I have been using phone mounts on my motorcycle since last 12 years.
BHPian Mr.Perera recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Very useful thread. Just adding my experience to this. I have been using phone mounts on my motorcycle for the last 12 years. The main reason for mounting my phone on my motorcycle was for checking Google Maps. I always prefer to keep it mounted on my handlebar in a secure and easily accessible manner. Adding the different mounts used in order.
This was my first ever phone mount. I bought it back in 2012 and used it on my KTM Duke 200. It was a premium and well-made mount at that time, don’t remember the cost of it. I had used this for a few months and finally, my dear old Moto G phone launched like a rocket from this mount when my bike fell in a pothole somewhere around Wayand. And the display got shattered to pieces. Bye bye Moto G and Capdasde mount.
After my previous phone was thrown away from my case I wanted a phone case in which the phone was fitted securely. That’s when I came across this waterproof case in a motorcycling accessory store in Bangalore. Since the phone was zipped inside the case there was no possibility for the phone to get thrown away. Also in those days, phones were not IP67 like today. So a waterproof case sounded fancy and I could even keep the phone mounted even on rain rides. The major downside was since the phone was zipped inside the case it used to heat up a lot since there was no ventillation. Also charging the phone on the move was difficult since I had to open the zip to put the cable inside.
Around 2017 after I got my Triumph Tiger, I wanted to get a premium, rugged phone mount. And during that time the Ram mount was the go-to phone mount. I too got an X Grip mount and I was really happy with the quality of the mount. The Ram mount had a super secure mounting and it had different options on how and where to mount it. I was really happy with the mount. The only issue I had was with the rubber tether breaking once and loosing the post cap once. After a few years of using the X Grip, I came across the Ram Quick Grip phone mount. One issue I had with the X grip was to fit the phone mount, I had to press the grip first, place the phone in that, and later pull the rubber tether onto 4 sides of the phone for a secure fit. The Quick Grip seemed to have resolved that issue and fitting and removing looked much easier.
A very well-made mount and I would always recommend the quick grip over the X grip. Fitting and removing the phone on the mount was much easier and it had a very secure mount. It had 2 flaws in my opinion, first was that one hand of the mount was directly on top of the power button. So each time my bike fell on a pothole the power button used to get pressed. While using maps, when the bike fell in a pothole, the display used to get off and I had to type the passcode and unlock the phone again and again. The second issue was one fine day the camera on my iPhone 12 started to vibrate left right and center. Since the Ram mount had no vibration damping the image stabilisation in iPhone cameras used to get damaged. Got the camera fixed in my phone and I started searching for a mount with a vibration damper.
That was a time when everyone with an iPhone wanted a mount that had vibration damper to save the camera. Quadlock was the go-to mount and probably everyone I knew sitched from Ram mount to Quadlock. I used a friend’s quadlock mount and phone case for a ride and I really liked it. The mounting was super easy and the presence of the vibration damper made sure the phone camera was safe. I had 2 issues with the Quadlock , one was I felt it was a bit expensive since we had to buy the phone case, the phone mount then the vibration damper separately. The second issue was the back side of the phone case had a small bump and the phone never laid flat on the table and used to rock around. It wasn’t much of an issue, so I almost decided to spend the premium and get a Quadlock. That’s when I did some more research and found out a new company called Peak Design that makes similar phone mounts. (Peak Design has a big history in making camera gear and accessories and they were relatively new to the phone mounting space)
It’s been almost 2 years since I have been using the Peak Design mount. I must say this is THE BEST phone mount I have ever used. The mounting mechanism is one of a kind. It’s mounted majorly with the help of a few strong magnets inside the phone case and a mechanical clip on the mount. Like the quad lock, you need to buy a separate Peak Design case for the phone to use the mount. They even make a sticky attachment that you can stick to your existing phone case. The magnets behind the phone case are so strong that I can easily place the phone on any metal surface and the phone stays there really strong. The peak design case is very slim with no bulge, unlike the quad lock. The phone case is very rugged and a few times my phone has fallen to a solid floor from around chest height and nothing has happened to the phone. The phone mount has vibration damping as well. The best part of the whole setup is the ease with which I’m able to fix the phone and remove it from the mount. Also, the mount comes with a 1-inch ball base and you can use all types of ram mount bases with the phone mount. On my R1200GS I use the 1-inch ball mount on the handlebar clamp and a RAM short arm which is further connected to the phone mount. And I have a RAM suction mount on my car. So while I am driving I fix the peak design mount on my car and use it. The only issue I had with Peak design was the rubber edge of the phone case started coming off after a few months of use. I sent a mail to Peak Design and they sent me a new case for free. And when the replacement case came I had to pay around Rs 2100 as customs duty. And guess what, Peak design even reimbursed that amount as well. That’s how good their customer service is. A few months back I changed my phone from an iPhone 12 to an iPhone 15 Plus and I feel the new iPhone 15 case’s rubber edge is much stronger than the old phone case. I understand that the whole setup is quite expensive. When I bought the entire setup there was no Peak design dealer in India and I ordered it from abroad. But today there are many dealers in India. In the setup I’m using, the Phone case is around Rs 3,500, the phone mount with a 1-inch ball adapter is Rs Rs 4,900, the Ram handlebar clamp base is Rs 1,250, and Ram short arm is Rs 1,250. The whole setup costs around Rs 10,000. Since I bought the peak design from abroad I got it for a bit more cheaper. But is it worth that money, oh YES! I have a fetish for items that are built so well, do the job really well can last for many years, and have wonderful customer service. I feel my hunt for the PERFECT phone mount is finally over!
To remove the phone from the mount we need to just press a button on either side and the phone can be easily taken off.
The phone case is very slim and does not have a bulge, unlike the quadlock phone case.
This is how easy it is to fit the phone on the mount, you just keep the phone on the mount, the magnets will pull it into place and it is VERY STRONG. I do some hardcore off-roading and long-distance touring on my bike and NEVER the phone has come off from this.
This is my car mount. A RAM suction mount is fitted on the windscreen and while I am not using my motorcycle I fit the peak design mount on my car.
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