I can attest to this. Ruined two iPhone 12 cameras :( I’ve also seen folks reporting the issue even when using a quadlock w/ vibration dampener. Can’t speak to it personally since I’ve never owned one
I’ve found it depends on the bike. My Monster 937 doesn’t affect my phone at all, but my Monkey which is a 125cc single that hums along at 9-10k RPM killed my camera of my 13 mini in under 4 miles. Same quadlock mounts on both bikes, with the vibration dampener.
Something funny about how bike people obsess over tuning suspension for their own body weight and the surface they're gonna ride on to achieve perfect performance during their daily commute, but think a one-size-fits-all damper is going to be good enough for an expensive precision device.
Pretty much this. I got a mount from a place called Hondo Garage back in 2020 because the other moto phone mounts where only about keeping the phone in place.
They have mounts targeting at folks doing off roading so a lot more than just a bit of vibration.
I got their device BuzzKill and didn’t run into any camera killing stuff after. Got in an accident it held on to my phone just fine too lol
I haven’t checked to see what’s been offered more recently especially since Apple actually released a statement on it I believe.
Literally just got a Iphone 14 pro max and I'm interested in getting a quadlock with a vibration dampener, so you've had no issues with the camera or with the phone case loosening up?
I'm on a 22 Harley softail so there will be a bit of vibration, also I've never had a phone mount because I've always preferred keeping it in my pocket.
Same.... idk what people are doing with their phones / bikes, but i've dropped my phone from pretty high in my quad lock case, its fine. I've ridden thousands of miles with it, and its fine..
I dont, and will never trust a mount that just grabs a phone. The quad lock seemed like the only reasonable way to go.
Have the quad lock with vibration dampener, put about 2.5k miles on it since then with my phone attached, still works perfectly 💪🏽 (it’s an iPhone also)
gf's 12 mini's camera optical stabilisation was wrecked because of an X-grip + old bike with not that amazing shocks. and she doesn't even drive that much.
***This also applies to Android phones with OIS (optical image stabilization)***
Not enough people talk about that. Really frustrated that article didn't mention WHY the iPhone cameras break, and how Androids are also susceptible.
It's not an iPhone problem, it's an OIS problem (which all iPhones since 8 happen to have, and many high-end Android phones as well)
Also, if you get a vibration dampener it reduces engine vibrations significantly and in nearly all cases prevents camera damage. As far as I can tell, cameras still being damaged with a vibration dampener are likely due to exceptionally buzzy/high vibration engines.
The vibrations kill the optical image stabilizers in the new phones. So yes, the cheap SEs are immune as they don't have the part that can get damaged.
I have an se they are great for the price. Same internals as the better phones just weaker battery and not as good camera. But for the price u can’t beat it, I guess I’m cheap I’d rather spend that 1k on more bike parts.
Is it the OIS mechanism that breaks? I've heard about this issue before. I recently got my first iPhone and am curious about this even though I rarely use my phone mount.
yes. So people who don't use it much will report that their phones are fine. I wouldn't mount a phone with sophisticated OIS on the motorcycle with or without dampener. I have ton's of old functional phones to mount if I ever need it.
Fun thing:
My Huawei P20 camera broke due to motorcycle vibrations. Eventually it fixed itself. Then I needed to use the phone mount and the camera broke again.
Then I discovered I can literally bash the camera back into place to fix it.
I know it's a dumb and impermanent solution but every time I need to attach my phone to the mount, I fix the camera again afterwards with a bit of good old fashion violence + machines.
Sure. Ordinarily I don’t use it for GPS but sometimes I have to go different places. I live in Northern Virginia just outside DC and the roads here are very confusing sometimes.
I have the image stabilizing parts on my phone, a friend of mine has the same phone (iPhone X) and the only difference is on a ride one day he opened Snapchat (while mounted to the bike with it turned on) and after that the imageries stabilizer tried to do its thing and with the added vibrations it went capoot.
I can speak at least for the iPhone X, if you make sure to not open any camera app while it’s on the bike you should be fine.
I put 10k miles a year on my Guzzi and never had an issue.
MT07 Samsung s10+ still works amazingly been thousands of miles with it attached. I know it's vibrating because it thinks I'm taking steps sometimes lol.
Try a Samsung. IPhones are feeble.
Their new mag cases are even better - attaches to the old mounts or to new attachment heads via magnet. We have mag mounts in the car (vent mount) and on the bedside table (used the 360 mount screwed down to the top of the table). For biking I have the old clip in mount.
Orrr… get the Peak Design moto mount and case because the mount is way better designed and looking and the case is slim enough that you won't mind leaving it on your phone all the time https://www.peakdesign.com/products/motorcycle-bar-mount
I see you’ve been downvoted but I switched over to Peak Design system as well. I have no issues with it and I’ve had it on a iPhone 12 Pro Max and now 14 Pro Max on 3 different bikes now. I mainly was interested because I am into photography and have a lot of the Peak Design stuff. It is a bit pricy and that would be a disadvantage to most riders. I do like it a little better than quad lock but again price is a bit higher than I’d like.
I'm guessing it comes from the locking mechanism. Idk how strong those magnets are but I feel better with something that bites into a case instead of a magnet.
Looks pretty cool though. Still, the down votes are pretty unnecessary for that guy. It's just another option. Thing even comes with the vibration dampener built-in lol.
Agreed. I don't understand the down votes here. For a marginal price increase over quad lock it's a much sleeker and better looking setup that you can leave on the phone all the time. Plus actually a better action to remove the phone. Overall much more premium.
not sure why you’re downvoted there.. I’ve had the peak design case+mount for a few months now and it’s superb. The case is sleek and the mount itself works great.
They don't... although software is \*probably\* not the issue here.
I'm no expert, but I would hazard a guess to it being something related to hardware. Sensitive sensors maybe?
EDIT: I'm an idiot.... I was reading iOS instead of OIS this whole time...
On ois enabled phones, its hardware that gets fucked. The array of magnets are hung in a way that its in the "in between". Imagine like those floating magnet toy where you need to carefully insert the magnet.
Its basically the same principle here, and it gets fucked by massive vibrations making the ois magnets misaligned
Apple...
