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Dec 13, 2023
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This Motorized Bike Rack Takes Care of the Heavy Lifting When Transporting E-Bikes
Saris’ Door County 2 is a hitch-mounted rack that uses an electric motor to simplify raising and lowering your electric bike when loading and unloading from the rack. The main benefit is it eliminates you having to manually lift and lower your e-bike, making transporting much easier for you. Most riders will appreciate this because electric bikes tend to be heavier than traditional bikes (and we certainly don’t want to do heavy lifting after a ride!).
We got to check out the Saris Door County 2 to see how well it lifts and transports e-bikes. It can transport two e-bikes, up to 60 lbs. per bike. We used several bikes for testing, including a commuter, cruiser and adventure bike. All of our bikes have 26” tires that are no wider than the rack’s 3” limit. Installing the rack was as easy as any other rack, just slide in the 2” hitch into your vehicle’s insert tube, and secure it with the locking pin.
*Editor’s Note: Updated 12/13/2023 with a fresh review of the Saris Door County 2
Pros- No more heavy lifting! The motor lifts the bike after you roll them on and secure them to the hitch rack.
- We like that the ratcheting clamps include a rubber pad to prevent scratching the bike’s paint.
- The rack can tilt the mounted bikes down and away, allowing you to lift open the rear hatch to most SUVs without having to remove the bikes.
- For added safety this rack has brake, turn signal and backup lights, using a 7-pin wiring harness to your vehicle.
- Rack easily folds up, has wheels to roll on and a cover for storage.
- The Door County 2 can carry 2 bikes, 16”- 29” tire size, 60 lbs max weight per bike.
Cons- Not designed to carry fat tires and heavier e-bikes, due to its 3” tire rails and 60 lbs per bike limit (though dropping out the battery may help).
We like the safety-minded lights Saris included on this rack because racked bikes tend to block part or all of a vehicle’s tail lights. Your vehicle’s tow package needs to use the 7-pin wiring harness to work the lights and motor. If your vehicle uses a 4-pin harness then you’ll also need to get an adapter so it will connect to the Door County 2’s harness.
Loading the bikes onto the rack is pretty straightforward once you turn the key and press the button. The platform lowers so all you have to do is roll the bike wheels onto the rail. The clamps for securing your bikes are Door County 2’s unique “lobster claw” design that securely holds your e-bikes without touching fenders or e-bike battery mounts. The inner part of the clamps are lined with rubber to prevent scratching your bike’s paint. It also comes with the rubber straps for tightening around the bottom of your wheels, keeping your bike well-secured.
The rack’s motorized lift is operated with three buttons and includes a key lock for security.
Once the troughs are folded down, they can accommodate e-bikes with tires up to 3” wide.
The ratcheting clamp arms also include key locks to prevent theft.
The rack uses a 7-pin wiring harness to power the lift motor and integrated lights.
The rack easily lifts e-bikes into the transport position, and back down again. It also has a cool feature that allows you to lower the bikes down and away from your vehicle’s rear hatch, allowing you to access that part of the vehicle without having to remove the bikes and rack first.
With most vehicles, the rack gives you an 11” distance between the hitch’s locking pin rack’s mast, so you can open most SUV hatches when the e-bikes are lowered. This won’t work, though, on vehicles that have a rear door that sways open, like the older models of the Toyota Landcruiser, Jeep Wrangler, Mitsubishi Montero, and Land Rover Discovery. RVers will be disappointed in learning that this rack is not approved for use on RVs or on tow-behind RV trailers.
Making storage more convenient, the rack trays fold inwards for compact storage, and there are integrated wheels that allow the folded rack to roll for moving. And finally, there’s a conditional 1-year warranty covering the rack’s electronics.
Saris Door County 2 Specs
Info
- Carries two e-bikes, up to 60 lbs each.
- Rack fits a wheelbase of up to 48″, and compatible with bike tires up to 3″ wide.
- For use with 2” receivers only.
- Rack weight: 63 lbs.
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