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Anybody tried a RAM X-Grip Mobile Phone Cradle

7K views 29 replies 24 participants last post by  Xtracrispy 
#1 ·
As the title says, has anyone tried a RAM X-Grip Mobile Phone Cradle (https://www.ja-gps.com.au/RAM/ram-hol-un7bu/)?

I would like to try one for my Samsung Galaxy S4 to use as a GPS and speedo but they look like the phone might vibrate free. I like the fact that I could use it with any other future phones I may own. Don't really need anything water proof.
 
#2 ·
Yup I have one works great. My phone did come off once on a really rough gravel road so now I put it in my pocket on gravel road or use an elastic to keep it in place.
 
#3 ·
There is a big thread on this over on ADVRider, if you dare, but I'm too lazy to look it up. Supergluing the rubber tips on is supposed to take care of them coming off. I have a second, cheap phone case for when I use it. I put Velcro on the back of the case and the matching Velcro in the center hub of the RAM Grip ( I also have a tether, but I think that is over-doing it). No problems on a couple rides. There are also complaints that it rotates back and forth, so the Velcro should take care of that too.


Sent from Motorcycle.com Free App
 
#4 ·
iPhone in an Otterbox in a RAM X-Grip. Great mount. Been on some pretty rough areas off pavement and it holds the phone just fine.
 
#5 ·
There are mixed reviews for the Ram X-Grip, people have had their phone fall out! :thumbdown:

I used the generic Ram phone mount, it's very secure. My thread on using an Android phone for GPS here.
 
#6 ·
I hope your phone keeps gps signal. Tried using my phone for gps in a little town you may have heard of...las Vegas...and phone dropped gps signal and wouldnt pick it back up! Had to stop on the side of the freeway and manually reconnect. It took forever. Won't try that again. Bad enough in a city. Absolutely cant have that somewhere else.
 
#7 ·
My bare iPhone did slip out of my X grip (I saw it happening and caught it). Now I have it in a case with a soft rubber edge, like an otter box and no problems.
 
#9 ·
haha same thing happened to me! Jamie was traveling behind me on a gravel road with his go pro but didn't get it on recording. I was going down the road and all of a sudden my phone was right in front of my face!
 
#8 ·
Yep, they are great.
I have used them in the truck, jeep and on the bikes.
At first I was a bit worried the phone would shake out of them on the bikes, not the case.
Not that I ride on super rough terrain, but even on bumpy roads it was fine.

It helps if you can tilt the phone back some, instead of having it completely vertical.
 
#10 ·
I've seen a few friends use them with great success on some rough terrain. Only one friend had his iPhone fall out on the freeway on his way home from Baja in January. We rode 1000 miles in Baja (500 offroad) and it never fell off once. When it fell off on the freeway he thinks he didn't have it in the xgrip properly (probably because he was so tired)

I still don't trust it myself, but I've never seen one drop a phone in hundreds if not thousands of miles offroad.
 
#11 ·
One thing to consider is that your galaxy might overheat if left operating in the sun. It has happened to me a couple times. My GPS bounced out of a similar RAM holder which on a freeway off ramp and I was lucky enough to catch it by the power cord. I found that my phone was a crappy GPS too because if i needed GPS i probably didn't have reception.
 
#12 ·
I bought a cradle from LG specific for my G2 model. May be you can get one from Samsung. Mine fits the 0.75" ball on the handle bar that also fits the Garmin nuvi GPS cradle, so my phone acts as a backup GPS. It seems secure but I haven't tested it in rough roads yet. I did cross some bad railroad tracks.
 
#14 ·
I manufactured a RAM mount out of a few components a few years back and everything fit wonderfully. However, once out in the bright sun, I couldn't see my phone at all at any angle. I pitched the device because it was never going to work. Good luck with your Samsung.
 
#15 ·
I loved the X-Ram, simply used a rubber band as an additional security device to keep it from rattling off on rough roads.


And then...