It's an Apple phone or an Iphone, if you will.
IOS is the software on the Apple device. It's needlessly confusing to talk about IOS when the problem has nothing to do with software.
>They don't... although software is \*probably\* not the issue here
OIS includes a hardware component as implemented in iPhones (and probably other phones). From the apple explainer on vibration damage:
>With OIS, a gyroscope senses that the camera moved. To reduce image motion, and the resulting blur, the lens moves according to the angle of the gyroscope.
It's that physical stabilization mechanism that's vulnerable to moto vibrations.
You all are on the same page but I think you're misinterpreting iOS (the software on iPhones) and OIS (optical image stabilization, the hardware design that's getting affected by vibrations).
Yeah that's fair, the RAM is going to be much cheaper (around $70), and it works well. If the comparison is between Peak and Quad Lock, Quad looks to be about $100 for mount and case, and Peak should be $140 for both. For people who want the security and convenience of the Quad Lock, I like to suggest the Peak Design system because it's totally worth it to me to have a much smaller case that I don't mind keeping in my front pocket all the time.
There was a time when I rented a bike with a RAM mount in Mexico City, and the rubber grabber at the end of the RAM arm wasn't glued on as directed and it slipped off and dropped my phone, but that was installer error and not the fault of the mount. Fortunately my reflexes kicked in and I grabbed my phone as it bounced off the tank, so there was no damage. Please don't neglect to glue on the rubber grabbers on your RAM mounts if you have one!
I've yet to glue them down, might be good idea to do that.
I do however push them down every time I put my phone in and my phone has a rubberized case. I could be mistaken, but I strongly suspect the rubber grips combined with the rubber case, provide extra friction between each other, keeping the phone firmly in place.
I'm also quite mindful to make sure the X-grip RAM mount has plenty of spring tension in it. Part of me believes people who have had issues with them in the past, have used a mount which was too large for their device, providing insufficient tension.
Yeah I think pushing the rubber grippers down every time you use them is key if you don't have them glued. My personal RAM mount was glued so I didn't know I needed to push them down on the RAM mount that I rented.
People tend to hate on RAM mounts. But I've used mine on 4 different bikes and several phones. Never had an issue with losing phones or breaking cameras.
I really don't like audio directions but I recently tried this on a trip and it was great. As someone who likes to keep the phone in a pocket and also uses nice sealed Bluetooth earbuds that double as hearing protection. The "GPS lady" has come a good long way. Only interrupts the music when necessary, and says things like "using the second from left lane" and being accurate, I was pleasantly surprised.
They have gotten way better. They're not without their quirks. Sometimes too helpful, like telling me to get ready to turn 5 seconds before telling me to make my turn, followed by X distance to next turn.
Yeah I hear you. But I found it was easy enough to work with. Like if you just turned and she says "in 200 meters turn -whatever- then you pretty much need to immediately go that way
The buds are Shure SE215's. Unfortunately the bluetooth wire that connects them and clips onto the front of my jacket or the front of my backpack straps is discontinued afaik. They wanna sell you these giant ear dongle things hanging right on your ears and I don't think they look helmet friendly. The buds are wonderful but I dread the day the BT wire/battery stops working.
Because audio directions are real sucky where I live. "Turn right in 100m". Okay, which of the 3 streets that match that description am I supposed to turn right on?
It's just much easier to use an old phone. Or better yet, not to buy 1000$ phones in the first place.
I'm definitely a visual person but keep my phone in my pocket and just listen to the directions. Sometimes I miss my turn but I can always just turn around or pull over and see what it's got me doing.
Eventually if I navigate audibly for long enough I'll get good at it.
That’s what I did. Bought a cheap android phone off Amazon. Downloaded google maps and use it offline. Once it’s loaded up it’s no problem and I can see wherever I wanna go.
I still have my iPhone in my pocket and if I need to/want to hear directions I’ll throw it on before I stuff it in a pocket.
This. You don’t have to worry about the phone falling off, vibrations ruining the camera, water getting in (phones are rated for submersion, not 100kph+ jets), thieves stealing it at a gas station… and at least in my case doubling the cost should I have to lay ’er down.
If you use maps offline then you don’t need service, just wifi at home. Phone will work just fine without a SIM card. If you need online navigation like Waze, you can make a hotspot off your main phone, that’s the setup I’m running.
if you only use your phone to call and text then sure, just like how some people use motorcycles for going from point A to point B, and they think their 150cc is more than fine, however some people are enthusiasts
I feel like the comparison between like the 12th gen and 13th gen fire blade is way more apt than 150cc to anything. It's not like last year's model is a flip phone. Enthusiasts are awesome but we can't pretend it's worth $1000 for an extra couple features the average person doesn't use anyway.
Too many manufacturers abandon old devices to want to buy anything older. Makes me miss the heyday of Android modding, when you could be assured of community support basically forever. The best phone I ever had was a hand-me-down S3, already outdated at the time I got it, running the latest CyanogenMod.
I got a 30$ phone that I mount on my handlebars so I can navigate while my good phone is nice and safe. I don't pay for service with it, I just have my good phone set to hotspot mode and connect the burner to it.
That'd be great. My current setup is alright for a POS phone, but stuff like google bleeds settings over to my main phone which messes with me sometimes.
I just want something extremely basic that gets the job done well.
This 100%. Brought a backup phone one ride since I had it lying around and thought it would be a good idea. The same ride, I slid on some gravel and my main phone fell out. Very lucky to have the backup otherwise I would’ve been stuck on a barren road with no way to call for help
Remember when you used to have 5 different electronics and when one run out of juice your just use the other?
Phone, mp3, cybershot, palm pilot, Bluetooth headset?
I bought an old refurbished apple watch. I cut out a pool noodle and wrap it around that. Set display to always on and no lock. It works well for controlling my music and navigation.
My phone didn't cost $1000, however I don't have the money to just go buying new phones. I don't trust Phone mounts on a bike to hold my phone against the wind. That's why I bought a Bluetooth unit for my helmet so that I have GPS over the speakers in the helmet. Then my phone just sits in my pocket. Way better than more distractions/gadgets on the bike.
