There comes a time for all riders when we decide to take our first “long trip.” Riding around our hometowns and surrounding communities no longer does it for us; we need to explore. The first time this happened to me, I needed a lightweight moto jacket—so the ride to the Cycle Gear was my first journey.
Although it was just 12 miles away, I didn’t know where I was going, so I wrote out some simple directions, taped them to my gas tank, and started riding. Although I rode in 98° heat, I loved it. I found myself wanting longer rides and more exploration—and I knew that taping directions to my tank wasn’t a long-term solution. It was then that I decided to buy a motorcycle cell phone mount.
The primary purpose of a phone mount is for navigation, which is often critical when renting a motorcycle through Twisted Road as many renters are traveling to explore new areas. But, what is the best motorcycle phone mount?
When looking for a phone mount for your motorcycle, you’ll quickly find that there are two leading options: Quad Lock or RAM Mount. These two are well-priced, have different sizing options for almost every phone on the market (but sorry Dad, these won’t work with your Nokia 6085 flip phone) and offer different mounting options.
Quad Lock Phone Mount Review
How Quad Lock Works
The Quad Lock has two components: a phone case, and a phone mount. The phone case replaces your current case, and the mount can easily be installed on your motorcycle. Molded into the back of the phone case is a square lock-interface that snaps to the mount. When you’re ready to ride, just twist the phone onto the mount, it snaps into place, and you’re done.
There really isn’t an easier way to connect your phone to a mount. Attaching and detaching the phone from the motorcycle is exceptionally easy, so when you pull over to take a call, change your music, or take pictures, you’ll really appreciate how fast and simple this is.
Once it’s on your bike though, it’s not very easy to adjust the position of the phone. So take the time to set up the mount in the perfect position.
Quad Lock Mounting Options
The Quad Lock has three motorcycle mounting options:
- Handlebar mount: the mount clamps onto your handlebars and includes spacers to adapt to bars between 22mm and 32mm in diameter
- Mirror mount: the mount attaches to your side-view mirror
- Fork stem mount: the mount connects to the tube of your fork stem, and works with tube sizes between 12.7mm and 24mm in diameter
Quad Lock Accessories
There are additional mounting options available (for your car, bicycle, or desk), as well as charging accessories so you can wirelessly charge your phone while riding, a cover to protect the phone from inclement weather, and a vibration dampener.
Quad Lock Price
Phone mount: $40-60
Phone case: $30
Total cost: $70-90
Quad Lock Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Easy locking mechanism
- Good motorcycle mounting options
- Reasonably priced
Cons:
- It replaces your current phone case
- Difficult to adjust the phone positioning
Summary:
This is a great option for riders who want to easily attach and detach their phones. The Quad Lock motorcycle cell phone mount is well-priced and, although there aren’t many accessories, it does the job. Just remember, that if you have a unique phone case (for example, one with a wallet, or a kickstand so you can watch the latest episode of Long Way Up), you’ll need to replace it thus losing that functionality.
RAM Phone Mount Review
How RAM Mount Works
The RAM Mount is basically a gripping device that easily attaches to your motorcycle. When it’s time to go riding, the RAM mount grips the phone and holds it into place.
It has four separate rubber prongs that act as fingers to grab and secure the phone. There’s also a rubber tether that further secures the phone to the mount.
Additionally, the RAM Mount has a ball mechanism that allows you to adjust the position of the phone with exceptional ease.
RAM Mounting Options
When this company designed their mounting system, they really thought about the rider. There are plenty of mounting options for the RAM Mount, including:
- Handlebar
- Fork Stem
- Brake/reservoir
- Mirror
- Gas tank
Once the mount is on the bike, it is extremely easy to modify the position of the phone and the angle, which can be very beneficial when the sun’s reflection makes it difficult to see your screen.
RAM Mount Accessories
The accessories for the RAM Mount system are much more broad than those of the Quad Lock. Because the mechanism isn’t confined to your phone case, other items easily attach to their ball joint. Camera or GoPro? Check. GPS? Check. Cup holder? Really? Yup.
And this works on other vehicles, such as a car, plane, RV, or snowmobile. It also has a wireless phone charging accessory for those long rides.
RAM Mount Price
Pricing for the RAM Mount varies based on the phone size and mounting location. For example, an iPhone 10 handlebar mount will be priced differently from a Google Pixel 4 mounted on your gas tank.
Total price: $55-75, depending on the mounting configuration.
RAM Mount Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Tons of mounting options
- Easy to adjust the phone’s positioning
- Affordable
- You can keep your phone case
Cons:
- It takes a little more work to add or remove the phone from the mount
- The grip can sometimes depress the volume button, but this can be overcome with a slight adjustment
Summary:
This is a great option for riders who want flexibility with where they decide to mount their phone. Although it takes a little longer to secure your phone to the mount than the Quad Lock (we are talking about 15 seconds longer), the positioning of the phone can’t be beat. In addition, if you have multiple bikes, it’s very easy to move this mount from one bike to another.
Quad Lock vs. RAM: Which is the Best Motorcycle Phone Mount?
So? What’s the final verdict? My preference is for the RAM Mount, but I might be the only one on the team that feels this way—and it’s because I like my phone case.
All other team members use the Quad Lock motorcycle cell phone mount, and love it. They enjoy how quick it is to lock on and off, and it gives them immediate access to their phone when they pull over to take pictures or check Instagram.
As always before you ride, please remember to be safe. Read up on the 9 Motorcycle Safety Tips That All Riders Need to Know.
