Demon bike rack review | Tailgate Pad | BikesRacks

Published by Bike Scientist on

If you are looking for a tailgate pad for carrying your bikes on a pickup truck, the Demon bike rack might be made for you.  The demon has been producing safety gear for gravity sports enthusiasts for around 20 years. The Demon tailgate truck bike rack can accommodate up to 7 bikes and can be used on many different trucks. 

Here we have rated many aspects of the bike rack by using our R score rating system. To find out if it’s suitable for you, keep reading the article. 

See our best bike racks for the truck bed list.

Demon Truck bike rack

Pros of Demon Tailgate Pad

  • Accommodates up to 7 bikes
  • Easy tool-free installation
  • Hitch receiver is not required
  • Light in weight
  • Compatible with most bikes and pickup trucks
  • The tailgate is protected from scratches
  • Waterproof and durable
  • Does not hinder towing or sharp turns
  • Tool pockets
  • Soft underside

Cons of Demon Tailgate Pad

  • Velcro straps wear out fast
  • The quick access flap is short
  • No built-in locking mechanism

The Rack Score

Rack score is a bike rack rating system we devised for your ease. We rate different bike racks after analyzing their features, aesthetics, compatibility, security, brand value, and price. All these aspects are placed on a score of 10 and then we calculate the total R score for a bike rack. This way, you can easily choose the right bike rack for your vehicle. In the current article, we will rate the Demon bike rack.

The brand value of Demon United

The Demon tailgate bike rack is a product of Demon that started off in 1999 as a company manufacturing skiing equipment. With time it started manufacturing other products for gravity sports. Today it produces protective gear for BMX and mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, and hundreds of other products.

After rebranding many times, it finally exists as Demon United. With headquarters in Utah, USA, the brand sells and distributes its products to more than 40 countries around the world. The main focus of Demon is to provide high-quality products for the safety of people who are into gravity sports. 

Features of Demon tailgate bike rack

The Demon tailgate bike rack is made up of high-quality ¾ inches of foam padding that supports the bikes on the tailgate. it is fixed on the truck with the help of three straps that are tied around the tailgate. two straps are on the sides and one in the middle. You will have to position them through the gaps when you open the tailgate and then tie them to fix the bike rack.

Large-size Demon tailgate truck-bed bike rack

This Demon bike rack comes in two sizes and fits almost all types of trucks. The small size is 54 inches wide is suitable for most mid-sized trucks. It can carry a maximum of five bikes. The large size is 62 inches wide with a capacity of seven bikes. It works with full-sized trucks.

The pad simply rests on the tailgate and bikes are placed on it with the front wheels hanging out of the truck. The bikes are kept in a position because of Velcro straps. Most people complain that the Velcro wears out after a few months or that the Velcro straps are short and cannot be used for some E-bikes. But since the straps are removable, you can replace them with any type or length of straps.

The Demon tailgate rack is equipped with two pockets to carry tools and has an opening for the back camera and tailgate handle access. However, most users protest that the opening is not the right size for most trucks. This means that you might have to compromise on the back camera view if you get the Demon tailgate pad. 

Tool pockets on the bedside of the Demon truck rack

With this Demon bike rack, you won’t have to worry about weather damage because it is made with a durable material such as UV-resistant thread. The pad bike rack can tolerate both summer and winter harsh weather. You can also use a Targa top without removing this bike rack. this saves the time of uninstalling the tailgate pad whenever you want to cover or lock your truck bed. 

Moreover, the Demon tailgate truck bike rack does not affect towing things behind the truck. You can easily attach a trailer at the back of the truck and pull it. The bikes do not interfere with the trailer or cargo since they are placed inside the truck bed. The front wheels of bikes are also turned on one side which means that the length of the truck does not increase due to this rack.

The tailgate pad protects the truck paint. The underside is made up of soft material, so even if you mount multiple bikes on the top, it does not scratch the tailgate. The bike frame is also kept safe because of the Velcro straps. The front straps are fastened tightly and if the back wheel is adjusted in the truck bed groove, the bike stands still. With these features, the rack gets an R score of 8. 

Demon Tailgate Truck Bike Rack

Do customers like the Demon rack?

Customer satisfaction holds high importance when making a buying decision. The Demon tailgate truck bike rack has a total of 1,793 global ratings on Amazon. The bike rack has 4.6 stars out of 5. From among the total ratings, 92% of the users have given 5 or 4 stars. This accumulates an R score of 8.

Aesthetics of Demon truck rack

The Demon tailgate rack has a minimal design and black color. The Demon United logo is reflective and gives visibility to the pad. The pad has a vinyl cover on the inside and ¾ inches of foam padding on the inside. It also has an opening flap for the tailgate handle and back camera. For this design, it gets an R score of 9. 

Capacity and Compatibility of Demon truck-bed bike rack

The best thing about tailgate pads is that it is compatible with a wide range of trucks. This is because the tailgate pad does not require roof or truck bed rails or a hitch receiver. Demon tailgate truck bike rack comes in two sizes which is why it is compatible with many models of

  • Nissan Frontier Pro4X
  • GMC Sierra
  • Ford F-150
  • Chevy Silverado
  • Chevy Colorado
  • Dodge Ram
  • Toyota Tundra

This bike rack is suitable if you want to carry multiple bikes. The small size tailgate pad has a capacity of 5 bikes and the large pad has a capacity of 7 bikes. Just like the trucks, the Demon bike rack is also compatible with most bikes such as

  • BMX
  • E-bikes
  • Hybrid bikes
  • Women’s bikes
  • Beach cruisers
  • Mountain bikes
  • Road bikes

For the high capacity of bikes and compatibility with trucks and bikes, it gets an R score of 9. 

Is the Demon tailgate pad at a good price?

The Demon rack is quite economical because it comes at under $100. The small size costs around $90 whereas the large one is $100. If you are looking for an affordable tailgate pad, you should check the per-bike cost. This means that if you own multiple bikes the per-bike cost is quite low. If you own 5 bikes and you go for the small Demon tailgate truck bike rack, you will only be spending $18 to carry a bike on your truck bed. (R score 10)

How secure is the Demon tailgate pad?

This tailgate pad disappoints a bit on the security front. It does not have any built-in locking system for the bike rack or the bikes. There are three straps to hook the rack on the tailgate but it is not secure if you leave the truck for a bit long. Similarly, the Velcro straps only hold the bikes in place but can be easily removed in case of theft.

However, you can devise your locking system, for example, you can run a cable across the bikes or around the tailgate and use your own lock to secure it. The security gets an R score of 6. 

Conclusion 

This Demon bike rack can be a good choice if you want to travel with your crew. This minimal-design bike rack is affordable and compatible with most trucks. The only downside is the lack of a proper locking system but as long as you can compromise on that, by using separate bike locks, the Demon tailgate truck bike rack can be of service.

How to install a Demon Bike Rack

Demon bike unboxing and installation video
Categories: Uncategorized

Bike Scientist

S Chaudhry is the founder and the first writer for BikesRacks. He covers almost all the bike reviews after doing a lot of secondary and primary (hands on) research on the products. Apart from that he is the author of a number of how to do articles as well on the website. He is an avid road bike cyclists who is dealing in a lot of areas related to biking. Currently he has gained experience fixing bikes to retailing accessories related to them as well. His eventual goal is to build an authority site on cycling and also become a profession bike fitter.