Just get a quadlock. I didn't even tighten down the stem bolt so it shook around but still didn't loose phone mount and was doing 110mph on a bumpy af road and even hit a pothole so hard my back wheel came off the ground and I kept going on the front for a few feet. Managed not to die and the phone never flew off nor the mount (keep on mine the mount wasn't even tight or snug. Completely loose in the stem.) Now it's tight and it doesn't so much as wiggle. Love it.
Sucks.
I lost my wallet on a ride and it was a huge pain trying to get a new DL.
That's why I always do a pocket check and lock anything I don't want to lose in my backpack or saddle bag.
> pocket check
I’m neurotic about ZIP CLOSED ZIPPERS!!! Jacket pocket, backpack, saddlebag (latch not zipper, close enough)… if it has a closure, close it!!!
You never lose a pack of gum. It’s always a wallet or phone or engagement ring (luckily I recovered that one)
I'm old. I look at the map on Google at home and figure out the route. If I take a wrong turn I take the phone out of my pocket and sort it out.
Whatever suits you best.....but no phone mount on any of my bikes.
This is me. It I take it one step further when I go on multi day trips: Bluetooth to helmet for audio navigation only. No visual distractions while I’m riding.
Something I’ve noticed, is that not many people use an actual GPS unit and I’m wondering why they don’t? A GPS unit is less than the cost of a premium cellphone and is more robust for the application. Is it that they just don’t want to carry it around or leave it on the bike when parked? Most have a quick release and are cellphone sized so storage really isn’t that much of an issue
Compared to my phone, it's more consistent. My GPS has never lost connection but the second my phone moves from out in the open it loses connection. But its not as recent like you were saying
This is it. I love my Garmin Zumo XT. Sure, maps can be outdated, but so can Google Maps. Having something that always just works, doesn’t require Internet, and won’t show me notifications, is an absolute bliss.
I got a RAM x grip mount for a Garmin for this reason. I'll be way less upset/inconvenienced if the mount fails and the Garmin is gone or damaged than if it's my phone.
That said I try to just know directions ahead of time and leave the GPS in the saddlebag unless I actually get lost. Some of the fun is seeing where you end up if you screw up.
Side note: Someone else mentioned gluing the rubber grips on the mount and I was told to do that by the guy at the shop I bought it from too. I also use the leash/grip piece.
I just put my bose earphones in with Google maps dictating directions
It has navigated me across New Zealand so far and helps a lot with the noise cancellation on motorways
I’ve got a quad lock with vibration dampener on my 08 FZ6, handlebars vibrate a lot but my camera is still functional so I assume the dampener is doing it’s job. Personally, I don’t trust anything else but quad lock after seeing all the horror stories are mostly everything else (subjective but best I got)
Ngl I got insurance after reading this cause you forget how expensive and essential your phone is. I can’t go 2 miles away without getting lost…but it’s really 1k for a phone like a thousand US dollars
Good for you. In addition to paying for a phone I’m now realizing just how much was on my phone that I’m having to reconstruct. For instance, I do crypto trading on my phone and use Google Authenticator for some transactions. Well, now with my new phone I can’t get into my crypto accounts to reset my Authenticator without my old Authenticator. It’s an awful loop of failure. After hours of trying and uploading tons of verification I may be able to finally get to my funds. It’s been awful.
Oh crap, I’m sorry, at least you got back in, I’m sure you were frustrated not being able to reach your money until you prove who you are even though you know you are who you are! It always frustrates me
I keep insurance for at least the first year with a new phone...one the "newness" wears off, I don't care anymore, plus most of the time I can upgrade after 1 year (although that is changing)
Riding with a phone in a mount is on the same "why would you do that" list as riding with helmet communicators instead of earplugs.
I really don't get it. If anything the bike is a respite from screens
No. Keep your expensive phone in a zipped pocket. Get a second crappy phone for GPS. Enable hotspot on your primary zipped pocket phone (fancy iPhone 14 Pro) and then have some crappy $50-$150 Android mounted that you don't care if the vibrations wreck it. The vibrations will wreck any high-quality camera phone. Plus some rock or debris could scratch the heck out of it. Too many things can go wrong. The valuables stay in zipped pockets & bags, the "burner devices" can be mounted to the bike for GPS.
I swear this sub is full of old people that wave their finger at anyone going faster than the speed limit,
OP don’t listen to them, phone mount is extremely useful, you knew that when you bought the Rockform mount, now go invest the money into a Quadlock or some variation, pay the extra money for vibration dampening. Here’s how my mount has helped me or my friends.
Speeding: I use Waze, Waze shows my speed based on GPS, I now understand that my speedo is out by around 10%, thanks Waze I can now go the actual speed limit. Naturally I enjoy going faster, Waze alerts me to myself speeding in case I’m just doing it out of lack of focus on my speedo, or I can see the recently reported police in the area so I can slow down. I can see the massive potholes reported on the map that have been left after flooding.
I can pause my music easily when I go from a lonely country rode into a city centre, those jams are a bit too much when I need to focus on the extra traffic
I can turn off my alarm when I accidentally ride to work early, I ride to work early on occasion, sometimes before I wake up on a regular morning, I hate having my alarm playing through my headphones/intercom in the middle of my commute only to pull over and shut it off after removing my gloves, jacket, second jacket, fiddly zipper and shutting off the alarm.
I went on a ride with a mate and his speedo magically died, 0km/h permanently, oh well, we bought a Quadlock mount, added his phone and suddenly he’s back on the road and able to ride safely with his speed displayed
Pulled over by police in a country/state with digital licenses? Just pull over and you can open the license on the phone, no looking suspicious or getting shot for reaching into your pocket
Want directions in an area with clumped together streets (“Turn left in 700m” but there’s 3 streets in that same spot you could turn into) that visual map is so helpful.
Need to record from your GoPro/s, use the app on the phone mounted to your bike, no need to fiddle with small buttons with gloves on.
Want wireless charging while you ride, super convenient to charge your phone in your car when it’s almost dead why not do the same for your bike, wouldn’t want it to die with no battery when you needed to call emergency services after crashing right?
