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Phone & Accessory Mounting Solutions


pgm

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R1150RT 2004 - looking for creative solutions to mount a cell phone, small 7" tablet or GPS.

 

OK, I know there are a LOT of solutions out there. 

I am hoping to find a simpler, more elegant solution.

I am not a fan of either the shelf with a RAM mount.

The shelf hides gauges with the RAM mounts being too bulky.

Cell-phone mounts don't seem to work, as there is no reasonable place to grab the handle bar.

 

Any creative implementations?   pics would be a bonus.

 

TIA

Peter

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If you haven't installed GS mirrors on your RT then you have a mounting hole available right next to the clutch lever and the brake lever. The pictures below show my solution using the hole near the clutch lever. I used 1/4-20 stainless steel allthread and stainless steel nuts to make a rigid rod. I used a couple of pieces of RAM hardware to mount a RetiCAM cell phone holder. I've ridden well over 10000 miles with this setup. The phone stays secure in the holder, I don't have any worries that I'll lose it.

 

 

20191230_172849_HDR.jpg

20191230_172806_HDR.jpg

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3 minutes ago, taylor1 said:

I have a Migsel on my RT  You'll have to google for pics.

 

I have seen this and been drawn to that solution, but....

Typically, what I have been able to see is that the RAM mount for a cell phone is not very compact.  What I have is that the it seems to be several articulating arms for the cell phone holder.  I would love to have a "low profile" - RAM ball to Phone Holder with NO articulating arms.

 

what does your attachment look like & does it work?

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3 minutes ago, RogerC60 said:

If you haven't installed GS mirrors on your RT then you have a mounting hole available right next to the clutch lever and the brake lever. I used a couple of pieces of RAM hardware to mount a RetiCAM cell phone holder.

 

What I would LOVE is a RAM ball which mounts directly into the the cell phone holder without the linkage connector.  

Perhaps I jury-rig something along these lines. Your SS Nuts are an inspiration  :-)

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58 minutes ago, pgm said:

 

What I would LOVE is a RAM ball which mounts directly into the the cell phone holder without the linkage connector.  

Perhaps I jury-rig something along these lines. Your SS Nuts are an inspiration  :-)

Afternoon  pgm

 

How about a RAM X-Grip for Large Phones/Tablets.

 

 

ram x mount .jpg

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1 hour ago, RogerC60 said:

If you haven't installed GS mirrors on your RT then you have a mounting hole available right next to the clutch lever and the brake lever. The pictures below show my solution using the hole near the clutch lever. I used 1/4-20 stainless steel allthread and stainless steel nuts to make a rigid rod. I used a couple of pieces of RAM hardware to mount a RetiCAM cell phone holder. I've ridden well over 10000 miles with this setup. The phone stays secure in the holder, I don't have any worries that I'll lose it.

 

 

20191230_172849_HDR.jpg

20191230_172806_HDR.jpg


 

That’s nuts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but in seriousness, I really like the perfect squeeze phone mount. They also make a larger version that will hold a tablet. On my 1100S I replaced one the bar mounting bolts (8mm) with ram ball bolt, so with the mount off you almost don’t notice. When the mount is on you do need a ram bar, but I just use the shortest option. 
 

oh - they have a version that incorporates a Qi charging puck now as well if your phone has wireless charging, so you don’t have to fuss with a cord (or look at one). 

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2 hours ago, pgm said:

R1150RT 2004 - looking for creative solutions to mount a cell phone, small 7" tablet or GPS.

 

OK, I know there are a LOT of solutions out there. 

I am hoping to find a simpler, more elegant solution.

I am not a fan of either the shelf with a RAM mount.

The shelf hides gauges with the RAM mounts being too bulky.

Cell-phone mounts don't seem to work, as there is no reasonable place to grab the handle bar.

 

Any creative implementations?   pics would be a bonus.

 

TIA

Peter

 

Do you ride with a tank bag?

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21 hours ago, eddd said:

 

Do you ride with a tank bag?

I don't. 

I have created a custom solution for a folded map to sit on my tank. 

I find that its not convenient, as it is out of the line of site.

I pull over to stop and read it, as glancing doesn't always help me.

 

@dirtrider Doesn't this still require a second ball mounted in the mirror hole & a linkage to connect the two? 

For me, that is too bulky. (yeah, I'm being really finicky here)

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35 minutes ago, pgm said:

I

 

@dirtrider Doesn't this still require a second ball mounted in the mirror hole & a linkage to connect the two? 

For me, that is too bulky. (yeah, I'm being really finicky here)

 

Afternoon pgm

 

Sure does IF you want to mount your phone way out on the vibrating parts of the handlebars. 

 

I usually just remove one of the handlebar bolts (one of the bolts holding the bars to the upper triple tree).

 

Then mount a 1" ball & countersunk bolt to replace the removed handlebar bolt  (you can hardly see the ball when nothing mounted there).

 

Then use a short  ram arm on the phone mount of choice.  (ram arm is now behind & under the phone or GPS so it is barely visible)

 

The advantages of center mounting a phone or GPS  is low visibility to others (you can leave phone or GPS in place then just toss your helmet over the whole darn thing for a quick stop). Great for just popping into a gas station or convenience store).

 

Much less buzzing vibrations in the center of the bars.

 

If you ride with a tank bag then it is very easy to lay your arm on the tank bag top so you have a very precision & controlled use of the phone or GPS controls while riding fast.

 

Allows simple tilting or re-positioning of the device if sunlight is reflected off of the screen while riding.

 

Mounted low, in the center, & directly in  front of rider shades the device from rear sun reflection.   

 

With device removed only a small unobtrusive ball remains.   

