Summary

RAM Mounts' new X-grip is an easy option for mounting a phone on a motorcycle or in a vehicle. The combination of a great price point and the option of using different phones in the same mount make it an excellent choice for your motorcycle.

Intro

If you've been hiding under a rock you may have never heard of RAM Mounts or their extremely tough and versatile line of accessory mounting options. I have used RAM Mounts products for many different things ranging from gps mounts, phone mounts and my Doubletake mirror mounts (review link)(purchase link). My newest addition to the motorcycle was a RAM Mounts RAM X-grip Cell/IPhone holder. I had high expectations for this mount considering the other products in the RAM Mounts line.

Construction

This mount uses Ram’s 1” ball mounting hardware to make it as versatile as possible. The X-grip can be mounted in nearly any orientation, and mounted to almost anything. The 1” ball system can be used with handlebar mounts, suction or magnetic mounts, various threaded mounts or even a steering stem mount.

My personal solution has been a RAM Mounts X-grip mounted to a RAM short double socket arm that is attached to the handlebar clamps with RAM’s handlebar kit. This mounting style works well for me and has no extra bolts or pieces to get lost. The handlebar kit replaces a clamp bolt with one of their 1” balls that has an 8mm bolt through the middle.  

Performance

Once mounted, the X-grip is very solid. Four rubber coated and spring loaded arms protrude out and grip your phone tightly. All of this comes with RAM Mounts’ lifetime warranty. I think its a good idea to use a tether as a backup when using my X-grip, but I have never had my phone come out. After many hard miles on both my KLR650 and my DR650 the X-grip has earned its keep.

Final opinion

 Having my phone in view has completely changed riding for me. With my phone accessible I can use navigation apps with turn by turn directions and no dedicated gps is required. When stopped I can quickly look at my phone and see if I have any text messages or missed calls without removing my gloves and digging the phone out of a pocket. My wife feels better knowing I will see her text or missed calls at some point.

One thing you will notice is the phone is able to rotate a bit while mounted in the X-grip. It is securely attached to the mount, however because of its spring loaded design it allows some movement. I did not find this to be a problem, but some testers did mention this. If the rotation bothers you a small bit of velcro will prevent any movement.

 The mount can be turned from landscape to portrait quickly. I found this to be beneficial since navigation was easier with the phone in portrait.

During an extended ride on my Kawasaki KLR650 the x grip did vibrate some and leave a mark on the back of my Iphone’s Otterbox case. This is simply a cosmetic problem, however it is something to note. Perhaps adding a piece of cushioning foam or velcro to the center post would have corrected this issue.

All things considered, I feel like this is an excellent mount. The value is amplified when you consider the lifetime warranty and the fact that you will never have to buy a different mount if you change phones.

As Tested

Below you will see the exact prices for each mount piece I used to attach the X-grip to either my Suzuki DR650 or Kawasaki KLR650 dual sport motorcycles. Each of these items can be purchased directly from Amazon using the links below.

RAM Mounts X-grip: $20.97

RAM Mounts short arm: $9.20

RAM Mounts handlebar clamp bolt mount: $10.87

Total as tested: $41.04

By Jacob Roby. More information on this author can be found here: www.spiritstrike.com/jacob-roby