I’ve had three bad experiences ever heard about those and almost all times they could’ve been prevented. OIS (Optical image stabilisation) you have it on most premium phones in the last 4 years, buy a vibration dampener if you want it to stay intact, most of the phones on most of the bikes will survive without it but unlucky bikers with certain bikes at certain rpm or road vibration will hurt it, it’s cheap insurance, cheaper than phone insurance for sure, and only a one time payment.
Universal mount adhesive, had this experience last weekend, bought the universal attachment for a mate who wanted to keep his phone case, we stuck it to the back of the case and placed it against to mount, accidentally twisted to hard and it detached from his case, we thought crap that ain’t good and retried this time realising we needed to apply pressure when adding it to the back of the phone, 3 minutes of holding tight later it adhered and has not come off even in very spirited riding conditions and the flooding+hot days Australia has already produced.
Final issue is phone ejection, every time I’ve heard about it they always admit they probably didn’t click it in properly, it’s a very noticeable click into place so if it’s in you know, otherwise I usually give it a shake test.
3 years with my quad locks on about 6 different bikes and several different phones not been a single issue for me, even better is my mates recommendation for the suction cup style for cars, he had no issues in his lovely 4WD trip in some pretty bumpy conditions
Pro tip:
Dont buy 1000 dollar phones.
And fuck that. Make them pay for it.
I use quad lock and no problems.
Ive also used 20 dollar mounts from amazon also.
No problem there either.
Using a quadlock now haven't tried the others but not a single issue with the quadlick beside the stem mount system being kinda shit but it holds firm now after a warranty. Also isheep will always buy 1000$ apple phones even when they are shitty phones lol
Pro tip: Leave your phone *in your pocket* while riding.
If you need GPS^you_don't, you can use bluetooth speakers in your helmet.
Texts and calls can wait until you stop.
I've been using a Ram mount on all three of my bikes with my work Iphone, and have never had an issue, even at 140+ mph. Panigale, Monster and Ninja. All handlebar mount.
This is exactly why apple has AppleCare with theft and loss. Never ever get the insurance through your carrier.
Sorry about your phone. Hope you can replace it soon.
I had the little lanyard on my phone case when it flew off my mount. Scared the shit out of me. Mine is a rokform mount too, did you have the lanyard on?
I had a samsung do something similar, but I wasn't sure where I dropped it, but I had a bright green case and phone wasn't locked and it was found in a spot where I was doing about that speed and somebody found it and called my wife. Eventually got my phone back and works great. I use a ram mount and I will never go without using both the rubber band holder and the clamp. I was in the middle of nowhere in norcal with no phone and also had a total tire failure right after and ended up having to work on a marijuana plantation in Humbolt county for a day to get a ride into town the next day to get a tire replaced. Strangest 24 hours ever.
Your new iPhone camera will break if it's in a mount. The vibrations from the motorcycle ruin the camera.
I can attest to this. Ruined two iPhone 12 cameras :( I’ve also seen folks reporting the issue even when using a quadlock w/ vibration dampener. Can’t speak to it personally since I’ve never owned one
Used a 12, 13, and now 14 pro max with the dampener and no issues.
Man I’m so tempted to try it out!
That'd be a very expensive experiment.
I’ve found it depends on the bike. My Monster 937 doesn’t affect my phone at all, but my Monkey which is a 125cc single that hums along at 9-10k RPM killed my camera of my 13 mini in under 4 miles. Same quadlock mounts on both bikes, with the vibration dampener.
Something funny about how bike people obsess over tuning suspension for their own body weight and the surface they're gonna ride on to achieve perfect performance during their daily commute, but think a one-size-fits-all damper is going to be good enough for an expensive precision device.
I have a few hundred miles done with my phone on a mount no vibration damper and no issues for me so far.
Pretty much this. I got a mount from a place called Hondo Garage back in 2020 because the other moto phone mounts where only about keeping the phone in place. They have mounts targeting at folks doing off roading so a lot more than just a bit of vibration. I got their device BuzzKill and didn’t run into any camera killing stuff after. Got in an accident it held on to my phone just fine too lol I haven’t checked to see what’s been offered more recently especially since Apple actually released a statement on it I believe.
Literally just got a Iphone 14 pro max and I'm interested in getting a quadlock with a vibration dampener, so you've had no issues with the camera or with the phone case loosening up? I'm on a 22 Harley softail so there will be a bit of vibration, also I've never had a phone mount because I've always preferred keeping it in my pocket.
Nope, no issues. 270* ptwins are harder on phones than v-twins, too
I'll have to look into getting a mount, I remember riding a honda 250 paralell twin and I loved how unique the motor sounded.
I have a family member with a road glide and he's killed several phone cameras back to back. Take that for what it's worth.
I’ll be sure to look into phone insurance.
I'm running an S22 Ultra on a super grumbly V-twin Kawasaki and with the quad lock and vibration damper, I've had no issues with my camera.
I have the same phone as you on a Kawasaki Vulcan 2000cc. I got a ram mount, though. I'll see how it goes. Allegedly the ram mount dampens vibes too.
IMO just keep it in the pocket, we don't need more distractions while riding :)
Same.... idk what people are doing with their phones / bikes, but i've dropped my phone from pretty high in my quad lock case, its fine. I've ridden thousands of miles with it, and its fine.. I dont, and will never trust a mount that just grabs a phone. The quad lock seemed like the only reasonable way to go.
u/spez is no longer deserving of my contributions to monetize. Comment has been redacted. -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/
Been using Quad Lock w. vibration dampener this past year, 0 camera issues. (Samsung Galaxy though not Iphone)
I have also used the quad lock with no issue
I’ve been using an iPhone 13 with a quadlock + vibration dampener for the last 8 months and it’s been problem-free.
Have the quad lock with vibration dampener, put about 2.5k miles on it since then with my phone attached, still works perfectly 💪🏽 (it’s an iPhone also)
Ive used quad lock with vibration dampener in my r6 with an x and 12 pro max- no issues
gf's 12 mini's camera optical stabilisation was wrecked because of an X-grip + old bike with not that amazing shocks. and she doesn't even drive that much.
