff standard car rack, I used to take the wheel cover off when the bike was on & it was never a problem.

I have one that I use for my 93 Audi 100 and I install a roof rack on the back of the truck to tie it down to as well. it works but does not allow me to get into the trunk. Here is the one big problem that I have when using it. The rear fender acts like a wing and starts flopping around wildly back there at certain speeds so I usually have to remove it. Its all good but still a pain. I have not used it much in the past year. I made it from 1" angle iron and its solid. The car is also big and does not sag much but you notice it back there. I wouldn't dare put this on my miata. Those are a bit out of the defender 90 relm but the roof rack on the back door can help or just use the spare to hold down to.

--Biff

I've got a couple of towball mount racks in the shed, tried it once on my car and did not like it in the slightest. I didn't feel I could get the bike as secure as on my trailer and it was looking like it was going to slam the rear of the car. Much prefer my trailer or the good old Transit van!

I use a Dave Cooper rack on the back of the wife's Renault Megan and it works very well. The only criticism is once the bike is on you do not have access to the boot. So I usually get changed then lift a muddy bike up on the rack with clean clothes....my wife loves it