Yakima OnRamp LX eBike Rack: Detailed Review and Analysis

Updated December 12th, 2024

When it comes to securely transporting heavy e-bikes or fat tire bikes, the Yakima OnRamp LX eBike Rack is a great choice. It holds 2 bikes up to 80 lbs without worries on the highway or bumpy roads. The downside to this rack is that it requires a lot of adjustment for different bikes. This review will cover all the features of this rack and the good and bad points.

Yakima OnRamp LX

REI Backcountry Amazon

What we liked:

Heavy-duty weight capacity: Can hold bikes up to 80 lbs

Built-in ramp: Makes loading heavy bikes more manageable

Versatility: Adjustable trays and clamps can fit a wide range of bikes

Durability: Robust construction and Yakima’s excellent customer support ensure long-term use

Stable performance: Holds bikes securely at high speeds and over rough roads

What we didn’t like:

Adjustment process: Requires significant time and effort to set up for different bike sizes

Strap alignment: Lack of a pivot point makes securing wheels slightly cumbersome

Ramp design: Can be tricky to attach for unloading with a larger tire bike on the rack

Tilting mechanism: Difficult to use with heavier bikes, limiting trunk access

Specifications

Max Bike Weight – 80 lbs per tray for the 2 inch receiver version

Max Bike Weight for RV use – 80 lbs per tray for the 2 inch receiver version

Max Bike Weight for Offroad use – 48 lbs per tray for the 2 inch receiver version

Max Wheelbase – 54 inches

Tire Size – Up to 29 inch wheels and 5 inch width tires

Rack Weight – 53 lbs

Video Review

Key Features of the Yakima OnRamp LX

Let’s dig into the details of the Yakima OnRamp LX

1 – Weight capacity

The Onramp LX is designed to work for heavier ebikes. The 2 inch reciever version has a maximum weight capacity of 80 lbs for each tray. 80 lbs covers most full suspension fat tire ebikes like a Himiway Cobra or Mokwheel Obsidian. It covers any standard fat tire ebike like an Aventure 2 or Mokwheel Basalt.

80 lbs won’t cover some of the heavier bikes like the Birch Grolar we had a couple months ago which tipped the scales close to 100 lbs. The heavier bikes from Bakou or QuietKat are all in the 90 to 100 lb weight range as well.

This rack is approved for RV use for up to 80 lbs per tray. It is only approved for 48 lbs for off-road use.

The 1.25 inch version of this rack is only approved for 70 lbs per tray and 42 lbs per tray off-road.

2 – Tire size range

This rack is designed to fit a wide range of wheel sizes. Anything from 20 inch up to 29 inch with narrow wheels up to 5 inch wheels. It works best with 4 inch width fatbike wheels. I found when I loaded a conventional mountain bike with 29 x 2.6 inch front wheel, that the front wheel was very wobbly.

The tray is designed more to accommodate the larger wheel size that is more common on heavier ebikes.

3 – Adjustable trays for different wheelbases

The rack can accommodate up to a 54 inch wheelbase. The trays have a slider in them so they can extend and shrink. They have to be adjusted to fit each bike. I loaded 4 adult bikes on this rack and had to adjust the tray length different for everyone of them.

The entire tray can also be shifted left or right 3 inches from it’s middle position. This is necesary to get 2 bikes on the rack if the handlebars are touching or you can’t get part of the frame or seatpost lined up with the center post.

4 – Loading ramp

The OnRamp comes with a loading ramp that can be stored on the rack when not in use. The ramp is 2 pieces that bolt together with finger bolts. It works very well and feels stiff enough to work with 80 lb bikes. When your not using it, there is a built in holder at the front of the rack.

The ramp has plastic end fittings. The end that inserts into the rack has to attach from a horizontal or slight up angle. The tires get in the way when the bike is on the rack. You need to lift the rear tire up in the air on some bikes to get this ramp attached to the rack for rolling off the bike. This is an area where this ramp could be improved.

Functionality and Use

We tried out the rack with 4 bikes. A fat tire ebike with a step-through frame that weighs 68 lbs. A full suspension fat tire ebike with a step-through frame weighing 73 lbs. I also loaded 2 mountain bikes. One hard tail 29 inch wheel bike and one fatbike.

1 – Loading Bikes

The ramp works well when rolling heavier bikes on to it. The ramp is stiff enough and doesn’t flex that much. The only thing you have to do is pay attention to where the pedals are and where you want them to be relative to the post. The second bike on has to be tilted to roll past the post. Rolling off is equally easy.

I was able to load and unload 2 fat tire ebikes onto the rack by myself without any assistance.