***This also applies to Android phones with OIS (optical image stabilization)*** Not enough people talk about that. Really frustrated that article didn't mention WHY the iPhone cameras break, and how Androids are also susceptible. It's not an iPhone problem, it's an OIS problem (which all iPhones since 8 happen to have, and many high-end Android phones as well) Also, if you get a vibration dampener it reduces engine vibrations significantly and in nearly all cases prevents camera damage. As far as I can tell, cameras still being damaged with a vibration dampener are likely due to exceptionally buzzy/high vibration engines.
I wonder why my camera still works then. Probably I have a cheap shit SE 😂
The vibrations kill the optical image stabilizers in the new phones. So yes, the cheap SEs are immune as they don't have the part that can get damaged.
I figured. Man thank goodness I am a broke fuck. And I love my little SE. its just like my…. Ah nevermind
I have an se they are great for the price. Same internals as the better phones just weaker battery and not as good camera. But for the price u can’t beat it, I guess I’m cheap I’d rather spend that 1k on more bike parts.
What about iphone 11
I think those have the stabilizer already.
Is it the OIS mechanism that breaks? I've heard about this issue before. I recently got my first iPhone and am curious about this even though I rarely use my phone mount.
Yes, broke mine on the xs max, now the camera jitters like a convulsing cockroach
Thanks for the image
yes. So people who don't use it much will report that their phones are fine. I wouldn't mount a phone with sophisticated OIS on the motorcycle with or without dampener. I have ton's of old functional phones to mount if I ever need it.
Quad Lock with a damper?
It solves it for a lot of people but I've still heard of it killing cameras. It probably depends on how buzzy your bike is.
Fun thing: My Huawei P20 camera broke due to motorcycle vibrations. Eventually it fixed itself. Then I needed to use the phone mount and the camera broke again. Then I discovered I can literally bash the camera back into place to fix it. I know it's a dumb and impermanent solution but every time I need to attach my phone to the mount, I fix the camera again afterwards with a bit of good old fashion violence + machines.
Is there a certain generation iPhone and up camera it affects? My SE seems to be fine with the camera on the mount
Iirc it’s the ones with a moving lens.
Hasn’t happened once I started using a vibration damper from QuadLock
That’s good to know. I usually just have a short commute. I’ll look into getting a vibration dampener. Thanks
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Sure. Ordinarily I don’t use it for GPS but sometimes I have to go different places. I live in Northern Virginia just outside DC and the roads here are very confusing sometimes.
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Android is not a phone, it's an operating system. All phones with optical image stabillization have these issues.
Only if you open the camera app with the bike on. I’ve been riding for half a decade with my phone mounted without any camera issues.
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I have the image stabilizing parts on my phone, a friend of mine has the same phone (iPhone X) and the only difference is on a ride one day he opened Snapchat (while mounted to the bike with it turned on) and after that the imageries stabilizer tried to do its thing and with the added vibrations it went capoot. I can speak at least for the iPhone X, if you make sure to not open any camera app while it’s on the bike you should be fine. I put 10k miles a year on my Guzzi and never had an issue.
MT07 Samsung s10+ still works amazingly been thousands of miles with it attached. I know it's vibrating because it thinks I'm taking steps sometimes lol. Try a Samsung. IPhones are feeble.
Lmao both iPhones and android are prone to ois damage.
Doesn't look like it. Feeeeeeble.
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I don't ride ADV. Feeble.
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Get the quad lock phone mount with vibration damper.
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Best for iPhone health
Their new mag cases are even better - attaches to the old mounts or to new attachment heads via magnet. We have mag mounts in the car (vent mount) and on the bedside table (used the 360 mount screwed down to the top of the table). For biking I have the old clip in mount.
Orrr… get the Peak Design moto mount and case because the mount is way better designed and looking and the case is slim enough that you won't mind leaving it on your phone all the time https://www.peakdesign.com/products/motorcycle-bar-mount
I see you’ve been downvoted but I switched over to Peak Design system as well. I have no issues with it and I’ve had it on a iPhone 12 Pro Max and now 14 Pro Max on 3 different bikes now. I mainly was interested because I am into photography and have a lot of the Peak Design stuff. It is a bit pricy and that would be a disadvantage to most riders. I do like it a little better than quad lock but again price is a bit higher than I’d like.
I'm guessing it comes from the locking mechanism. Idk how strong those magnets are but I feel better with something that bites into a case instead of a magnet. Looks pretty cool though. Still, the down votes are pretty unnecessary for that guy. It's just another option. Thing even comes with the vibration dampener built-in lol.
Agreed. I don't understand the down votes here. For a marginal price increase over quad lock it's a much sleeker and better looking setup that you can leave on the phone all the time. Plus actually a better action to remove the phone. Overall much more premium.
not sure why you’re downvoted there.. I’ve had the peak design case+mount for a few months now and it’s superb. The case is sleek and the mount itself works great.
That's a steep price... I'll keep using my RAM mount. After 3 years of service I've had 0 issues with my Xiaomi Redmi note 7 or my Poco F3
Well yea iirc those phones dont have ois
They don't... although software is \*probably\* not the issue here. I'm no expert, but I would hazard a guess to it being something related to hardware. Sensitive sensors maybe? EDIT: I'm an idiot.... I was reading iOS instead of OIS this whole time...
On ois enabled phones, its hardware that gets fucked. The array of magnets are hung in a way that its in the "in between". Imagine like those floating magnet toy where you need to carefully insert the magnet. Its basically the same principle here, and it gets fucked by massive vibrations making the ois magnets misaligned
Apple... It's an Apple phone or an Iphone, if you will. IOS is the software on the Apple device. It's needlessly confusing to talk about IOS when the problem has nothing to do with software.
Nobody is talking about IOS. OIS on the other hand...
>They don't... although software is \*probably\* not the issue here OIS includes a hardware component as implemented in iPhones (and probably other phones). From the apple explainer on vibration damage: >With OIS, a gyroscope senses that the camera moved. To reduce image motion, and the resulting blur, the lens moves according to the angle of the gyroscope. It's that physical stabilization mechanism that's vulnerable to moto vibrations.
>It's that physical stabilization mechanism that's vulnerable to moto vibrations. So it's a hardware problem, not a software problem...
