NSR owners

i'm looking at an NSR as i don't know of any alternatives that have the following:
carry 4 bikes securely over rough roads/shuttles; high ground clearance from hitch

a) other racks to be considered?
b) is rust a big issue with NSR? some say it is.

are they all that and a bag of chips? any problems or issues i should be aware of?

thanks.

Check out Recon Racks. More expensive that the NSR4 but it holds the bike by the wheels, not the fork crown. Has some cool features like this ridiculously overbuilt (but cool looking) main pivot. Doesn't fix the slop at the hitch that all racks have, but it certainly eliminates on of the major sources of rack play.

i'm looking at an NSR as i don't know of any alternatives that have the following:
carry 4 bikes securely over rough roads/shuttles; high ground clearance from hitch

a) other racks to be considered?
b) is rust a big issue with NSR? some say it is.

are they all that and a bag of chips? any problems or issues i should be aware of?

thanks.

NSR is pretty hard to beat IMHO. It's simple, robust, and does its job very well. Loading/unloading bikes is fast and easy, as long as you don't have a newer DH rig with an extra fat head tube (eg. Specialized Demo). These tend to get stuck in the hooks and require some effort to unload. A little tweaking of the hanging hooks reduces but doesn't completely get rid of this problem. I am very happy with my NSR4. Rust has not been an issue.

No experience with them, but one thing I've read, and can be seen from pictures, is they don't work with mud fenders. A pretty big draw back imo, as fenders are a winner 6+ months a year round these here parts.

No experience with them, but one thing I've read, and can be seen from pictures, is they don't work with mud fenders. A pretty big draw back imo, as fenders are a winner 6+ months a year round these here parts.

They are fine with the plastic kind that extend back from the crown (mucky nutz etc) on your lowers as the rack holds the fork by the top crown. Could be problems with the cut up inner tube style stretched between the two crowns, but I have used one with that before too it still works while pressed against the cut tube. A large moto style fender attached to the top crown wouldn't work but nobody uses those.

They are fine with the plastic kind that extend back from the crown (mucky nutz etc) on your lowers as the rack holds the fork by the top crown. Could be problems with the cut up inner tube style stretched between the two crowns, but I have used one with that before too it still works while pressed against the cut tube. A large moto style fender attached to the top crown wouldn't work but nobody uses those.

I stand corrected. Good to know.

I've got some rust on mine after about four years but not enough to stop me from buying another when needed. I believe their paint/powdercoat has gotten much better recently from what a buddy's newer one looks like.

Only thing that I don't like about the NSR is that it can't really handle road/commuter bikes. You can kind of do it by putting them on backwards and hanging them by the stem/handlebar but it isn't ideal. Other than that I really like it - great for mountain bikes, although it will scuff the paint on your fork a little bit if that bothers you.

NSR is pretty hard to beat IMHO. It's simple, robust, and does its job very well. Loading/unloading bikes is fast and easy, as long as you don't have a newer DH rig with an extra fat head tube (eg. Specialized Demo). These tend to get stuck in the hooks and require some effort to unload. A little tweaking of the hanging hooks reduces but doesn't completely get rid of this problem. I am very happy with my NSR4. Rust has not been an issue.

I've had this issue with my Reign on my buddy's rack. Not sure how old it is though.

I have an NSR2 and NSR4.

The new powder coat is really good compared to the original. The newer racks have a textured powder coat whereas the older racks have a smooth gloss powder coat.

My NSR2 was bought used and had a lot of powder coat that flaked off and surface rust. I just disassembled the rack and used black gloss Tremclad on the whole thing after sanding the rust off and scuffing up the good powder coat. BINGO: a rack that looks brand new.

As a tip to any NSR owner, if you want to keep the bars that the tires rest on from scuffing and eventually rusting, wrap the bar in hockey tape. It gives a clean appearance and does not wear off or scratch.

I need to refinish my NSR-4 rack. It's about seven years old and has some surface rust now. Unsure how I'd rate the off-road ability of bikes on racks though.

I'd likely go with a Recon Rack or a 1Up rack if I decide to replace the NSR.

If you want high ground clearance, get a plate style off-road bumper for your vehicle with integrated hitch mount.

Check out Recon Racks. More expensive that the NSR4 but it holds the bike by the wheels, not the fork crown. Has some cool features like this ridiculously overbuilt (but cool looking) main pivot. Doesn't fix the slop at the hitch that all racks have, but it certainly eliminates on of the major sources of rack play.

This. Localish as well in Bellingham. He also makes everything in house which is cool.

I need to refinish my NSR-4 rack. It's about seven years old and has some surface rust now. Unsure how I'd rate the off-road ability of bikes on racks though.

I'd likely go with a Recon Rack or a 1Up rack if I decide to replace the NSR.

If you want high ground clearance, get a plate style off-road bumper for your vehicle with integrated hitch mount.

i'd thought about that (bumper) but that's getting a bit extreme IMO. bumpy roads are tough on bikes and racks, but tray style racks with moving arms are quite bad. i suspect the NSR can do so better than most with some extra care to firmly tie down the bikes and the rack itself if needed. i'm thinking the Hurley for example. i wouldn't use the Kuat again on that or any other really rough road.

I've had a two bikes pop off my NSR rack now. Once was when driving over an elevated crosswalk near Blackcomb Way, the other on a local FSR.
Looked for pics of my truck-bumper-rack setup but can' locate at the moment.