Phone/GPS/Tablet Bar Mount -PICS up

[VFR1200XDH]

Having tried as many mounting systems for GPS/Tablets as probably exist, quite a while I ago I just started making my own from OTS (off the shelf) components. I tired them all, RAM ...etc. I discovered most are a 80% or so solution and their reliability isn't all that and you get tied into some proprietary system that costs a lot of money and if you have more than one bike just means costs go up really fast.

In a previous life I was making mounts for the electronics industry (internal use)since about 1996 for brands any of you will instantly recognize and probably even own some of their products (Apple/Sharp/Hitachi/Casio). But that was then and following those stints just made stuff for my bikes and other vehicles.  FF to a few years ago. I had the idea to make something very simple, reliable, nearly indestructible, adjustable and as important, inexpensive. It also had to be able to go from bike to bike without replicating the entire contraption so that what worked on one bike worked on all the others and provided a similar access to the device no matter what I was riding.

What you see here is the latest iteration but one that has proven itself over many thousands of miles in virtually all conditions. It's never failed from pothole laden goat roads to high speed mile munching at just under triple digit (MPH) velocities.

The components are OTS and in fact you can buy them from Amazon now for less than many cheaply made holders/mounts. The caveat is that the exact what I put it all together does require the use of a hair dryer and a drill although there is absolutely no drilling to modification to any part of your bike. You can do it without but this way means no modification or attachment of anything to your device and your bike remains unaltered.

[Dave56]

Sorry, but can’t see a thing. 

[VFR1200XDH]

Picture 1 shows the locking part in the open position. That little blue lever is the key. By flipping it to the vertical position it locks the male end into the female. It will not move, unlock by itself, bump open or anything like that. You can operate it easily with thickly gloved hands and in the dark just by feel.

SOrry about the delay getting pics up.
 



The next pic shows the lever in the locked position. The two halves are a female/male dovetail of sorts.



Next shows the underside of the device holder. The male locking part is attached to a small piece of ABS that was bent using a heat gun (hair dryer works just was well). That ABS piece is held onto the holder with a 1/4/-20 screw (a M6 works just as well).



Next, the completed holder portion



Next, installed onto the receiver:



The back view:



And finally the view with the Tablet I use for GPS as seen from the seated position.



For me, its important that anything installed not interfere with any stock function nor prevent any viewing of instruments and so on.

For some riders,, having a GPS up higher works better but I've found that I don't look at it often and instead use it for reference. I want to be able to see through the windscreen and not have it cluttered up with devices that are always in my view.

By simply unlocking the mount it can be moved from bike to bike. When I park I can either tale the entire mount and device with me or just the device depending on how I feel about the surroundings.

Although this tablet is rather large, (8" display) it is super easy to read and I can also run as a side by side app, a speedo or something else if I want. It's worked in this basic design for many years and never has any device fallen out even when jarred by wheel swallowing ruts.

It doesn't shake yet the bar mount itself is vibration isolated. As you ride it doesn't flop around as some mounts tend to do, it remains steady yet protected.

The tablet I use is a Samsung Tab Active and is weatherproof, rain won't bother it as it can be submerged. I use OSMAND mapping as the navigation app and the tablet has both GLONASS and GPS sensors so SAT lockon is quick and links are reliable.

[VFR1200XDH]

If there is interest I can put together a detailed step by step to replicate what I've done along with sourcing for the parts. The total cost came to under $50 USD but the nice thing is that is you want to use your phone/GPS/tablet on any thing else like another bike or car, you only obtain the lock and don't have to buy the holder. Now you can have your device go to any vehicle you have and everything the same. I ride three different bikes and all have the female receiver and I don't have to adjust anything. I slide the holder and tablet for GPS on and go.

How hard is it to put this together? It is pretty easy and I've shown others how to do it so easy means someone who has never done anything like this before and doesn't even change their own oil can do it.  You can too.

One more thing, it's complete adjustable so putting this onto any bike so that it doesn't block your view of instruments, warning lights or other things is simple. Once put on, there are no ball joins to slip, no knobs to tighten, just a single lever to move and thats it.

The locking piece is so robust and easy to use I'm now looking at making up rear tail rack options so that buying those very expensive racks made by brand names isn't necessary and almost any type of storage from a Pelican case to stock items you can buy can be locked onto a simple ABS plate that goes onto the rear tail section using the existing bolt holes.

[Funbobby]

@VFR1200XDH, I admire you engineering type people. You identified a tablet mounting need and developed an inexpensive solution.  I'm confident you'll have a market for your mount. I personally don't have a need for a tablet mounting cradle, but you got my attention with making a rear rack mounting attachment. Looking forward to reading your test results with it.

Rob, 2017 VFR12XD
Navarre, FL
IBA 606

[VFR1200XDH]

I should have the rear rack mount done early next week. Like the tablet mount I want to keep it simple and using readily available materials so anyone can make one.

After that I'll tackle side bags mounts. I think making up an adapter claw so its possible to use almost any side bag, soft or hard, except for the bags with strange bulges on the inner side. The plan is to use Pelican style cases initially since they are easy to get, waterproof without using liners and far less expensive that anything else.