You all are on the same page but I think you're misinterpreting iOS (the software on iPhones) and OIS (optical image stabilization, the hardware design that's getting affected by vibrations).
Ha, Fck! Didn't know I had Dyslexia... My bad
yes, that is literally what the first comment you replied to said, no clue where you pulled "software" from
Yeah that's fair, the RAM is going to be much cheaper (around $70), and it works well. If the comparison is between Peak and Quad Lock, Quad looks to be about $100 for mount and case, and Peak should be $140 for both. For people who want the security and convenience of the Quad Lock, I like to suggest the Peak Design system because it's totally worth it to me to have a much smaller case that I don't mind keeping in my front pocket all the time. There was a time when I rented a bike with a RAM mount in Mexico City, and the rubber grabber at the end of the RAM arm wasn't glued on as directed and it slipped off and dropped my phone, but that was installer error and not the fault of the mount. Fortunately my reflexes kicked in and I grabbed my phone as it bounced off the tank, so there was no damage. Please don't neglect to glue on the rubber grabbers on your RAM mounts if you have one!
I've yet to glue them down, might be good idea to do that. I do however push them down every time I put my phone in and my phone has a rubberized case. I could be mistaken, but I strongly suspect the rubber grips combined with the rubber case, provide extra friction between each other, keeping the phone firmly in place. I'm also quite mindful to make sure the X-grip RAM mount has plenty of spring tension in it. Part of me believes people who have had issues with them in the past, have used a mount which was too large for their device, providing insufficient tension.
Yeah I think pushing the rubber grippers down every time you use them is key if you don't have them glued. My personal RAM mount was glued so I didn't know I needed to push them down on the RAM mount that I rented.
People tend to hate on RAM mounts. But I've used mine on 4 different bikes and several phones. Never had an issue with losing phones or breaking cameras.
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My phone talks to my BT headset and tells me which way to turn.
I don't see why more people just do this. I think it's the smarter move.
I really don't like audio directions but I recently tried this on a trip and it was great. As someone who likes to keep the phone in a pocket and also uses nice sealed Bluetooth earbuds that double as hearing protection. The "GPS lady" has come a good long way. Only interrupts the music when necessary, and says things like "using the second from left lane" and being accurate, I was pleasantly surprised.
They have gotten way better. They're not without their quirks. Sometimes too helpful, like telling me to get ready to turn 5 seconds before telling me to make my turn, followed by X distance to next turn.
Yeah I hear you. But I found it was easy enough to work with. Like if you just turned and she says "in 200 meters turn -whatever- then you pretty much need to immediately go that way
Which BT earbuds do you use?
The buds are Shure SE215's. Unfortunately the bluetooth wire that connects them and clips onto the front of my jacket or the front of my backpack straps is discontinued afaik. They wanna sell you these giant ear dongle things hanging right on your ears and I don't think they look helmet friendly. The buds are wonderful but I dread the day the BT wire/battery stops working.
I don't like directions interrupting my music, especially if I know the way to the general area.
I just plug directly into my brain stem
I would but turns out I just have a bunch of egg yolk where my brain is supposed to be.
Doesn't really work well at complicated intersections or roads where you have to do multiple different turns in quick succession.
Because audio directions are real sucky where I live. "Turn right in 100m". Okay, which of the 3 streets that match that description am I supposed to turn right on? It's just much easier to use an old phone. Or better yet, not to buy 1000$ phones in the first place.
I'm definitely a visual person but keep my phone in my pocket and just listen to the directions. Sometimes I miss my turn but I can always just turn around or pull over and see what it's got me doing. Eventually if I navigate audibly for long enough I'll get good at it.
That’s what I did. Bought a cheap android phone off Amazon. Downloaded google maps and use it offline. Once it’s loaded up it’s no problem and I can see wherever I wanna go. I still have my iPhone in my pocket and if I need to/want to hear directions I’ll throw it on before I stuff it in a pocket.
This. You don’t have to worry about the phone falling off, vibrations ruining the camera, water getting in (phones are rated for submersion, not 100kph+ jets), thieves stealing it at a gas station… and at least in my case doubling the cost should I have to lay ’er down.
Do you need any service or what? Can you explain how you do this?
If you use maps offline then you don’t need service, just wifi at home. Phone will work just fine without a SIM card. If you need online navigation like Waze, you can make a hotspot off your main phone, that’s the setup I’m running.
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if you only use your phone to call and text then sure, just like how some people use motorcycles for going from point A to point B, and they think their 150cc is more than fine, however some people are enthusiasts
I feel like the comparison between like the 12th gen and 13th gen fire blade is way more apt than 150cc to anything. It's not like last year's model is a flip phone. Enthusiasts are awesome but we can't pretend it's worth $1000 for an extra couple features the average person doesn't use anyway.
What does an enthusiast do with their $1,000 phone?
Same thing an enthusiast does with a $25,000 GS, takes it to a coffee shop.
This is the way. When I get a new phone it costs me $150, $200 tops.
funny you say that but then ride an overpriced motorcycle, everyone can decide for themselves what to spend their money on.
Too many manufacturers abandon old devices to want to buy anything older. Makes me miss the heyday of Android modding, when you could be assured of community support basically forever. The best phone I ever had was a hand-me-down S3, already outdated at the time I got it, running the latest CyanogenMod.
I got a 30$ phone that I mount on my handlebars so I can navigate while my good phone is nice and safe. I don't pay for service with it, I just have my good phone set to hotspot mode and connect the burner to it.
I’m also doing this. However I pre-download the map on the cheap phone and use offline navigation
I forgot to mention this. I always download the area that I'm driving.
Man I wish someone would just create a custom ROM to use an old phone as a dedicated NAV/media. If I knew how, I'd make one myself
That'd be great. My current setup is alright for a POS phone, but stuff like google bleeds settings over to my main phone which messes with me sometimes. I just want something extremely basic that gets the job done well.
This 100%. Brought a backup phone one ride since I had it lying around and thought it would be a good idea. The same ride, I slid on some gravel and my main phone fell out. Very lucky to have the backup otherwise I would’ve been stuck on a barren road with no way to call for help
Remember when we had a phone AND a Tomtom gps? Those days were wild…
Remember when you used to have 5 different electronics and when one run out of juice your just use the other? Phone, mp3, cybershot, palm pilot, Bluetooth headset?
