Rocky Creek Designs Motoplug Phone Holder Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

In today’s modern world, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to put down our smartphones. With the features that nearly all devices have nowadays, there’s good reason to always have your phone by your side. For motorcyclists, however, the cell phone becomes a little more important, as it functions as a safety device and for many, as their primary navigation device. 

Neatly packaged and logically designed, the Rocky Creek Designs Motoplug Phone Holder is a breeze to mount to any tubular surface on your motorcycle. Namely, your bike’s handlebars, but the creative user could probably mount the Phone Holder to the base of a mirror stem if desired. Although instructions of any kind are omitted from the package, the user can readily identify the process by which you secure the Phone Holder to your bike.

The mounting process is straight-forward: simply select a location to mount the Phone Holder, select the appropriate combination of different sized spacers included in the package, and tighten the aluminum locking ring with the included Allen key. The Phone Holder, with its assorted spacers, is capable of being mounted to any handlebar between 22 and 32mm. It should be noted, however, that selecting a combination of spacers too large for the width of your handlebar may result in stripping the threads within the locking ring mechanism.

Proper positioning of the Phone Holder on your handlebars is critical, and may require some trial and error, as your tank bag can obscure the view of your phone’s screen. The process of determining what location is going to work best for you will require some time and a few test-runs around the block.

Charging your phone with other conventional phone mounts on the market today requires feeding your power cord through a series of adapters, and then somehow securing the cord itself from whipping around in the wind. This is where theRocky Creek Phone Holder differs from the competition – the Phone Holder features an integrated charger, discretely embedded within the mounting surface itself. To power the Phone Holder, the user simply connects the main power line to their motorcycle’s battery. The Phone Holder even comes with a shortened USB power cable, which has incorporated into it, both Android and iPhone plugs.

For many adventure riders, expense is a large contributing factor in deciding what “farkles” to adorn their pride and joy with. The Phone Holder comes in at roughly half the price as other popular phone mounts available to riders today. Dedicated GPS devices are expensive and sometimes difficult to learn how to operate. Rocky Creek Designs’ Phone Holder, paired with the downloading of a GPS navigation app, can turn your phone into a do-it-all alternative to fronting the cash for a stand-alone motorcycle GPS.

In terms of phone security while at speed, the Phone Holder cradles your expensive device against its swiveling mounting face with the help of rubberized surfaces and a threaded guide rod that the user can adjust to their desired pressure. On all motorcycles, engine vibrations reverberating throughout the bike itself pose a real threat to all bolts. At no point over the course of approximately 3,500 miles on asphalt and 500 miles off-road, were there any signs of screws self-loosening or vibrations distorting the display image.

Coming in at a highly affordable price point, Rocky Creek Designs’ Phone Holder couldn’t get much better. However, buyer beware – the temptation to check your email and text messages while riding increases significantly with every notification being displayed in front of you while riding. Placing your phone on airplane mode will allow users to still access their GPS andmaintain a distraction-free cockpit. Always use better judgment in using your device while moving.

MSRP: $37.46

RockyCreekDesigns.com

PROS:

• An inexpensive alternative to buying a dedicated GPS
• Quickly change music or alter your route with a few swipes
• Robust and vibration-proof phone attachment method

CONS:

• Bright blue is your only color choice
• Any screen on your motorcycle is a distraction

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