It's been over a year since we released our handlebar mount that allows you to mount your smartphone to your motorcycle handlebars securely and conveniently.
By having your smartphone on your motorcycle bars, you can easily access your phone, which especially helpful for using Navigation apps for touring, commuting or just getting around.
For people who struggle to find get around the city without a map or need to follow a specific route, having a smartphone is a super effective tool to have on hand. There is no need to overcrowd your handlebars with unnecessary gadgets when you can do it all with one device. With your smartphone close at hand you can have easy access to a full range of Navigation apps that control everything from your fuel usage, weather conditions, live traffic updates and the best bike routes to follow.
What do gear you need to get started?
A smartphone is a good start and a good case-based mounting system won't go amiss. We recommend using our Quad Lock Motorcycle Kit, which includes a super protective TPU smartphone case and sturdy handlebar mount with an inbuilt dual interlocking system. Once your Quad Lock kit is installed, you can be confident your phone is locked into place and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. If your smartphone isn't already waterproof, there are some models that also include a poncho cover which is a weather resistant slip and will help to protect your phone against rain, dust, dirt, and bugs.
Best Navigation Apps to use?
There are tonnes of awesome apps on the market now, so when it comes down to choosing the best apps for motorcycle navigation it is tough to find a favourite. We've listed our top 5 Navigation apps below:
1. Scenic Motorcycle Touring This app is used to plan, navigate and track rides, and has been specifically designed for use on scenic motorcycle tours. For the more adventure minded riders, this app is ideal and the graphics are clear, so you only need a quick glance at your screen to see where you are at. Also, every ride you take is tracked and you can share your trips on social media or save it as a GPX file so you can use it again. Cost is $10.99USD per year and it is available for iOS and coming soon for Android.
2. Google Maps by Google is the best tool on the market for getting around on any mode of transport. For navigating your way around the city, finding a specific route or for up to the minute updates, this app has everything you need. Available on both Android and Apple and free to download.
3. Rever is a free app designed to bring together the global community of motorcycle riders within an app to help riders share, create and record their riding experiences. Sort of like Strava for Motorcycle users, this app lets you track your rides using GPS and records distance, elevation and speed. The social aspect is that once you've completed your ride, you can add photos, upload and share to your friends on your feed. You can also create a riding group and see whereabouts your friends are on the map as you ride. Available on iOS and Android, and free! 4. TourStart is another great app for Motorcycle Touring which has an easy to use interface, turn-by-turn navigation, and ride planner and also lets you know of any Motorcycle events available near you or in any part of the world. You can zoom in on a map to any event, whether it is a motorcycle rally or coffee meeting and see pics and more info. The Motorcycle Tour section of the app shows you the best riding routes from around the world provided by fellow riders. You can actually click on these routes and a summary will pop up which includes the rider's profile, rating and duration and any useful tips for riding that particular route. This app is free and available on iOS and Android.
5. Waze One of the most popular apps for bikies, this app allows you to get to places faster. Waze has live updates about traffic, hazards and more so if you need to re-route, Waze will let you know so you can get to your destination safely and on time. Available on both Android and iOS and free to download!
For some more great navigation apps, check out this video by MotoBob which lists his top 10 biking apps on youtube.
Setting Up:
Grab yourself a Quad Lock Motorcycle kit to start with. The kit includes a Quad Lock case and a Motorcycle Mount which comes with 3 spacers for a range of different handlebar sizes from ⅞” (22mm), 1” (25mm), 1-⅛” (28mm), 1-¼” (32mm) that can be easily fitted to your bars depending on what size you need. A multi-configuration means you can attach the handlebar mount according to your preference as it can be rotated to any angle. To install, simply follow the instructions on our video here and attach your smartphone:
For more info about our Motorcycle Kit, check out our Motorcycle product page or see our support page for product support.