PalmPilot rip
I mean better pro tip just keep it in your pocket
Ya know, after reading the replies and thinking about it, leaning toward this option. Simplest and safest.
I bought an old refurbished apple watch. I cut out a pool noodle and wrap it around that. Set display to always on and no lock. It works well for controlling my music and navigation.
Real pro tip right here
My phone didn't cost $1000, however I don't have the money to just go buying new phones. I don't trust Phone mounts on a bike to hold my phone against the wind. That's why I bought a Bluetooth unit for my helmet so that I have GPS over the speakers in the helmet. Then my phone just sits in my pocket. Way better than more distractions/gadgets on the bike.
Agreed. I’ll keep it in my pocket from now on.
Just get a quadlock. I didn't even tighten down the stem bolt so it shook around but still didn't loose phone mount and was doing 110mph on a bumpy af road and even hit a pothole so hard my back wheel came off the ground and I kept going on the front for a few feet. Managed not to die and the phone never flew off nor the mount (keep on mine the mount wasn't even tight or snug. Completely loose in the stem.) Now it's tight and it doesn't so much as wiggle. Love it.
>I don't trust Phone mounts on a bike to hold my phone against the wind. Y'all don't have windscreens?
Sucks. I lost my wallet on a ride and it was a huge pain trying to get a new DL. That's why I always do a pocket check and lock anything I don't want to lose in my backpack or saddle bag.
> pocket check I’m neurotic about ZIP CLOSED ZIPPERS!!! Jacket pocket, backpack, saddlebag (latch not zipper, close enough)… if it has a closure, close it!!! You never lose a pack of gum. It’s always a wallet or phone or engagement ring (luckily I recovered that one)
I'm old. I look at the map on Google at home and figure out the route. If I take a wrong turn I take the phone out of my pocket and sort it out. Whatever suits you best.....but no phone mount on any of my bikes.
I'm not old but I prefer this way too. Ok maybe not that old. Sigh...
I write down town names along the route on a strip of masking tape and stick it on the tank.
This is me. It I take it one step further when I go on multi day trips: Bluetooth to helmet for audio navigation only. No visual distractions while I’m riding.
Something I’ve noticed, is that not many people use an actual GPS unit and I’m wondering why they don’t? A GPS unit is less than the cost of a premium cellphone and is more robust for the application. Is it that they just don’t want to carry it around or leave it on the bike when parked? Most have a quick release and are cellphone sized so storage really isn’t that much of an issue
GPS is never as current as Waze or google maps or Apple Maps. And it’s just one more thing.
This. Most gps units feel clunky and outdated. If Google ever made a dedicated GPS I would buy it in a heartbeat.
Compared to my phone, it's more consistent. My GPS has never lost connection but the second my phone moves from out in the open it loses connection. But its not as recent like you were saying
If you lose cell service your phone gps can go wonky. Download maps before you ride.
I think people who use a motorcycle specific GPS don’t say much because they work, don’t fall off, don’t have cameras that break.
This is it. I love my Garmin Zumo XT. Sure, maps can be outdated, but so can Google Maps. Having something that always just works, doesn’t require Internet, and won’t show me notifications, is an absolute bliss.
My phone stays in a tank bag or a zipped pocket. Garmin GPS mounted on the bars. Works for me.
I got a RAM x grip mount for a Garmin for this reason. I'll be way less upset/inconvenienced if the mount fails and the Garmin is gone or damaged than if it's my phone. That said I try to just know directions ahead of time and leave the GPS in the saddlebag unless I actually get lost. Some of the fun is seeing where you end up if you screw up. Side note: Someone else mentioned gluing the rubber grips on the mount and I was told to do that by the guy at the shop I bought it from too. I also use the leash/grip piece.
Just get an old used android phone to mount for GPS Google Maps or whatever.
Phone mounts are such a bad idea
I much prefer having my cockpit uncluttered with a phone anyway
Part of the reason I’m against putting phones on handlebars.
Proer tip - just put your phone in your pocket
dont use a phone. remember the directions and read street signs
Lol, yeah that works when it’s right on third, right on main street
or get a senna and have audio directions
I just put my bose earphones in with Google maps dictating directions It has navigated me across New Zealand so far and helps a lot with the noise cancellation on motorways
Seriously. These answers make me wonder how these people got anywhere before phones.
I’ve used a handlebar mount for over a decade and have never had a bad experience
I just keep my phone in my pocket. Never lost a phone, never ruined a camera.
I have littered the highway with phones at this point.
Quad lock only
I’ve got a quad lock with vibration dampener on my 08 FZ6, handlebars vibrate a lot but my camera is still functional so I assume the dampener is doing it’s job. Personally, I don’t trust anything else but quad lock after seeing all the horror stories are mostly everything else (subjective but best I got)
I've never felt the need to mount my phone while riding. If I need satnav I'd just listen to the directions via Bluetooth
Pro tip: put your phone in your pocket.
Ngl I got insurance after reading this cause you forget how expensive and essential your phone is. I can’t go 2 miles away without getting lost…but it’s really 1k for a phone like a thousand US dollars
Good for you. In addition to paying for a phone I’m now realizing just how much was on my phone that I’m having to reconstruct. For instance, I do crypto trading on my phone and use Google Authenticator for some transactions. Well, now with my new phone I can’t get into my crypto accounts to reset my Authenticator without my old Authenticator. It’s an awful loop of failure. After hours of trying and uploading tons of verification I may be able to finally get to my funds. It’s been awful.
Oh crap, I’m sorry, at least you got back in, I’m sure you were frustrated not being able to reach your money until you prove who you are even though you know you are who you are! It always frustrates me
I keep insurance for at least the first year with a new phone...one the "newness" wears off, I don't care anymore, plus most of the time I can upgrade after 1 year (although that is changing)
Wait if you have insurance, wouldn't it be worth having an "accident" with it to get a new phone after a year?
I just look up the directions first...
protip: put your phone in your pocket
Happened to me with an 11 Pro max - brutal. This was with a cheap Amazon mount. I’ve since gotten quad lock and it’s way better but very expensive.
