Ha, I just finished fitting my Birds bike rack this weekend, identical to yours. Good bit of kit with no chance of any damage to bodywork either. Only criticism is regarding the poor instructions. Do your upper bars have quite a bit of movement? Obviously they can't come out, but suspect it'll rattle like hell.
Agree though, what's better than a morning blast, bit of biking and a blast home. Sod sitting in something boring and practical, where's the fun in that? I get to combine two of my favorite hobbies in one.
Are you going to fit a trailer board? I take my wheels off and put them in the boot to ensure my brake lights aren't obscured. Suspect my insurance company would have something to say if I was rear ended.