[flyboy66]

Anyone have any recommendations on where to buy a roof rack system for carrying a bike?? I am trying to avoid dealership prices if possible. Thanks!!

[dcorn]

Check out the classifieds. Picked mine up for cheap. Or try Morristown BMW on ebay or www.getbmwparts.com

[anerbe]

If you go aftermarket (Thule/Yakima), try ORSracksdirect.com

[MazdaFan]

BMW factory base racks are reasonably priced. Thule or Yakima base racks are more expensive and not as good for this particular car.

For bike attachment I recommend a generic rack for factory bars such as Thule 513 or Rocky Mounts tierod. I don't like to remove the rubber molding from the factory base rack so I prefer something that clamps over the rubber moldings.

[El Cheapo Loco]

FWIW, I've read that aftermarket can rub on the roof rails ruin the paint. You should do some research on this before going aftermarket.

[Lenaxia]

I would HiGHLY recommend the oEM base rack with Yakima Forklift Universal bike racks.

That's the setup I'm running right now and it is nice.

I would recommend against the Thule 815 for a couple of reasons.

First because it slides into the channel on the rack, while looks cleaner it significantly increases the chance of whistling at speed due to gaps in the rubber.

Second, it is less secure and more prone to wobbling. Th Yakima is significantly more stable

Lastly, the Yakima build quality is higher and it looks nicer. If you compare them side to side you will see what I mean.

I did go with Thule for snowboard/ski attachments though.

[saalim]

why a roof rack? Why not a trunk mounting system?

[Lenaxia]

Originally Posted by saalim

why a roof rack? Why not a trunk mounting system?

It doesn't look as good and a trunk system will scratch your trunk.

[Pinarello Rider]

I added the Yakima Base Towers with landing pads. There is no money saving - the only reason I didn't get the BMW racks was because ALL of my bike racks, cargo racks, and ski racks are for the Yakima and I didn't want to have to buy a bunch more new stuff. If I were buying from scratch, I'll consider the BMW racks (didn't know they were unstable, though). I can see how the Yakima racks might mar the finish a little, but I really couldn't car less. If it would actually scratch and cause rust, I'd be concerned, but I don't see a properly mounted rack doing that.