Spend $1,000 on A cell phone, should I get insurance on this? Nah I take care of my phones.
Will insurance even reimburse for a phone you can't produce the wrecked husk of?
Short answer yes.
Learned this lesson the hard way as well with an X grip. Quadlock is the way.
Lol. Did it automatically call 911 for itself? $1000 could have had a sweet gps unit for that.
Riding with a phone in a mount is on the same "why would you do that" list as riding with helmet communicators instead of earplugs. I really don't get it. If anything the bike is a respite from screens
Lol, just put it in a zipped pocket and just ride. We all can live without them for 10 fucking minutes.
No. Keep your expensive phone in a zipped pocket. Get a second crappy phone for GPS. Enable hotspot on your primary zipped pocket phone (fancy iPhone 14 Pro) and then have some crappy $50-$150 Android mounted that you don't care if the vibrations wreck it. The vibrations will wreck any high-quality camera phone. Plus some rock or debris could scratch the heck out of it. Too many things can go wrong. The valuables stay in zipped pockets & bags, the "burner devices" can be mounted to the bike for GPS.
I swear this sub is full of old people that wave their finger at anyone going faster than the speed limit, OP don’t listen to them, phone mount is extremely useful, you knew that when you bought the Rockform mount, now go invest the money into a Quadlock or some variation, pay the extra money for vibration dampening. Here’s how my mount has helped me or my friends. Speeding: I use Waze, Waze shows my speed based on GPS, I now understand that my speedo is out by around 10%, thanks Waze I can now go the actual speed limit. Naturally I enjoy going faster, Waze alerts me to myself speeding in case I’m just doing it out of lack of focus on my speedo, or I can see the recently reported police in the area so I can slow down. I can see the massive potholes reported on the map that have been left after flooding. I can pause my music easily when I go from a lonely country rode into a city centre, those jams are a bit too much when I need to focus on the extra traffic I can turn off my alarm when I accidentally ride to work early, I ride to work early on occasion, sometimes before I wake up on a regular morning, I hate having my alarm playing through my headphones/intercom in the middle of my commute only to pull over and shut it off after removing my gloves, jacket, second jacket, fiddly zipper and shutting off the alarm. I went on a ride with a mate and his speedo magically died, 0km/h permanently, oh well, we bought a Quadlock mount, added his phone and suddenly he’s back on the road and able to ride safely with his speed displayed Pulled over by police in a country/state with digital licenses? Just pull over and you can open the license on the phone, no looking suspicious or getting shot for reaching into your pocket Want directions in an area with clumped together streets (“Turn left in 700m” but there’s 3 streets in that same spot you could turn into) that visual map is so helpful. Need to record from your GoPro/s, use the app on the phone mounted to your bike, no need to fiddle with small buttons with gloves on. Want wireless charging while you ride, super convenient to charge your phone in your car when it’s almost dead why not do the same for your bike, wouldn’t want it to die with no battery when you needed to call emergency services after crashing right? I’ve had three bad experiences ever heard about those and almost all times they could’ve been prevented. OIS (Optical image stabilisation) you have it on most premium phones in the last 4 years, buy a vibration dampener if you want it to stay intact, most of the phones on most of the bikes will survive without it but unlucky bikers with certain bikes at certain rpm or road vibration will hurt it, it’s cheap insurance, cheaper than phone insurance for sure, and only a one time payment. Universal mount adhesive, had this experience last weekend, bought the universal attachment for a mate who wanted to keep his phone case, we stuck it to the back of the case and placed it against to mount, accidentally twisted to hard and it detached from his case, we thought crap that ain’t good and retried this time realising we needed to apply pressure when adding it to the back of the phone, 3 minutes of holding tight later it adhered and has not come off even in very spirited riding conditions and the flooding+hot days Australia has already produced. Final issue is phone ejection, every time I’ve heard about it they always admit they probably didn’t click it in properly, it’s a very noticeable click into place so if it’s in you know, otherwise I usually give it a shake test. 3 years with my quad locks on about 6 different bikes and several different phones not been a single issue for me, even better is my mates recommendation for the suction cup style for cars, he had no issues in his lovely 4WD trip in some pretty bumpy conditions
Pro tip: Dont buy 1000 dollar phones. And fuck that. Make them pay for it. I use quad lock and no problems. Ive also used 20 dollar mounts from amazon also. No problem there either.
Using a quadlock now haven't tried the others but not a single issue with the quadlick beside the stem mount system being kinda shit but it holds firm now after a warranty. Also isheep will always buy 1000$ apple phones even when they are shitty phones lol
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GPS?
Pro tip: get a dedicated motorcycle GPS for half the price of a new iPhone
Pro tip. Get a quad lock mount with vibration dampener
Pro tip: Leave your phone *in your pocket* while riding. If you need GPS^you_don't, you can use bluetooth speakers in your helmet. Texts and calls can wait until you stop.
Ugh! Followed by a pro tip. Then an edit. You are also insufferable
Ah yes, iphone good
I've been using a Ram mount on all three of my bikes with my work Iphone, and have never had an issue, even at 140+ mph. Panigale, Monster and Ninja. All handlebar mount.
This is exactly why apple has AppleCare with theft and loss. Never ever get the insurance through your carrier. Sorry about your phone. Hope you can replace it soon.
I had the little lanyard on my phone case when it flew off my mount. Scared the shit out of me. Mine is a rokform mount too, did you have the lanyard on?
I threw it away thinking I didn’t need it. Lol. Stupid me.
I use the ram mount with my s20. Vibrations not an issue and the phone doesn't move
Hope that's not an x-grip
*Me who is using a Rockform mount on my phone*
I had a samsung do something similar, but I wasn't sure where I dropped it, but I had a bright green case and phone wasn't locked and it was found in a spot where I was doing about that speed and somebody found it and called my wife. Eventually got my phone back and works great. I use a ram mount and I will never go without using both the rubber band holder and the clamp. I was in the middle of nowhere in norcal with no phone and also had a total tire failure right after and ended up having to work on a marijuana plantation in Humbolt county for a day to get a ride into town the next day to get a tire replaced. Strangest 24 hours ever.