One of my favorite recent commercials shows actor Nick Offerman working in his woodshop with several other people. When his smartphone starts buzzing and pinging with a stream of incoming messages, he says, “I’m gonna put that on silent.” Then he screams while repeatedly smashing the phone with a hammer.
Ah, the good old (pre-2007) days, before the ubiquity (and tyranny) of smartphones. A guy can dream about throwing his smartphone off a cliff, but I’m as shackled by technological handcuffs as anybody else.
As motorcyclists, our smartphones have become indispensable for navigation, taking photos, and much else. To use REVER or other navigation app, we need to mount our phone on the bike in a visible location. There are countless options out there for phone mounts, but one of the best set-ups is made by Quad Lock.
It starts with Quad Lock’s phone case, which is made of a tough nylon core and an impact-absorbing TPU edge-to-edge outer shell. The back of the slim-profile case is slightly raised and houses the female side of the dual-stage lock that secures the phone to the mount. The outside of the case is made of smooth, soft-touch material that easily slides in and out of my pants pocket. The original case costs $39.99, but I went with the MAG case option ($49.99), which has a ring on the back for use with magnetic mounts since I have one in my 4Runner. Both cases work with Quad Lock’s patented Twist, Lock mounts.
Next, choose a mount. The basic handlebar mount ($49.99) is made of tough glass-filled nylon and has stainless steel hardware and a blue lever arm. I opted for the PRO version ($69.99), which is made of black anodized aluminum; there’s also a chrome version ($89.99). The handlebar mounts come with a spacer kit that’s compatible with 22mm, 25mm, 28mm, and 32mm bar diameters (the PRO also adds a 35mm spacer).
In 2023, Apple’s support page posted an announcement that said, “Exposing your iPhone to high amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges, specifically those generated by high-power motorcycle engines, can degrade the performance of the camera system.” Turns out, any smartphone that uses optical image stabilization is susceptible to vibration damage. A must-have item, therefore, is Quad Lock’s vibration dampener ($24.99), which mounts between the locking mechanism and the extension arm that connects to the handlebar.
Installation of the mount using the provided hex wrench is easy. Just find a convenient place on your handlebar, insert the appropriate spacer inside the clamp, and tighten things up. With the Quad Lock case on your phone, align all four tabs of the lock with the four cut-outs on the back of the case, then twist a few degrees until you hear the lock click. To release your phone, push down on the lever and twist in the opposite direction.
It takes a little practice, but soon you’ll be twisting and locking like it’s second nature. Once the phone is mounted on the bike, you may need to loosen the mount and make some adjustments so the screen faces you as desired and nothing gets in the way when moving the handlebar side to side.
See all of Rider‘s Parts & Accessories Reviews here
Quad Lock offers various mounts and accessories, so check out the website to explore options.
Shop for Quad Lock Phone Mounts and Cases
The post Quad Lock Motorcycle Phone Mount and Case Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.
Continue reading...
Ah, the good old (pre-2007) days, before the ubiquity (and tyranny) of smartphones. A guy can dream about throwing his smartphone off a cliff, but I’m as shackled by technological handcuffs as anybody else.
As motorcyclists, our smartphones have become indispensable for navigation, taking photos, and much else. To use REVER or other navigation app, we need to mount our phone on the bike in a visible location. There are countless options out there for phone mounts, but one of the best set-ups is made by Quad Lock.
It starts with Quad Lock’s phone case, which is made of a tough nylon core and an impact-absorbing TPU edge-to-edge outer shell. The back of the slim-profile case is slightly raised and houses the female side of the dual-stage lock that secures the phone to the mount. The outside of the case is made of smooth, soft-touch material that easily slides in and out of my pants pocket. The original case costs $39.99, but I went with the MAG case option ($49.99), which has a ring on the back for use with magnetic mounts since I have one in my 4Runner. Both cases work with Quad Lock’s patented Twist, Lock mounts.
Next, choose a mount. The basic handlebar mount ($49.99) is made of tough glass-filled nylon and has stainless steel hardware and a blue lever arm. I opted for the PRO version ($69.99), which is made of black anodized aluminum; there’s also a chrome version ($89.99). The handlebar mounts come with a spacer kit that’s compatible with 22mm, 25mm, 28mm, and 32mm bar diameters (the PRO also adds a 35mm spacer).
In 2023, Apple’s support page posted an announcement that said, “Exposing your iPhone to high amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges, specifically those generated by high-power motorcycle engines, can degrade the performance of the camera system.” Turns out, any smartphone that uses optical image stabilization is susceptible to vibration damage. A must-have item, therefore, is Quad Lock’s vibration dampener ($24.99), which mounts between the locking mechanism and the extension arm that connects to the handlebar.
Installation of the mount using the provided hex wrench is easy. Just find a convenient place on your handlebar, insert the appropriate spacer inside the clamp, and tighten things up. With the Quad Lock case on your phone, align all four tabs of the lock with the four cut-outs on the back of the case, then twist a few degrees until you hear the lock click. To release your phone, push down on the lever and twist in the opposite direction.
It takes a little practice, but soon you’ll be twisting and locking like it’s second nature. Once the phone is mounted on the bike, you may need to loosen the mount and make some adjustments so the screen faces you as desired and nothing gets in the way when moving the handlebar side to side.
See all of Rider‘s Parts & Accessories Reviews here
Quad Lock offers various mounts and accessories, so check out the website to explore options.
Shop for Quad Lock Phone Mounts and Cases
The post Quad Lock Motorcycle Phone Mount and Case Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.
Continue reading...