Topic: Using Your Phone on Your Bike Could be Harmful (to the phone)

[DriverJeff]

For those of us who like to use RAM mounts for our phones on our motorcycles, perhaps something to consider?

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58507764?fbclid=IwAR2aGb_K3MyWYta-dp7Kta7b7VYUlqfCgvnfZjQBDQADzrQ74tmrGr_ySAk


My brother and I (and a few friends, TurboBob, too, I believe) do this pretty regularly without issue, but who knows?

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Quad Lock sells an anti-vibration dampener specifically for motorcycles:

https://www.quadlockcase.ca/products/vibration-dampener?variant=32819765379147

[Triple Bob]

I never had an issue with a RAM mount, but the problem became worse on newer iPhones (5+).

When I upgraded my phone I got the quadlock with the vibration damper, works great. And is much better designed than the RAM IMHO.

[ktm525]

I never ram mount my good phone (I keep it in an inner pocket or on the shoulder strap pocket of the klim bag.

I use old Iphones (kids discards) as a GPS unit ram mounted and it is amazing how much abuse they will take and keep working. My current Iphone7 GPS has been through torrential rains and general off road abuse. It is wired into the bike so the screen NEVER turns off for up to 12 hours a day on full brightness. Still ticking. Many times a branch or bush will completely knock it off the mount.

[dkaz]

My only issue with Ram mount is that the mount location is where the wireless charging would be.

[Triple Bob]

My only issue with Ram mount is that the mount location is where the wireless charging would be.

Mine was that as the phones got bigger the arms pressed the buttons continuously, which basically made it unusable.

[DriverJeff]

I never ram mount my good phone (I keep it in an inner pocket or on the shoulder strap pocket of the klim bag.

I use old Iphones (kids discards) as a GPS unit ram mounted and it is amazing how much abuse they will take and keep working. My current Iphone7 GPS has been through torrential rains and general off road abuse. It is wired into the bike so the screen NEVER turns off for up to 12 hours a day on full brightness. Still ticking. Many times a branch or bush will completely knock it off the mount.

I like this idea. 

[ktm525]

I never ram mount my good phone (I keep it in an inner pocket or on the shoulder strap pocket of the klim bag.

I use old Iphones (kids discards) as a GPS unit ram mounted and it is amazing how much abuse they will take and keep working. My current Iphone7 GPS has been through torrential rains and general off road abuse. It is wired into the bike so the screen NEVER turns off for up to 12 hours a day on full brightness. Still ticking. Many times a branch or bush will completely knock it off the mount.

I like this idea.

It's free too.

[Triple Bob]

I never ram mount my good phone (I keep it in an inner pocket or on the shoulder strap pocket of the klim bag.

I use old Iphones (kids discards) as a GPS unit ram mounted and it is amazing how much abuse they will take and keep working. My current Iphone7 GPS has been through torrential rains and general off road abuse. It is wired into the bike so the screen NEVER turns off for up to 12 hours a day on full brightness. Still ticking. Many times a branch or bush will completely knock it off the mount.

I like this idea.

It's free too.

Do you have to download the maps prior to leaving wifi?

[ktm525]

I never ram mount my good phone (I keep it in an inner pocket or on the shoulder strap pocket of the klim bag.

I use old Iphones (kids discards) as a GPS unit ram mounted and it is amazing how much abuse they will take and keep working. My current Iphone7 GPS has been through torrential rains and general off road abuse. It is wired into the bike so the screen NEVER turns off for up to 12 hours a day on full brightness. Still ticking. Many times a branch or bush will completely knock it off the mount.

I like this idea.

It's free too.

Do you have to download the maps prior to leaving wifi?

I do if I remember. I use Avenza maps.  If I forget or need another I just airdrop (apple)  or hotspot my regular phone so the GPS phone can use "wifi" to download a map.

[DriverJeff]

I never ram mount my good phone (I keep it in an inner pocket or on the shoulder strap pocket of the klim bag.

I use old Iphones (kids discards) as a GPS unit ram mounted and it is amazing how much abuse they will take and keep working. My current Iphone7 GPS has been through torrential rains and general off road abuse. It is wired into the bike so the screen NEVER turns off for up to 12 hours a day on full brightness. Still ticking. Many times a branch or bush will completely knock it off the mount.

I like this idea.

It's free too.

Do you have to download the maps prior to leaving wifi?

I do if I remember. I use Avenza maps.  If I forget or need another I just airdrop (apple)  or hotspot my regular phone so the GPS phone can use "wifi" to download a map.

Clever.

When doing bike trips into the States, we'd have a rule that we were only allowed to eat at 'local' places, no chain restaurants, with the exception being that McDonalds were always reliable stops for a bathroom, a reasonable coffee and free Wifi to update our map downloads.