When the Kuat Piston Pro X debuted, it brought several novel features to market. The most visible was the integrated taillights and Kashima-coated sliders, but those weren’t really what made this rack special and unique.
Fortunately, the followup Piston Pro dropped $300 from the X’s price by losing those “gimmicks” while keeping the thing that made this rack really cool: The Pistons.
The Piston Gimmick
Arguably, even the pneumatic pistons that open the tire cradles could be considered a gimmick.
Are they necessary? No. Do they make it easier to load bikes? Absolutely.
Basically, you push the OneTap paddle to release the piston, which then pushes the tire cradle up and out. Tap both sides and you can easily load your bike in without having to juggle it while leveraging the cradles open.
It’s a small thing, but when you have spouses and kids also loading bikes, or you have heavier e-bikes, it makes life easier. You can even tap it with your foot and it opens.
The cradles open wide, and you can easily push them beyond horizontal if you need to. The only catch is that you HAVE to use the piston paddle to open the rack…don’t pull it open like normal or it can mess things up.
There’s also a release lever that lets the rack pivot down for tailgate access and up for storage. And that lever can be pulled or pushed, and there’s an oversized lower half so you can use your foot to release it and lower the rack. The only niggle is that it’s located at the front of the rack, so you have to reach through the bikes to get to it, which could be an issue when expanding it to carry 3 or 4 bikes.
It’s Also a Great Rack
Even if you don’t care about the piston feature, the Piston Pro is a great hitch bike rack. It has all of the simple-yet-sophisticated design that has always set Kuat apart. It’s rock solid, even with e-bikes. And it flips up close to the car for compact proportions when not in use.
Bikes are held securely, and there’s no frame contact at all.
Tire cradles have tool-free adjustments to fit almost any tire size except the smallest kids bikes. I’ve loaded road, gravel, and mountain bikes on it easily, and tire-size adjustments take just a few seconds.
I leave my bike rack on my car year round, and this one’s been sitting on our Forester for 16 months as of this review going live.
Thanks to the stainless steel hardware, IGUS bushings, and alloy body, it still looks brand new save for a bit of blue discoloration on the part of the piston that’s exposed when folded closed. And I think it looks kinda cool, so whatevs.
Two bikes fit easily, too, with plenty of pedal clearance.
The wheel tray and cradle design lets you shift each bike one way or another to minimize handlebar-to-seat interference, too.
A thick security cable easily reaches through both frames and all four wheels before clicking into the integrated (and included!) lock on the center beam.
The cable lock key is matched with the included hitch pin lock, too, so security comes standard with the rack.
Install notes
I cracked a beer to enjoy while I assembled and installed the Piston Pro, but I was done putting it together before I’d even gotten 1/3 of the way through my bevvie. It’s that easy.
Parts are labeled to match up, so there’s no guessing…
…and there are only a few bolts.
All necessary tools are included in the box, too. It took me maybe 10 minutes of real work, excluding taking these photos.
Kuat Piston Pro specs
- Per tray capacity:
- 67lbs (2″ model)
- 60lbs (1.25″ model)
- 42lbs (RV chassis mount)
- Rack weight: 61-63lbs (2-bike model)
- Fits bikes with:
- 53″ max wheelbase
- 5″ max tire width
- 18″ to 29″ wheel sizes
- 12mm cable lock
- Locking hitch pin
- Sand Black finish
- MSRP:
- $1,098 (2-bike)
- $1,596 (3-bike)
- $1,996 (4-bike)
Other random notes:
The Piston Pro comes in 2-, 3-, and 4-bike versions. All of them start with a 2-bike base, then add single or double trays later to expand capacity. You can buy them up front as a bundle, or add separately later…it’s the same price either way.
The 3- and 4-bike versions/extensions are only rated for use with 2″ hitches, but the 2-bike model is available for 1.25″ and 2″ hitches. And only the 2-bike version is rated for RV use.
I’m being honest, the taillights aren’t really a gimmick. They’re pretty cool. And might be required (or at least very advisable) in some markets. Kashima-coated pistons? Meh. But the lights are cool, even if you can add aftermarket light kits for a fraction of the price.
Overall, I love this rack. Zero complaints. If you want something that’s compact, rock solid, durable, and looks great, check out the Kuat Piston Pro.
