Product review: Rynox 5.5-inch phone mount for motorcycles

I don't like using the phone at all when I am on a motorcycle. Not for music and certainly not for phone calls. The only exception I do make is to have it connected by Bluetooth to my helmet when I am out on the highway so that my family can periodically make the "You ok?" and "Where have you reached?" phone calls. On very rare occasions, I do get the "You need to stop and call me back." one also, but there's a flip side to everything, right?

But as you might have guessed, I can accomplish all this by having the phone in a pocket or in the luggage. I got Rynox' 5.5-inch phone mount this time because I had to get in and out of Bangalore, a city I find endlessly difficult to navigate. If I could mount my phone on the handlebar for Rs 850, it would save me quite a few wrong turns â€" that's a good deal, right?

What is it for?

Mounting a GPS or a phone to the handlebar is what the Rynox unit is for. Nothing more, nothing less.

What is it made of?

The case snaps on to the mount quite securely but there is a ring on the case you can use to tether the case as a backup

You get a big butterfly nut to tighten the ball joint that allows you to control the orientation of the phone. The ball joint is part of the simple, one-screw, no-tools-required handlebar mount. The other half of the unit is a basic zippered case with a clear screen. Inside are two sheets of foam that function as a shock absorber as well as keep the phone pressed up against the clear screen so that you can operate the touch screen through the clear plastic. The case snaps on to the mount quite securely but there is a ring on the case you can use to tether the case as a backup. I used a clear rubber ring from an old luggage tag to do this.

How does it fit?

Rynox use a mount that is a hinge on one side and the nut on the other. This makes it harder to accommodate larger diameter tubes. The radius of the mount is good enough but the hinge causes the open end to not align so the bolt can't be threaded in. That aside, the mount works as advertised. Two rubber strips are included as sizing materials for the mount and the whole unit is pretty secure once it is on. Removing the case and carrying the phone off is easy and putting it back on is easy enough as well.

How long have you used it?

The phone mount was on our long term KTM 390 Duke for 2000km in all. A sudden thundershower showed that the case is reasonably shower-proof as well but I wouldn't trust it in a full-on deluge or for extended wet highway rides - there is stitching around the clear screen that is sure to leak some water in eventually.

Verdict

Rynox use a mount that is a hinge on one side and the nut on the other

The Rynox 5.5-inch phone mount is a functional unit overall. For the money you get a reasonably functional unit. I would have loved to be able to mount the phone bang in the middle of the handlebar but the hinge and bolt design precludes that. We ended up mounting it on the bar next to the mirror mount - the only place it fitted neatly enough. It did work when I needed to navigate Bangalore as well as I hoped though. I had to stop, take off my gloves and type the address in but after that I could see the screen clearly when I needed to while Google Maps fed my instructions via Bluetooth.

Where can I buy one?

Go to a Rynox dealer or order it online at rynoxgear.com. There is a version for smaller phones as well and the price is Rs 750 for the smaller version. The big one - this one - is Rs 850.