Best Motorcycle Cell Phone Mounts of 2016
In this video/article :
RAM Mounts Tough Claw with the Short Double-Socket Arm and a Universal X-Grip Holder
Kuryakyn Arkon Smartphone Pouch
Hitcase SuckR
First up is the Hitcase Suckr … which would be a weird name except for the fact that this is a suction cup mount. So it makes sense.
The Suckr is perfect for people who want to use their cell phone to take video. See most mounts attach near the handlebars, which is great for seeing my screen but I’m not going to get a very good shot from up here. That’s why I choose the Suckr if I want to film my ride, because it quickly attaches to any smooth surface. I can shoot from my gas tank, other places on my fairing, my windshield … whatever angle I need.
I was initially worried that this quick-suction cup wouldn’t grip hard enough. But it’s deceptively sturdy. I can ride trailside at 60km/h with bushes and twigs and leaves hitting this guy, going through bumps and puddles … and it still won’t fall off. The base is made by RAM mounts rather than Hitcase, which is probably why it works so well. The double-ball arm was outsourced to RAM too, which is nice. One finger clamp gets me a full range of movement here, and again here, so it’s easy to find the right angle.
The only part of the Hitcase Suckr actually made by Hitcase is the cell phone holder. And I wish they bought that from RAM too because they kinda screwed it up.
I don’t like that this joint is tightened with a screwdriver. It’s annoying to dig under my seat for a Philips Head every time I want to adjust it. And the other thing I dislike is that I can’t just mount my cell phone in here.
Hitcase Pro cell phone case
I need this. It’s the Hitcase Pro cell phone case, for iPhone 6 because that’s the model I own. And with this bracket … I just slot it in like that.
The Hitcase Pro case is also designed to turn your cell phone into an action cam. It’s waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, idiotproof … the works. It also comes with interchangeable lenses. This one is a wide angle, but I can also get macros, zooms … whatever. Hitcase uses something they call “Shockwave Seal” as well, which basically means that this doesn’t muffle sound as much as other waterproof cases. The audio I get is still a little fuzzy to be honest, but I guess it’s not as bad as it could be.
Other than the video perks, this is a pretty standard cell phone case: access to all my ports and buttons, half-decent touchscreen capability… but I will say that this thing looks way better in the photos than it does in person. It’s big and clunky and while it is very protective, the outer finish feels kinda cheap.
But hey, I’d only use this monster while the phone is on my bike anyway and it’s not like I have much choice. The 45-dollar Hitcase Suckr is the best suction cup mount for filming with a cell phone and if I want to use it, I need to buy this too. Hitcase charges 90 bucks for the Pro case which is only mildly extortionate.
Now, what if I don’t care about filming video?
RAM Mounts Tough Claw with the Short Double-Socket Arm and a Universal X-Grip Holder
For general cell phone use, I think this is the best mounting setup that money can buy. It’s a RAM Mounts Tough Claw with the Short Double-Socket Arm and a Universal X-Grip Holder.
In case you missed the coronation, RAM is the undisputed king of motorcycle mounts. Whether it’s a cupholder or a fishing rod or a handgun, RAM has a sturdy, beautifully-made solution for attaching it.
Let’s start with the holder. It’s this spring-loaded hinge that will grip just about any phone and a lot of GPS systems too. As you can see, it’s probably the quickest and easiest phone mounting system in the world. Sturdy too – I don’t worry about my cell phone rattling out of here but if I did, RAM supplies this rubber webbing that attaches to the back and wraps around the cell phone as a fail-safe.
My only complaint with the X-Grip is that – because of the location of the iPhone buttons – this holder tries to power my phone off or adjust the volume. So I have to let it sit a bit high to avoid that, or just use a case that covers the buttons.
RAM makes their own aqua box case that’ll do the trick, but it’s a total piece of garbage in every other respect, so don’t buy it.
Moving down, we have the exact same double-ball arm that we saw on the Hitcase Suckr. Love that. Then it’s the Tough-Claw mount itself.
Super simple here – untwist the clamp, put it around your handlebar, and tighten it back up. It will very securely grip onto any handlebar between 5/8 and 1 ½ inches in diameter. I could also throw it onto my crash bars to get a good filming angle … I could secure it to the cross beam in a canoe. It’s so rock-solid and so versatile to install that I’ll probably bring it wherever my adventure leads.
This Tough-Claw setup is so good, I’m not sure why anyone would get an old-school clamp.
Just kidding! It turns out there is a good reason to buy a standard bolt-on mount, and that’s because it’s cheap as hell! 36 bucks for this entire setup – handlebar bracket, ball socket and cell phone case – and that’s half the price of my beloved tough claw.
Kuryakyn Arkon Smartphone Pouch
It’s called the Kuryakyn Arkon Smartphone Pouch, by the way, and it’s nothing fancy.
This bit clamps onto handlebars using two Philips head bolts with nuts on the bottom. It’s just as solid as the claw, but it takes more tools and time to get it right. That means I won’t want to take this on and off my bike very often.
Then there’s the middle piece. As every guy knows, it’s better to have two balls than to have one. But Kuryakyn didn’t listen to Mother Nature so they just built a single ball joint and as a result, the range of movement here isn’t so great. Also, no matter how hard I tighten down this flange, the ball head never gets fully tight. So every time I ride over a big bump, this thing changes position a bit.
Then there’s the pouch. It’s essentially just a bag with two foamie backings – use the small one if you have a thick phone, and the thin one if you don’t. My iPhone 6 takes the thicker foamie and only barely fits lengthwise.
It’s the most basic of designs but it is well-built. Two big double zippers, a sturdy faux-leather bag … the only reason this is listed as “water resistant” instead of “waterproof” is because they’ve left a hole in the bottom for my headphones or power cord.
The downside to a universal holder is that you lose a lot of functionality. There’s no way for me to press the buttons on the side of my phone through here. And while the touchscreen does work through this clear plastic, it’s a bit like kissing your girlfriend through a screen door. Possible, but too annoying to bother.
Anyway, the whole shebang costs 36 bucks and that excuses most of its shortcomings.
Now, what if I can’t use a handlebar mount? Maybe I have clip-ons, or maybe there’s just no free space left on my bars.
RAM Mounts Fork Stem Mount
In that case, it’s the RAM Mounts Fork Stem Mount.
This one is the toughest to install, but it’s still not hard. Basically, I shove this rubber plug into my fork stem. Then, depending how far it goes in, I make some cuts to the plug. After that I stick this bolt through the top piece, through the middle of the rubber plug and attach one of these tooth-grip washers and a nut to the other end.
That way, when I tighten the bolt, the rubber plug is squeezed and it expands outwards, so it grips onto the inside of my fork stem.
When I’m finished, it’ll look something like this. To complete the setup, I can attach whichever arm and holder I want to the top of that ball head.
The downside to a fork stem mount is that you can only put it in one spot. But it is the cleanest-looking system, since all the mounting hardware is hidden inside your fork. And because it’s centrally located, you don’t feel uneven weight on one side of your bars.
Plus, you get the least vibration from this mounting point.
So that’s it for my favourite cell phone mounts. The Hitcase Suckr if I want to take video with my phone. The RAM Tough Claw for general handlebar use. The Kuryakyn Arkon if I’m a cheap bastard and the RAM Fork Stem Mount if I have clip-ons.
Thank you very much for watching.