 

 

 

   

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/13/2020 at 3:18 PM, dirtrider said:

I usually just remove one of the handlebar bolts (one of the bolts holding the bars to the upper triple tree).

Then mount a 1" ball & countersunk bolt to replace the removed handlebar bolt  (you can hardly see the ball when nothing mounted there).

 

DirtRider - I have set-back blocks.  Any concern regarding this solution?

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1 hour ago, pgm said:

 

DirtRider - I have set-back blocks.  Any concern regarding this solution?

 

Afternoon PGM

 

You will have to hold your GPS in place to see if it can be mounted to the single ball where you need it be. 

 

For off-set bars (bar-backs) I usually install either an angled ball mount or a an "L ball mount (see pictures below)

 

 

 

1200.RAM-9M.JPG

RAM-9m.jpg

RAM.jpg

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Here's my setup for my R1150RT:

(Sorry, I haven't figured out how to adjust image sizes.)

q-diYas47eio5aun64QPupX8P1cn4dBPkTYGoLip

 

I use a Techmount model 4-21008 to put a 17mm ball over the center of the handlebars. 421008_web.jpg  (still available on eBay)

I used their TechGripper to hold my phone techgipper1_web.jpg (they offer lots of sizes and configurations for different devices)

until I found a Qi wireless charger I liked, the Anker PowerWave Fast Wireless Car Charger. A2551011_TD01_V1.jpg

I discarded the plastic vent clip that came with the charger, and fasten it to the aluminum Techmount ball instead.

 

I put a Powerlet panel mount cigarette socket in the panel ASO-002_p_563_webl.jpg

I use a nearly flush USB charger 41lR8TGfQgL.jpg

and a cable with a 90 degree USB-A end to avoid interfering with the left bar at full lock, and coils for manageability, and a 90-degree USB Micro-B end to reduce stress on the Anker socket.

51UhjWYveKL._SL1000_.jpg

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

This has been a really instructive and motivating thread. Mounting my phone was the last modification/customization I intend to do on my bike. 

 

Using this thread, I researched a bunch of mounts suggested above and found a few more along the way. One place that had a lot of great info was a well-written and well thought-out article on Webbikeworld on phone mounts. I did a clic-thru from them to Amazon so hopefully they got credit.

 

I ended up purchasing a bunch of phone holders, extension arms and mounting balls from Amazon and tried them all over a several hour period on my bike (2001 R1100RT) to figure out what worked best for me. Amazon has a free return service thru the local Kohls Department store. I'll return the unused stuff later this week. It was surprising to me how many combination/positions didn't work for me. In the end, I was quite happy with my choice. I've ridden  about 75 miles with it and it's rock solid (note that I don't ride off-road) and easy to read.

 

I had several requirements:

  • I wanted it to attach to the handlebar retaining-bolts connecting to the triple-tree so it is centered in my view, which ruled out connecting it to the brake or clutch handle assemblies
  • I wanted it as close as possible to me so I could see it and adjustable because I didn't want it covering the dash indicators
  • I wanted it easily removable when I stop someplace for lunch or whatever
  • It needed to fit my iPhone 11 Pro with the Sandmarc case

An interesting observation was that I can see my phone under my prescription sunglasses which give me good far vision but  poor close-in visions. Perfect!!

 

Here's  my final selection:

  • TACKFORM Motorcycle Phone Mount with 1" Ball. I like this because 1) the ball is integral with the mount and was on the back of the mount. Many of the other mounts required a separate ball and didn't have a threaded hole to mount a ball on the back, only on the sides which didn't work as well for me; 2) it holds the phone with a spring-loaded assembly rather than a screw. Initially, I really liked the screw but realized there was really no way to lock it in place to keep it from loosening over time due to vibration; 3) The spring holds it tight and is always in tension squeezing the phone so even if it slips a bit because of a pothole hit, it works to pull tight again; 4) It has an auxiliary rubber band assembly if you are nervous about your phone slipping out of the mount; 5) Its well made
  • RAM Composite Double Socket Arm. This is about 3" long. I liked it because it got the phone closer to me and allowed me to rotate the phone in many different orientations and get the phone centered over the triple- tree. It is also spring loaded which greatly helps keep things aligned while mounting it all to the bike. I realized this was a great advantage when I was comparing it to a shorter version that didn't have a spring. 
  • RAM Motorcycle Handlebar Clamp Base with M8 Bolts. Despite its name, it is a 1 inch ball with a center hole  bolts in place of one of the handlebar clamp bolts. It came with 3 different length bolts. I used the shortest of the bolts to go through my bar-back without bottoming out. It works well and is unobtrusive. I mounted the ball in the lower left bolt hole of the right handlebar clamp.

 

[PLACE HOLDER FOR A PICTURE] I need to go to bed (I'm up at 330AM) so I will take and post a picture mid-day Friday.

 

Phone holders I tried but didn't work for me


Hope this helps someone.

 

Best

Miguel

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Looks like I've missed the window to edit my post so I'll just post pictures of my phone holder setup here. See my post two posts up for details.

 

Best

Miguel

 

 

IMG_0850.jpeg

IMG_0853.jpeg

IMG_0852.jpeg

IMG_0851.jpeg

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4 hours ago, mickeym3 said:

I like the simplicity of a Quad Lock

 

https://www.quadlockcase.com

 

That is a nice looking set up and it has thousands of 5 star reviews. A couple observations I have are... You have to use their case which looks pretty nice but I want to use a different case that allows me to mount camera lenses to my phone. Also, the back of the case has a bump which makes it less easy to slip into a trouser pocket.

 

Best

Miguel

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  • 4 weeks later...

A quick note of thanks to all who contributed.

Parts are on order and I will update with photos,

maybe in a consolidated info thread.

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