5 Heavy Duty E-Bike Hitch Racks That Will Make Your Next Trip Easier

Heavy duty hitch racks for e-bikes are obviously made for bikes that are weighting more than the usual ones – but how much weight can these items actually carry and also, how you can find the right one for your goals? We’re here to help you find out.

Firstly, a heavy duty e-bike hitch rack is able to carry considerably big bikes, weighting up to 60 or 65 lbs. and a 26” tire diameter. Depending on the model you’re looking for, you can easily find the one that fits neatly onto your vehicle and is able to carry one or multiple e-bikes, so all you have to do is prepare for your dream holiday.

Depending on your goal, here are our top 5 heavy duty e-bike hitch racks that we consider qualitative and highly functional:

1. Thule EasyFold XT 
2. KAC Overdrive Sports K4
3. Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE
4. Saris Superclamp EX
5. Thule T2 Pro XTR

1. Thule EasyFold XT Hitch Mount Carrier

Rating: Great Performance
Style: Hitch (platform)
Hitch receiver size: 1.25″ and 2″
Nr. of bikes: 2 (130 lbs total)
What we like: Bike ramp makes loading easy,can handle heavy bikes, versatile.
What we don’t: Hard to configure for multiple bikes.

The Thule EasyFold XT has been one of our favorites for many years, due to its innovative features, but also for the premium look and feel. The hitch rack comes with an onboarding ramp, for easy loading and unloading your e-bikes and enough space to fit 2 e-bikes safely. This hitch rack weighs only 45 lbs. and can carry up to 65 lbs per e-bike, which is 5 lbs more than Thule T2 Pro XT listed below. This particular aspect is very important as you won’t have to remove the battery of your e-bike, in order to fit the weight requirements of the hitch rack (although it is recommended). In order to get more insights on EasyFold XT check out our review.

2. KAC Overdrive Sports K4

Rating: Exceptional
Style: Hitch (platform)
Hitch receiver size: 2-inches only
Nr. of bikes: 4 bikes (240 lbs in total)
What we like: Capacity to support 4 full size ebikes, rear reflector adds enhanced visibility.
What we don’t: Heavy.

This hitch rack is a platform style carrier that suits classic bikes or e-bikes that weight up to 60 lbs. each and can carry a total weight of 240 lbs. You can fit a maximum of four e-bikes on the KAC Overdrive and it will keep them safe thanks to the anti-wobble system it comes equipped with. The hitch rack is a premium one and the package will also include a safety strap, locking hitch pin and two keys for your hitch pin lock. This rack will fit perfectly on your SUV or truck and is very useful for mountain trips or off road tracks.

3. Hollywood Racks Sport Rider

Rating: Exceptional
Style: Hitch (platform)
Hitch receiver size: 2-inches only
Nr. of bikes: 2 (160 lbs total)
What we like: Fits up to 5″ tires, sturdy, tilts down for cargo access.
What we don’t: Heavy, the lock fits loosely on the pin.

The Hollywood Sport hitch rack is able to carry two heavy duty e-bikes, each weighing up to 80 lbs. – making it the highest load-bearing hitch rack on our list and a strong item to use on your next trip. It’s seen as one of the most impressive bike rack for electric bikes.  This hitch rack also comes equipped with an extra heavy duty wheel holder and also tilts down for an easier access to your trunk, has the anti-wobble system and is compatible only with 2” hitches. We did also a full review so feel free to check it out here.

4. Saris Superclamp EX

Rating: Good performance
Style: Hitch (platform)
Hitch receiver size: 1.25-inches for 2-bike version, 2-inches only for 4-bike version
Nr. of bikes: 2-4 (190 lbs total)
What we like: Lightweight, can carry a variety of bikes including heavy ones, tilting feature, compact.
What we don’t: Distance between bikes is not enough.

Saris SuperClamp EX is one of the most popular we’ve seen on the market, especially for mountain bikes due to its compact and snatched shape, but also its clamping system that puts the clamp down on the main top bar. The Saris hitch rack supports a total weight of 120 lbs and can carry a maximum of 2 e-bikes. The most important feature on the Saris hitch rack is the low center of gravity which makes it easier for you to lift on and off the hitch rack.

5. Thule T2 Pro XTR

Rating: Exceptional
Style: Hitch (platform)
Hitch receiver size: 1.25″ and 2″ hitch size
Nr. of bikes: 2 bikes (120 lbs total)
What we like: A heavy duty carrier by definition, it can carry any bike type.
What we don’t: Expensive, heavy.

Last but not least, another hitch rack from Thule is among our favorites for carrying safely an ebike. The T2 Pro XTR hitch rack is robust, strong and has zero frame contact. It is a premium rack (and one of the best ebike racks) that can support 5” tires without the need of an adapter and up to 60 lbs. per ebike. Besides the impressive weight it can carry, the hitch rack has other important features as the tilt release function, tool-free installation and a strong locking system.

As a final note, the options we’ve put together and suggested to you are suitable for heavy duty ebikes or fat ebikes. Our recommendation is to always research the features and dimensions of your needed hitch rack, in order to make sure it safely suits your e-bike and your specific goals. Another important aspect that needs to be considered is the budget, as it will increase along with the features, supported weight and number of bikes that fit on the rack.