When we flipped the bike, my wifes thigh hit the bracket, one of the rubber "tips" pushed through, and the exposed metal tore through her riding pants and ripped her thigh open. It was the first thing to go.

 
#16 ·
yikes sorry to hear about your accident :(

Not sure if it would have done anything in this situation but one of the tips I read was to super glue the rubber tips on so that they are not coming off all of the time. Might have helped.. who knows!
 
#17 ·
From what he said the tip pushed though the rubber. Either way accidents happen and there's lots of things on a motorcycle to get caught on during a get off that can cause injuries like that.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Tried one.

Hated it.

Phone fell out when going over big bumps, and it rotated at random angles. And the fix from Ram is to stuff cardboard into the cracks or some such crap?

Complete piece of garbage. It might be usable inside a car, where the consequences when the phone slips out are less and the rubber pucks don't get slippery in the rain.


What's odd is that Ram sells a MUCH better mount, the PD3U, but it's a little hard to find:
Amazon.com: RAM Mounts (RAM-HOL-PD3U) Universal Spring Loaded Cell Phone Cradle Holder: Automotive

The "claw" at the top is spring-loaded, and extends to hold phones in cases up to about 6" to 6-1/4" tall. You can place the little side posts wherever they're needed to clear your phone's buttons and ports.


Bombproof, idiot-proof, and completely secure.

Again, the x-grip is junk. Looks cool. Doesn't work reliably enough for safe use on a motorcycle.
 
#22 ·
How large of a phone were you useing? I've had my Strom airborne multiple times with the phone in the X-Grip mount and it's neve budged. It may be because of the rubber cover on my otter box making for better purchase for the rubber nubs. Who knows. But the mount is far from "junk".
 
#23 ·
I tried the X-grip and my phone wobbled loose on a gravel road. Luckily, I caught it and it didn't fall but I gave the X-grip away and bought their other mount instead.

If your phone fits this cradle, it's a superior product IMHO. Even looks better.

 
#24 ·
One of the rubber grips came off mine only 1000 miles into a 7000 trip. I had to wrap rubber bands around it to finish the trip. I did buy another one and checked them to make sure they were all glued in tight. It works good but I definitely wrap an elastic around it for xtra safety. I use my phone on trips only for radar if the weather is iffy. I use my Garmin for maps and it's waterproof (proved that dozens of times). I used an iPod for tunes on that 7000 mile trip and that sure did help break the monotony of 500 mile slabs. iPod died this year so the 64GB card in the phone is now my iPod.
 
#25 ·
Look up a company called Slim Grip.

I highly recommend them and have been nothing short of amazed by this mount.

It's a kydex custom molded mount then holds tight enough to take on a crash.
 
#27 · (Edited)


Worked the charm the whole 9,000k trip so far including bottoming out several times and crash plate hits at 120 kph .....rock solid in my view.

We had miles and miles of rough construction with hardened caterpillar tread marks...never gave the phone a thought.

I like the fact I can use the four different phone setups we have including with the Mophie battery as shown.



I really have a hard time seeing how you could shake something out of this design. That rubber is super sticky, the grip is very strong and it basically self tightens if you consider the forces at work.

A bare iphone is slippery as hell and it showed no sign at all of moving...in fact trying to move it a mm to get off the volume button I had to open the X and move it...no way it would slide even a fraction.

We were in temps from freezing to mid 80s.

It can even hold the phone when it's in a cool waterproof bag my kid found....and the screen remains useable.http://www.amazon.com/FRiEQ®-Universal-Waterproof-Outdoor-Activities/dp/B00AW2QT8I



just used the bag upside down and ran the cable in,

I like the tilt and twist aspect as I can avoid sun glare. i left the handlebar ball mount loose enough I could change the tilt.
 
#28 ·
A full day off the below and the phone never budged an inch in a X-Grip mount. Like I said it probably helps that my phone has an Otterbox around it and it probably helps with the grip on those nubs. But then again I could never imagine not having some kind of Otterbox or lifeproof case on my phone. It's how two Iphones have lived for so long in my hands.

 
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