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Coupes & Convertibles Mazda RX-8 Mazda RX-8
3616 messages, Last post on Apr 22, 2009 at 5:06 AM
You are in the Mazda RX-8 Forum. Your Host is claires
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Replying to: grinnin (Oct 13, 2007 8:25 am) I've got Avons as well for the weather, mostly the wet stuff and the quieter ride. I burn half a quart every 1K, and millage is 15MPG to 17MPG depending on the amount of paddle shifting. I've not had any problems either. Nothing like this car. Dream ride and I mostly stay in 2nd gear. Recently, discovered a $40 Bell bike rack that can be configured very low to the trunk to carry three mountain bikes at almost horizontal so highway speeds aren't slowed. Now we can drive anywhere, pop the bikes off, ride through the best scenery New England offers, then drive back passing everyone in their hulking camper sized SUVs just like a sports car should. This bike rack also keeps the bikes from blocking the tail lights, just need to be careful the bikes don't knick the paint going on. (I got knicked, but no dent) Once locked in place the bikes become a solid part of the car. The weight, roughly 150lb, is positioned at six points, two points at the bottom of the rear glass, two points at the edge of the trunk and two point just below the Mazda symbol on the back of the trunk. The rig self tightens onto the trunk as the car takes the bumps. With the rack attached, the trunk lid can still be fully opened.
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Replying to: grinnin (Oct 13, 2007 8:25 am) Now, if my engine blows the day after the warranty expires, I may rethink! 
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Replying to: rx8wannab (Oct 17, 2007 2:42 pm) |
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It's Tuesday, so that means it's time for our weekly chat session. Meet and greet with some of your CarSpace forums friends and chat about your favorite cars! The Mazda Club Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule |
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Hey Guys, So, I am new to this site and no, I don't have an RX8, yet. I am planning on getting one by next summer hopefully. I have wanted this car for quiet some time now, and I have started to learn more about it and research information on it. This is what I want in my future baby: Year: 2006 or 2007 Exterior: Black Interior: Red and Black Transmission: Triptonic, I'd rather it be automatic, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a sports car, but I can always get it switched to manual if I please. Rims/Wheels: 18" Sevas S 55 http://www.d2autosport.com/wheels/sevas/s55chrome.jpg Tint: Not sure yet Body Kit: Infini Flared Urethane http://www.body-kitz.com/contents/me...ntshowcase.jpg Calipers: Red Detagged Navigation System (I get lost easily ) From what I have seen so far, this looks extremely sexy to me. I have looked up prices and it looks like it will be somewhere between $20,000 to $25,000. I wanted to ask if this sounds like a good idea, or if it's too much money to put into it or if you have any thoughts or suggestions please let me know. None of my friends have RX8's. And I am not sure who to turn to. Thank You So Much, Hope to Hear From Someone Soon
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Replying to: lovlyladielump (Nov 29, 2007 1:49 pm) |
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Replying to: trispec (Oct 13, 2007 4:52 pm) Jim
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Replying to: jimary (Dec 25, 2007 9:44 pm) http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3918 It took a number of times for me to figure out how to make this model work. As Walmart has it pictured, if you try to make it work, you're courting disaster. Here's a step by step. As Walmart has it picture, the weight of the rack will dent the RX-8 trunk lid and the rack will down slip and directly through the top of the plastic bumper. 1) In the Walmart picture, if your zoom in you may be able to see it better, there are two armatures. The armature as pictured, that's resting on the top of the trunk or boot (Brits, love ya) needs to be folded back under so that this first armature rests about an inch from the end of the trunk. This armature position also means that the main top support armature will need to move forward until it rests directly on the edge of the trunk lid and the bottom of the rear window glass. Also the bottom support will move up the back of the trunk so that on the RX-8, the Mazda logo, is covered by the lower support armature. 2) The positioning that above configurations means that the bike will lay much more horizontal following the curve of the RX-8, resulting in much less wind resistance and above the car, NOT behind the car like most bike racks. 3) The critical engineering advantage of the above is that the bike rack will have three points (really six padded points) of contact with the trunk and car rather than the two (or four pads). This adds to the stability and the contact points are at the strongest parts of the car, at the bottom of the rear window, the rear folded edge of the trunk and the spot just behind where the trunk latches inside car. 4) Now here's the most critical little trick of all. The straps shown at the top of the picture need to be wrapped back over the top of the armature that's folded back to the edge of the trunk. These straps need to be pulled tight as possible at all times. This will mean that as the weight of the bikes bounces, the armature be pushing up on the straps which will cause the whole bike rack to be tightened as the straps will being pulling at the top of the trunk lid with each bounce as shown. The back lower support will slip down off the Mazda logo, but the low support will be constantly pulled tighter and tighter as well. The RX-8's tight ride means that the straps configured this way will act as a shock absorber that tightens the load to the trunk as you drive. 5) Be very care when attaching the bikes. Since the bike are weighing down onto the top of the trunk the little arms that you strap the bikes to are not taking the weight as they would if the bikes were hanging more off the back of the car. The bike rack frame takes the full weight. BUT, the arms sticking up, need to act as posts to which the bikes at attached to KEEP the bikes from shifting LEFT and RIGHT. If the bike shift left or right during travel, they can drupe down such that the wheel bolts can scratch the paint. I strongly recommend strapping the bike seat post or below vertical bike frame below the seat, as tightly as possible to armatures sticking up to avoid the left and right shifting of the bikes. 6) Be careful lifting the bikes onto the bike frame. They are above your RX-8's rear window and trunk. Dropping a bike in these circumstance would obviously have a really bad effect on your car. Take you time. Rest between stages. It gets easier each time, but always take your time. Damage, of any kind will ruin the whole bike trip. 7) Check that the straps are tight before, during and after putting the rack and bikes onto the trunk. Also check the straps before, during and after driving the RX-8 fully loaded. Drive a couple of miles and then check the straps. If going on the highway watch the straps in the rear view mirror because they will start flapping a lot when they get loose. 8) Avoid putting anything of weight on the top of the rear bump. The bumper on top is just a thin piece of plastic. There's nothing but air under the top of the bumper. I punched my bike rack's lower support right through. Near disaster. That's what lead to my putting the bike rack over the car rather than the tradition hanging off the back like most configurations. |
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| Thnks for your help with the Walmart rack. I've made it work well on my trunk using most of your ideas. | |
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