Four Balls, No Waiting
To refresh your memory, or if you weren't paying attention in Brattleboro:
Three RAM Balls on the Left:
I have the official Vic clutch or brake replacement bracket, in my case installed on the clutch side. This can hold up to three balls, and I have two installed (with red thread-locker).
I chose the left because that's where the dash outlet is. The center is nice for visibility, although a mount fabricated there may block air flow, and also is likely to allow for less adjustability in terms of positioning. Or not -- I suppose it's all in how you fab it up.
I also have a third mount on the left side, one I've recommended before, from Mounting Innovations: their "Chrome-B-231U-Black" mount. See
RAM Bases & Balls and
Chrome Handlebar Mount .
RAM Products:
To go with the three balls, I have assorted RAM products, including (but not limited to):
- Some medium socket arms (which is what RAM calls them -- I'd call them extensions):
RAM Double Socket Arm for 1" Balls (Overall Length: 3.69") Unpackaged - RAM-B-201U | RAM Mounts
- A long socket arm:
RAM Long Double Socket Arm for 1" Balls (Overall Length: 6") - RAM-B-201U-C | RAM Mounts
- A locking knob. This serves as a replacement to the default socket-arm twister. When I'm traveling, I use the locking knob, as it's a theft deterrent to whatever cradle you have mounted; e.g., when you're at a lunch stop, you just take your phone out of the mount, but leave the mount in place. That regular (i.e., non-locking) handle is what you might call an "attractive nuisance," it sort of invites some passing low-life to unscrew it. See
KNOB W LOCK 1/4"-20 STEEL INSERT B SIZE Unpackaged - RAM-KNOB3LSU | RAM Mounts
- An X-Grip, typically for a phone (in a case, or not in a case):
RAM Universal X-Grip® (Patented) Cell/iPhone Cradle Unpackaged - RAM-HOL-UN7BU | RAM Mounts . This is my newest mount, from a few months ago. RAM suggests putting some super-glue inside the rubber bumpers, and I did that.
- A base for tripod-mounts, e.g., for small video cameras. RAM makes several of these, and I think this is the one I have:
RAM 2.5" Round Base with 1" Ball & 1/4-20 Threaded Male Post for Cameras Unpackaged - RAM-B-202AU | RAM Mounts
- A Tough Claw, for when you want to mount some RAM stuff temporarily someplace else (such as a crashbar):
RAM Small Tough-Claw? with 1" Diameter Rubber Ball Unpackaged - RAP-B-400U | RAM Mounts
In the attached pic of RAM goodies, also present are two single-purpose RAM mounts:
- In the lower right is for the Garmin Nuvi 200-series of GPS:
RAM Cradle for the Garmin nuvi 200W, 205W, 250W, 255W, 260W, 265W, 265WT, 285WT, 2455LMT, 2475LT, 2495LMT & 465T Unpackaged - RAM-HOL-GA25U | RAM Mounts . (I hardly ever use that, in the age of smart phones.)
- In the middle, second from left, is a cradel for an iPhone 4, without any case:
RAM Model Specific Cradle for the Apple iPhone 4 & iPhone 4S WITHOUT CASE, SKIN OR SLEEVE Unpackaged - RAM-HOL-AP9U | RAM Mounts . (I no longer have that phone, so this cradle is no use to me.)
In the upper right are two non-RAM products. The rain case has a RAM ball on the back, and the thing next to it is a sunshade. I've never used those products, which I picked up at Americade or the NYC show last year. Go figure.
Truth be told, I hardly ever use any of this stuff. I don't mind getting lost -- exploring -- on day trips. Sometimes on a break, I'll consult my phone, if I really am lost, and am looking for suggestions or guidance in terms of how to get home.
On the superslab -- for visiting my kids, for instance (NC and TX) -- I may fire up a GPS or a GPS app on the phone, mostly so I can call ahead (a kid or a hotel), and say, "I'll be there around 6:45pm." Also, on those long trips, I like to verify the speedo and odo with a GPS.
I've lately switched from using Google maps on my phone to using Here. Also, I've taken up something like 6GB on the phone in order to have Here's maps and POIs downloaded, so I can use Here off-line, i.e., with no cellular connection.
The Right Side:
I have a smaller set-up on the non-outlet side of the handlebar. Over there, I have a Moto X Tek gripper, which holds my E-ZPass (although there are other gizmos that can use that smaller size ball, and the Gripper can hold other things, too). That's all; see the last two pics.