2 – Adjusting the rack for different bikes

Adjustability is where this rack gets a few knocks. This rack is very adjustable to handle a lot of different sized bikes. That is the good part. The bad part is that is needs to be adjusted differently for almost every bike. I could not use the same tray position for any of the 4 bikes I loaded.

Tray adjustments

The trays do not slide easily. It is hard to hold the bike with one hand and try to push the tray with another hand. It’s easier to roll the bike off, adjust the tray, and roll the bike back on. This gets annoying real fast when your on the 3rd or 4th try to get the length just right.

Why is the tray length so critical? This leads into my next dislike for the rack. This the the plastic wheel straps. They are hinged on one side. The ratched buckle is fixed. You have to get the angle of the strap just right or it doesn’t stay securely in the buckle. If your tray length is off just a little bit the strap angle won’t work. If your wheel has a spoke in the way of the strap, the strap buckle won’t work.

You load the first bike onto the rack, get it all set. Then load the second bike on the rack, get the tray length set, then find out the handlebars are touching or the frame won’t quite align with the center post. This means unbolting the tray and moving it and then starting over again with the tray length adjustment.

Center post adjustments

The other common problem I had with the second bike was the center post. The center post clamps onto the frame or seat post. It’s very easy to use with 1 bike. When you load the second bike, you can quickly discover that you need the strap higher or lower than the strap on the other bike.

I always assumed it was going to be below like the product image showed. In one case I needed it above. This means having 2 bikes up on the rack and unhooking the 1st bike to slide the strap up so you can use the higher strap on the outside bike.

This rack is set and forget for 2 bikes, but not for 4 bikes.

This bike rack holds the bikes very securely once it is set correctly for those bikes. Loading goes very fast once everything is setup if you use the same 2 bikes. If you are mostly going to use this rack with the same 2 bikes all the time, it becomes a set and forget situation, and the rack becomes very user-friendly

We use our rack for 15 to 20 different bikes a year and frequently switch between ebikes and our regular bikes.

3 – Loading the rack on and off your car

The rack uses a bolt in receiver pin that controls the wobble. It works very well and the rack is very smooth once it is on the vehicle. The give you a key that keeps the pin from being removed to lock the rack to your car. Yakima gives you 2 wrenches to use for tightening this bolt pin. It’s nice they give you an extra.

The bolt head is 13mm. A 13mm wratchet wrench will make tightening and loosening this pin a lot easier. I would just get one and keep it in your trunk for when your using the rack.

The rack weighs in at 53 lbs. This is not as bad as a 1UP USA Superduty that weighs in over 65 lbs. It’s not as light as a Hollywood Destination E or Thule EasyFold that are closer to 45 lbs.

4 – Rack tilt

When the rack is empty, it can be tilted straight up to keep it from sticking out in parking lots. The spring loaded pin is very easy to use to release it for tilting up.

The rack is designed so that you can tilt it away from your vehicle so you can open the lift gate with bikes in the rack. I am not able to do this by myself. There is too much weight on the pin to release it.

You might be able to tilt the rack with 2 people where one person holds and pushes the center post while someone else releases the tilt pin. It’s not a solo task with a couple over 65 lb ebikes on the rack.

5 – Going down the highway

The rack is very stable and holds the bikes well once it is setup correctly. The center post keeps the bikes from swaying much or bumping into each other. I have driven it on the highway up to 80 mph and also on bumpy roads and a few railroad crossings. The bike rack is very stable with very little wobble.

This is the best part of this rack is how well it works going down the road.

Comparison with other racks

I have used a 1UP USA Superduty rack extensively over the last 2 years for ebikes and other bikes. From and adjustability standpoint, the 1UP USA rack and other racks of that style, like the Saris HMS, win hands down. With those you set the bike on it, swing the clamps shut and your good to go in just a few seconds.

The downside to that rack style is your holding the bikes by the wheels away from all the mass in the middle. The bikes tend to sway on the rack a bit more and can bump each other when going over potholes or railroad tracks. This is especially true when you have 2 heavyweight bikes loaded.

This ramp on this rack makes it very easy to load and unload heavier bikes by yourself. It wins out over racks like the Hollywood Sportrider where you have no choice but to pick the bike up and lift it.

Recommendation

The Yakima OnRamp LX is a good rack for someone who wants a very secure and stable rack for heavier fat tire ebikes. It rides very smooth and keeps the bikes stable without touching each other or your vehicle. It is best for someone who plans to use it with the same 2 bikes most of the time. The OnRamp LX is not for someone who has a bunch of bikes to switch between. If your an N+1 person you should look at an easier to adjust rack.

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