I recently upgraded my ride from a 2014 HD Sportster XL1200T to a 2018 HD Heritage Classic. On my XL1200T, there was no room to have a handlebar-mounted phone holder because the speedometer is housed on the top of the stem - between that and the clutch and brake cables, there’s just no space on the bars for a phone mount. I resorted to using a perch mounted holder so that I could see my phone screen for GPS on rides but really disliked having to clean the bug carcasses off the back of my phone case after each ride, as the perch mount was just a few inches outside the protection of the windshield. My new bike has a tank-mounted speedometer, and there’s all the room in the world on the bars for a phone mount, so I was really looking forward to having my phone behind my windshield.
My first purchase was a handlebar mount for the phone holder I already had which was disappointing for two reasons: 1) There is nothing to protect the bar from being scratched by the aluminum mount ring, and in fact, they tell you flat out that the mount WILL mark your bars, and 2) The mount ring itself is stationary and you’re restricted to just the rotation provided by the ball that connects to the phone holder which left me with my phone angled downward toward the tank. That was the best it could do, and it did not meet my needs.
As much as I didn’t want to buy a whole new mount, I needed a better solution. I read many reviews and looked at the design of many products, and I settled on the RokForm Motorcycle Handlebar Phone Mount, which meant I also needed to buy the special RokForm case for my Samsung S21 phone.
I did like the design of the Quad Lock handlebar mount, but in the end the security of your phone relies on the adhesive holding the docking hardware to the back of your existing phone case. The vendor claims the docking hardware can “easily be removed” by applying heat such as from a hairdryer…..I don’t know about you, but I ride in the heat every summer, and the last thing I want is that adhesive being warmed into a viscous state and my phone sliding off onto the highway. No thanks.
The RokForm mount comes with a very solid painted aluminum mount, 3 non-marking plastic spacer rings of various thicknesses for a perfect fit to your bars, an Allen wrench to tighten the 2 screws to mount it to your bars, and a lanyard in case you’re paranoid and want to also tie it to the mount. The mount itself has three axes of rotation: 360 degrees rotation around the bar, 360 degrees on the mount, and 70 degrees of pivot to control the viewing angle (pitch, roll, and yaw for those of you familiar with aeronautical terms).
It is super quick and easy to install – select the spacer ring to best fit the size of your bars (any size between 7/8” and 1 ¼”), open the ring of the mount and put over the spacer ring in the groove, tighten the screw on the mount ring with the provided Allen wrench just enough so that you can position it how you want it, then adjust the viewing angle screw to your liking. Once you have it where you want it, fully tighten the two screws and you’re good to go.
I was skeptical about the quality of the phone case when I ordered it, but was pleasantly surprised once I received it that it is a really good quality case with lots of padding on the inside and a nice texture on the outside for grip. There is a pop-out cog-shaped magnet that you need to remove from the case (press from the backside to the inside of the case to pop it out) to attach the phone to the mount. The RokForm case fits my S21 perfectly – the phone buttons and controls are still easy to use, and all ports are unobstructed.
There is also a large square integrated magnet on the back of the case, which pairs with a magnet on the base for a super solid, vibration-free mount. That sucker’s not going anywhere. You don’t need the lanyard unless you like carrying your phone around on your wrist or want to see it flapping in the breeze as you ride. To mount the phone, align the cog-shaped cutout on the back of the case 45 degrees shy of the orientation you want it in, then rotate it clockwise to lock it onto the mount. Once the phone is mounted on the holder, it is rock solid – no vibrations, no wobbles, no slipping - even over bumps, potholes, recessed manhole covers, or whatever else the road throws at you.
Summary of Pros and Cons:
Pros
Flexibility of positioning of the mount anywhere on the bars no matter what the angle is
Non-marking spacer rings guarantee a proper fit without scratching the bars
Simple installation and adjustment
Quick and easy to install, relocate, or remove
Once mounted, phone is rock solid with no vibration or rattles
Cons
Relatively expensive ($120 for mount, $50 for case – purchased on Amazon)
You MUST buy the RokForm case that fits your phone to use with the mount
Phone may or may not charge on a magnetic charger with the RokForm case on it
The magnet embedded in the case is not removable
Why would it be nice to have the magnet in the case be removable? Because it’s a magnet, and it wants to stick to anything that is metal and/or magnetic that it happens to come in casual contact with. Sure, it comes in handy if you want to use the flashlight mode on the phone while working on your bike – you can stick the phone to the frame and you have a hands-free light. It’s cool to stick your phone to the fridge while you’re cooking dinner to follow a recipe or play some tunes. But it’s super annoying when you pull your phone out of your purse and it brings with it your keys, hard-shell eyeglass case, and a tin of Altoids all stuck to the strong magnet on the back of the case. The manufacturer claims the magnet does not interfere with magnetic wireless chargers, but I beg to differ. My phone will no longer charge on my Samsung magnetic charger, but it will charge on the aftermarket magnetic charger I have on my desk. Your usage may vary, but for me it is hit or miss as to whether my phone will charge on a magnetic charger with the RokForm case on it. It could be because the magnet interferes, or it could be just the thickness of the case itself. The magnet also adds a noticeable amount of weight to the phone. One final note – make sure you have a firm grip on the phone when you go to mount it on the holder – the magnet in the case will repel against the magnet on the mount until they are correctly aligned and attract.
All things considered, I really like this mount system and enjoy the vibration-free clarity of my phone as I cruise on down the road. Will I swap back to my regular phone case during the winter when my bike isn’t on the road? You bet.
