Blog

Jul 15, 2023

Mini

The SP-Connect handlebar mount.Photo: SP-Connect Many riders now like to ride with their phones attached to their bikes. As phone navigation software improves, many no longer ride with a dedicated GPS

The SP-Connect handlebar mount.Photo: SP-Connect

Many riders now like to ride with their phones attached to their bikes. As phone navigation software improves, many no longer ride with a dedicated GPS and prefer to use their phones for navigation. In addition, some like the convenience of having the phone on their handlebars so they can quickly get to it to take photos, listen to music, or answer phone calls.

The moto industry has recognized this, and there are now several options to allow you to attach your phone to your bike. SP-Connect is one of those companies, and they offer a wide selection of motorcycle phone mounts with many different mounting options. Phones can be attached to places like the handlebar, steering stem, clutch, brake cylinder, and mirror.

The heart of the SP-Connect connection system is the little dial located on the back of the phone case. Photo: SP-Connect

The SP-Connect phone mount system uses a dedicated phone case that connects to a small locking piece on the mount. However, if they do not have an individual phone case, you can purchase a “universal interface” which attaches to your existing phone case. To attach your phone, you line up the groves on the locking piece and turn the phone about 90 degrees. You will feel a slight click, and your phone is securely locked. To remove the phone, you turn it a further 90 degrees in either direction, and it is released.

For this mini-review, SP-Connect gave us, at no cost, a complete phone mount setup. We used their proprietary phone case with a Samsung S22+, Bar Clamp Pro Mount, and vibration-damping charging head.

Assembly of the mount to the bike was a breeze. First, I removed a single bolt from the handlebar clamp, installed the vibration-damping charging head to the mount with a single small bolt, and oriented the SP-Connect mount as I preferred. I then re-installed the SP-Connect supplied longer bolt to secure the mount to the bike, and I was done.

The SP-Connect handlebar mount.Photo: SP-Connect

To power the vibration-damping charging head on my Husky Norden 901, I used a USB connector plugged into the bike’s 12V port. For bikes without a USB or 12V plug (like my KLX300), SP-Connect offers a wiring harness to connect the charger directly to your bike’s electrical system.

The SP-Connect mount itself is made from aluminum. It is highly adjustable for viewing angle and for rotation. Adjustments can be made at fine 6-degree increments versus only having a few choices like up/down and left/right. The vibration-damping head looks to be made of plastic material but seems sturdy enough for the job at hand.

Once I had installed the mount, it was time to go out and ride. I’m presently in central Florida, so there are not a lot of curvy roads. But there are many sandy, washboarded dirt roads that I thought would put the SP-Connect system to the test.

Connecting the phone to the mount was a bit “fiddly.” Getting the phone into the proper position to securely attach it to the bike is important. At first, it may take you some time to get the phone attached. When I started using it, it took a fair amount of positioning to get the phone onto the mount correctly.

With the bike’s ignition on, it began charging as soon as the phone was connected correctly to the mount. During the ride, the phone charged to 100 percent and stayed at that level for the duration of the ride, even though it was being used as a GPS. It’s nice to know that after using the phone during a long day’s ride, it would have a good charge upon arrival.

The SP-Connect charging and vibration damping module attaches directly to the SP-Connect mount.Photo: SP-Connect

It didn’t rain during my testing, but SP-Connect’s website says the charging head is weatherproof. However, in my case, I was using a USB connection to a 12V socket, and I’m not sure what effect it would have on the phone’s charging. That said, using the hardwire harness should eliminate any worries, if any, about charging in the rain.

As seen on my bike, the SP-Connect phone mount is equipped with a vibration-damping charger. Note that it connects to a USB connector plugged into the bike’s 12V port. Photo: Mike Botan

The first test consisted of some relatively bumpy pavement. Underway, the phone did jiggle somewhat but remained firmly held in place. While I couldn’t tell how much and what kind of vibration was damped out, considering the bumps, the phone moved only a little, and it was still legible.

Then it was time to take the mount off-road to see how securely the phone was held and how much it moved. Once onto the washboarded sandy surface, both the bike and the phone began to move around. And while the phone did jiggle more than it did on pavement, it stayed firmly secure in its mount. After several miles, it was clear that the phone would not fall off the bike.

Once again, the vibration damper did its thing, but as expected, the phone did jiggle more in its mount than when it was on the pavement. It moved enough that it would be hard to read the phone. However, considering the conditions, you likely wouldn’t have been looking at your phone. Instead, your attention would be focused on riding.

The SP-Connect mount always held the phone securely. Its charging system worked well, completely charged the phone, and kept it fully charged for the duration of the ride, even while the phone was being used as a GPS. The vibration damper seemed to work but did allow the phone to jiggle.

In conclusion:

Pricing varies depending on several factors, including the type of mount chosen, the phone used, and whether you want charging and vibration-damping features. The setup SP-Connect gave us would retail for nearly $210. That’s not an insignificant amount of money and is on the high side of similar metal mounts offering vibration-damping and charging. But in the end, it will keep your phone securely attached to your bike and get you to your destination with a fully charged phone.

Note: SP-Connect provided the system reviewed here at no cost.