Kuat Piston Pro
Test Locations: Colorado, New Mexico
Test Duration: 1 year
Mounted to: 1996 Ford Ranger, 2019 VW Alltrack
Blister’s Measured Weight: 63.4 Ib / 28.7 kg
MSRP: $1,098
Intro
The premium hitch rack category is turning out to be quite the competitive space, with a lot of that credit going to 1UP USA, who I’d say single-handedly changed the game with their iconic dual-arm design that only contacts the tires. And if we put any stock in the phrase “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” then 1UP USA must be extremely flattered since many rack makers have dual-arm rack designs similar to 1UP USA now.
Kuat’s take on that design is the Piston Pro family of racks. The Piston Pro X was their first offering in the line, followed by the Piston Pro, which is what we have in for review. The Piston Pro is a nice addition to the lineup as it forgoes some of the Pro X’s premium features in favor of a more streamlined and subdued appearance, while also cutting the cost significantly.
I’ve spent enough time with 1Up USA racks, and the RockyMounts GuideRail to know I much prefer tray-style dual-arm racks over other layouts, and due to Küat’s unique design, I was very keen to load bikes on the Piston Pro. I have to say that the first time I hit the release button on the OneTap pneumatic arms (more on those in a moment) and watched them automatically extend up to the load position, I was pretty much sold. However, given its more complex design, we knew it would require a longer test period than usual to ensure the design would hold up since there’s simply more to go wrong or age poorly. After a year of use, we’re ready to weigh in.
Design, Features & Impressions
The Piston Pro is a tray-style hitch-mount rack with a familiar silhouette and two pneumatic arms that hold bikes by the tires. One of the reasons this style of rack is so popular is that there’s no frame, fork, or wheel contact, and because neither wheel location is fixed, bikes can be adjusted side to side so there is no bike-to-bike contact either when loading more than one bike.
Despite having a common two-arm design, Kuat’s unique OneTap pneumatic levers differentiate the Piston Pro from the competition. The wheel arms are connected to pressurized struts that open the arms automatically when you press, hit, or tap, the OneTap levers — a one-handed procedure that works exceptionally well and is a very satisfying experience.
Kuat says the Piston Pro is compatible with 18’’ to 29’’ wheels with up to 5.0’’ wide tires, all made possible by Kuat’s very handy no-tool FastFit Wheel Chock System — which ended up being one of my favorite features since I regularly switched between different wheel sizes, as well as kids’ bikes. Not only is the FastFit Wheel Chock system tool-free, but it is also a one-handed procedure, which is especially nice if you already have the bike in the tray before realizing it is set to a different size than what you’re loading — you can use one hand to hold the bike in place while the other adjusts the FastFit wheel chock. The wheel chocks have spring loaded detents that align with holes in the wheel arm that correspond to the different wheel sizes, and by squeezing the tabs on the detents the chock easily slides up and down to the desired wheel size position — it’s a great tool-free design.
The nearly all-metal construction (Kuat claims it is 99% metal) gives the Piston Pro a high-quality, sturdy feel, and contributes to its hefty 63.5 lb weight, which I definitely noticed the first time I picked it up and guided it into the receiver hitch — it’s a lot of awkward to weight to manage; thankfully I haven’t had to move it around too much. The burly construction allows the Piston Pro to accommodate bikes up to 67 lb / 30.4 kg per tray (42 lb / 19 kg for chassis-mounted RV hitches). I routinely transported two eMTBs weighing over 50 lbs each, and the Piston Pro was very much up to the task with no perceived added slop. I’ve loaded eMTBs onto other racks that felt super sketchy with the added weight, but the Piston Pro loaded with eMTBs feels the same as it does with regular mountain bikes. Additionally, Kuat offers an eMTB ramp as an accessory — but not wanting to get harassed by my BLISTER colleagues, I opted not to get the ramp, for now anyway…
On the security side, the Piston Pro comes with a semi-integrated 12mm cable lock. The cable has to be stored in the vehicle and only the locking component is integrated — hence the semi-integrated description. It works well overall, but for me, a 12mm cable doesn’t give me the confidence to leave the rack with bikes loaded out of sight, plus you do have to remember it when moving the rack to another vehicle (yes, I did forget once). For the rack itself, Kuat uses a tamper-resistant tool interface for their patented Flatlock hitch cam anti-wobble mechanism, which is a nice second line of defense in addition to the hitch pin lock (which uses the same key as the semi-integrated lock).
Another nice feature is the foot pedal (which can also be used by hand) to lower and raise the rack. It’s fantastic to use, so much so that I really don’t want to use a rack without a foot pedal anymore. With the rack in the tilted-down position, the Piston Pro does clear the tailgate on my old Ford Ranger. Granted this is very vehicle-dependent, but I think in general, dual-arm designs are typically more low-profile than other hitch rack designs, and offer more tailgate clearance. For example, the RockyMounts BackStage hitch rack does not clear my tailgate in tilted-down positions.
Kuat offers a license plate mount for the Piston Pro, and since I have been pulled over because the rack obscured my license plate, it is probably not a bad idea to add one. A lot of people I know have recently been pulled over for the same thing, so it looks like police departments are moving toward being less tolerant of racks blocking license plates. And lastly, the Piston Pro is backed by Kuat’s “No Worries Limited Warranty”, which is a lifetime warranty for the original owner if all of their requirements are met — it’s worth checking out the fine print as there are various RV and other limitations to consider.
Bottom Line
The Kuat Piston Pro is an extremely well-executed hitch rack, and I think the OneTap pneumatic levers are one of the best arm designs on the market. I can see why some might have reservations about the durability of the pressurized strut system, which is why we tested it for over a year and can say that it has performed flawlessly — it operates today the same as it did when we first got it. The rest of the rack has held up equally well with no corrosion, broken parts, or excessive play developing anywhere. All in all, it is a super solid rack that is a joy to use and is highly recommended.