Update May 19, 2016:
Please note that this review refers to a previous generation of the FullSwing than the 2014 generation FullSwing that shares the same name. Please check out my new Yakima FullSwing vs Thule 9027 Apex Swing comparison review for features on the current version.
The Yakima FullSwing 4 is a hitch-mounted bike rack designed for use on vehicles with a Class 3, 2" hitch receiver. It's unique because of its fully extendable arm, which allows the user to leave the bikes mounted while swinging the rack away from the vehicle to open the rear hatch.
The FullSwing 4 comes with Yakima's Deadlock combo locking kit out of the box, giving you a lock for the bolted hitch pin and a cable lock extending out of one arm of the rack, allowing for the end bike to be locked up (securing all bikes in the rack).
A cam lever on top of the main mast of the rack allows users to easily swing the dual arms of the rack down when no bikes are being carried. The switch-blade style cradles on the FullSwing 4 (standard across the dual-arm Yakima bike rack line) help secure your bikes by grabbing on to not only the top tube of the bike frame, but the seat post as well. This helps prevent bikes from swaying back and forth while you accelerate or brake.
One feature of the rack I prefer compared to similar swing-away hitch mounts is the large t-bolt mounted backwards on the rack. This bolt is standard on most swing-away racks, as it connects the two arms of the rack securely when in transit. However, unlike the Thule Revolver or similar products, Yakima mounts their T-bolt on the back side of the rack, facing away from the vehicle. I personally find this bolt easy to kick at from the side of the rack when it is full of bikes, which I find preferable to trying to reach past the mess of bikes with my entire torso to start turning the handle by hand.
A complaint I have about the FullSwing 4 is the short distance between the hole for the receiver mounting bolt and the main mast of the bike rack. This doesn't allow for much distance between the bikes and the vehicle's paint, and makes it almost impossible to use on a vehicle with a rear-mounted spare tire, like a Honda CRV. This problem is common across most hitch-mounted bike racks, as manufacturers don't want to have the weight of the bikes sticking out too far past the rear of the vehicle.
Compared to the Thule Revolver, the Yakima FullSwing 4 is priced at a lower MSRP ($600 CDN vs. $640 CDN), and offers many nearly identical features. Both companies offer a life-time warranty on their racks in North America.
Please note that this review refers to a previous generation of the FullSwing than the 2014 generation FullSwing that shares the same name. Please check out my new Yakima FullSwing vs Thule 9027 Apex Swing comparison review for features on the current version.
The Yakima FullSwing 4 is a hitch-mounted bike rack designed for use on vehicles with a Class 3, 2" hitch receiver. It's unique because of its fully extendable arm, which allows the user to leave the bikes mounted while swinging the rack away from the vehicle to open the rear hatch.
The FullSwing 4 comes with Yakima's Deadlock combo locking kit out of the box, giving you a lock for the bolted hitch pin and a cable lock extending out of one arm of the rack, allowing for the end bike to be locked up (securing all bikes in the rack).
A cam lever on top of the main mast of the rack allows users to easily swing the dual arms of the rack down when no bikes are being carried. The switch-blade style cradles on the FullSwing 4 (standard across the dual-arm Yakima bike rack line) help secure your bikes by grabbing on to not only the top tube of the bike frame, but the seat post as well. This helps prevent bikes from swaying back and forth while you accelerate or brake.
One feature of the rack I prefer compared to similar swing-away hitch mounts is the large t-bolt mounted backwards on the rack. This bolt is standard on most swing-away racks, as it connects the two arms of the rack securely when in transit. However, unlike the Thule Revolver or similar products, Yakima mounts their T-bolt on the back side of the rack, facing away from the vehicle. I personally find this bolt easy to kick at from the side of the rack when it is full of bikes, which I find preferable to trying to reach past the mess of bikes with my entire torso to start turning the handle by hand.
A complaint I have about the FullSwing 4 is the short distance between the hole for the receiver mounting bolt and the main mast of the bike rack. This doesn't allow for much distance between the bikes and the vehicle's paint, and makes it almost impossible to use on a vehicle with a rear-mounted spare tire, like a Honda CRV. This problem is common across most hitch-mounted bike racks, as manufacturers don't want to have the weight of the bikes sticking out too far past the rear of the vehicle.
Compared to the Thule Revolver, the Yakima FullSwing 4 is priced at a lower MSRP ($600 CDN vs. $640 CDN), and offers many nearly identical features. Both companies offer a life-time warranty on their racks in North America.
3 comments:
How about spare tire mounted bike racks?
Modern spare tire mounted bike racks usually max out at two bicycles, which is all the weight you would want to put on the average rear door with wheel. I have a review for the Thule 963 Spare Me which goes through a few of the pros and cons of this style of rack. Generally speaking, you should always go for a hitch mounted bike rack with a swing-away option like the Yakima FullSwing over any spare tire mounted rack, to save your poor rear door's hinges.
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