Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (waltaz)
Posted by: waltaz at 10:40 PM 4/2/2008
I understand the EX does not come equipped with a trailer hitch, but is it capable of receiving one? I would not be using a hitch for towing of course, only for accommodating a swingaway rear carrier if sliding my road bike into the cargo bay is not an option.
Transporting my bike is not something I do all the time & perhaps one of the more portable rear/trunk carriers might even be preferable to the hitch mounted Thule I have on my Xterra now (which would really overwhelm & junk up the rear of this vehicle.)
The only thing which is not an option for me is a roof-mounted carrier, since I don't have the arm strength & won't always have a pair of biceps to borrow whenever I get the spare time to throw on my bike & spontaneously head out somewhere for a fitness ride.
So I just wondered if there are any cyclists on this board who've figured out how to cart their bikes around with this car yet.
Thanks in advance for any input from members of this forum which might help me make the decision on whether or not to get the EX . I truly love it & I'm all set to pull the trigger on it, but am hesitating just until I get this issue settled.
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (LEXA)
Posted by: Widman at 8:46 PM 2/14/2008
My solution is to go with Yakima or Thule cross bars and a bike carrier attached to them. A rear carrier attached to the hatch is not an option due to the spoiler on the top of the hatch. Infiniti parts show Yakima
accessories in their inventory catalog. Good luck!
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (Widman)
Posted by: LEXA at 3:59 PM 2/15/2008
I think you may be right about that spoiler interfering with the hatch mounted unit; I hadn't even thought about that. Also while reading reviews yesterday, I learned that some people are less than satisfied with these. It seems they can damage the paint where it contacts the vehicle.
A new EX owner on another forum said that he just resorted this week to having a custom hitch made for his bike rack for about $480 dollars. That may be what I'll eventually have to do.
Meanwhile,we can hope HiddenHitch sees a great opportunity here & gets a unit into production for this vehicle soon.
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (LEXA)
Posted by: rubbersidedown at 2:25 PM 3/23/2008
I have heard that a bike with the front wheel fits nicely into the rear with the seats down. From eyeballing it, I think it's no problem.
Don't rule out putting a rack on and putting your bike up top - it's a piece of cake and not a hard reach. Certainly not like the Honda Pilot I just traded for the EX which was one helluva reach to get it up there.
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (LEXA)
Posted by: npeckio at 4:32 AM 4/2/2008
Someone on another forum posted pics of his dealer installed hitch for his Thule rack
here . (I hope he doesn't mind me posting the link.)
Don't know what brand his was but it looks pretty good. I'd thought that a tow hitch might muck up the car's architecture, but his turned out just great I think. See for yourself:
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (waltaz)
Posted by: waltaz at 10:40 PM 4/2/2008
| Quote, originally posted by acarnut » |
| Hi waltaz, I have one question. Does the bottom of the fairing actually touching the roof? If yes, does it have some kind of padding to prevent scratching the paint? Thanks for sharing the pictures! |
What you just said made me think, though. I wonder if the hitch/rack/bike setup will obstruct the view of the rear view camera? 
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (LEXA)
Posted by: npeckio at 2:28 AM 4/5/2008
He says "I had to buy a new bike rack and sold the “ Yakima ” one I had as it was too wobbly with the adaptor on it. This rack is specific to 1 ¼ hitch receiver and the grey color looks ok with the ex. The mrsp for the bike rack is $330.00. I should get a discount from the bike shop and I got $100.00 for the old rack. The new rack is very fast to get bike on/off. It folds nicely but blocks the lic. Plate it that the position and the bumper sensor beeps when you put the car in reverse. This only occurs with the rack in its folded “not in use” position."
Thanks Nick!
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (LEXA)
Posted by: datura2000 at 12:39 PM 6/4/2008
| Quote, originally posted by alfanut » |
| I already have a bike rack for a 1/4" receiver. |
FWIW, the standard sizes for receivers seems to be:
Class I & II hitch = 1-1/4" square
Class III hitch = 2" square
You should be able to get an adapter for your 2" receiver to allow insertion of a 1-1/4" appliance (though you need to be mindful of the length and vertical offset, etc, you need).
Cheers,
David
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (waltaz)
Posted by: ThinkingAboutIt at 5:22 AM 8/11/2008
Could you please provide the maximum distance in inches that you were able to get between your cross bars? I have read that the max is 19inches but I assume that was with factory cross rails. I am still working on getting a boat properly secured to the roofrails and 19 inches for a 16ft canoe is not good. I would appreciate you taking a measurement of your Thule set up for me. Thx!
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (dividedhighw)
Posted by: alfanut at 7:42 AM 8/11/2008
| Quote, originally posted by alfanut » |
| If I'm lucky, Infiniti will come out with a 2" hitch on the 2009 that will work with the 2008 [snip]. |
Hey Paul,
It's unlikely we'll ever see an EX hitch with a 2" receiver because this size is typically on hitches rated Class III (or higher). Such hitches are rated for towing 5000 to 6000 lbs, whereas the EX is only rated to tow about 2000 lbs (the range of a Class I hitch).
Coincidently, I was at the shop this morning getting a hitch installed on our Subaru and asked about ones available for the EX. No matter which supplier they looked up, only Class I hitches were listed.
Cheers,
David
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (littlerascal)
Posted by: dividedhighw at 7:31 AM 8/15/2008
| Quote, originally posted by littlerascal » |
| I just had to have my hitch removed because it apparently bent my bumper support brackets.. guess thats where the hitch is attached to.. |
I agree with npeckio that it's either faulty installation or the wrong hitch (i.e. it wasn't designed to carry the weight of a bike rack, or you need a design that's not just attached to the bumper).
The website of one hitch supplier states, "Some hitches in this class may attach to the vehicle bumper or trunk pan. Most other Class I hitches attach to the vehicle frame." Click here for the quoted source.
Your experience is certainly a cautionary tale for all of us thinking about putting a hitch on our EX. 
HTH,
David
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (littlerascal)
Posted by: LEXA at 6:05 PM 8/17/2008
Please come back to this thread & tell us when you figure out what the problem was (faulty installation/ wrong hitch/ EX design flaw etc.)
I haven't installed one on my EX yet, but I think I may hold off until we find out what went wrong with yours.
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (LEXA)
Posted by: hitch guy at 12:37 PM 8/18/2008
The maximum capacity tongue weight is 200lbs. If you figure out the weight of the bike rack, plus the weight of the hitches, then the distance the bikes are from the receiver tube. 3 bikes at 35lbs will put you over your maximum capacity and the hitch or bike rack can fail.
Post Title: Re: Bicycle Transport aboard the EX? (hitch guy)
Posted by: npeckio at 5:33 PM 8/18/2008
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