The Honda Goldwing is one of the most popular touring motorcycles ever built, with over 600,000 sold in the United States across four decades of production. If you own one, you already know what makes it special: long-haul comfort, shaft drive, and a level of refinement you rarely find on two wheels. What you may also know is that mounting a phone, GPS, or camera on a Goldwing is not like mounting one on any other bike.
Honda’s design enclosed most of the handlebar inside the fairing. There is virtually no exposed bar real estate for a traditional clamp mount. Forget adhesives — they fail under sustained motorcycle vibration unless you are using industrial 3M VHB tape. Forget bungee cords — they block your display. The correct mounting location on a Goldwing is the brake or clutch reservoir, and two manufacturers have built purpose-made systems for exactly this.
This guide covers the best phone mounts for the Honda Goldwing GL1800 and GL1500, what to know before you buy, and why the reservoir is the right starting point.
Quick Comparison
| Mount | Best For | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Quad Lock Brake Reservoir Mount | iPhone and Android users who want a full ecosystem | Brake reservoir |
| Tackform Perch/Brake/Clutch Reservoir Mount | Riders who want universal phone compatibility, no specific case required | Brake or clutch reservoir |
| Quad Lock Vibration Dampener | iPhone users who want to protect their camera hardware | Add-on to Quad Lock mount |
Why the Goldwing Requires a Different Mounting Approach
Most motorcycles give you a wide, exposed handlebar with open real estate on either side of the stem. A standard clamp mount bolts on in minutes. The Goldwing does not work that way. Honda enclosed the handlebar inside the fairing as part of the bike’s touring-focused design, and the result is a cockpit that looks polished and clean but leaves almost no room for a traditional phone mount.
The brake and clutch reservoirs are the answer. These are the small fluid boxes mounted to each side of the cockpit near the controls. Both Quad Lock and Tackform engineered reservoir mounts that replace the factory reservoir lid bolts with slightly longer stainless steel versions. The mount hardware sits on top of the reservoir lid, putting your phone or GPS exactly where your eyes naturally go while riding — within your sightline without adding bulk to the fairing.
This reservoir mounting approach works across virtually all GL1800 and GL1500 model years. It also works on most Harley-Davidson touring models, since the bolt dimensions are very similar. If you ride a Harley in addition to your Goldwing, see our Harley-Davidson motorcycle mounts guide for model-specific details.
The Best Mounts for the Honda Goldwing
1. Quad Lock Brake Reservoir Mount — Best for Riders Who Want a Full Ecosystem
The Quad Lock Brake Reservoir Mount attaches to the brake fluid reservoir lid using two bolts on an adjustable sliding rail. The bolt spacing is not fixed — it accommodates the range of reservoir sizes across different Goldwing model years without any additional adapter. The mount head uses Quad Lock’s dual-stage twist-and-lock mechanism, which accepts any Quad Lock compatible phone case. Once locked in, it does not come loose at highway speed or over rough pavement.
The commitment here is the case. You need a Quad Lock compatible case for your phone, or their Universal Adaptor stuck to the back of your existing case. That is a real cost. But the payoff is a system that works across every Quad Lock mount you own — car, bicycle, desk, boat — using the same case and the same click-in mechanism. Quad Lock also offers a weatherproof wireless charging head and a 12V USB power cable that pair with this mount, which is useful on longer tours where you want to keep the phone topped up without stopping.
2. Tackform Perch/Brake/Clutch Reservoir Mount — Best for Riders Who Don’t Want a Specific Case
The Tackform Perch/Brake/Clutch Reservoir Mount gives you solid reservoir mounting without requiring any specific phone case. The base is CNC-machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum and attaches to your brake or clutch reservoir using the factory bolt holes — both 1/4-20 and M6 hardware are included, so it covers the range of Goldwing configurations. It ships with a 20mm ball connection and a dovetail flange fitting, and it accepts Tackform’s range of universal spring-loaded cradles, meaning any phone in any existing case drops in and locks down.
Tackform built vibration dampening into the arm itself, so you are not adding a separate component the way you do with the Quad Lock system. The modular design also means you can swap cradles when you change phones, or mount a Garmin cradle adapter if you want to run a dedicated GPS device instead of a smartphone. GL1800 owners have confirmed it as a clean fit. Tackform sells through Amazon and directly from their website — if stock varies on Amazon, tackform.com ships direct and their team can confirm GL1800 compatibility before you order.
3. Quad Lock Vibration Dampener — Essential Add-On for iPhone Users
This is not a standalone mount. It is an insert that goes between your Quad Lock mount and your phone. If you are running an iPhone on a Goldwing, this is not optional — it is the difference between your camera working correctly in two years and needing a repair. Apple documented the issue after reports of motorcycles damaging OIS and closed-loop AF hardware. The dampener uses a rubber isolation layer to absorb the high-frequency vibration before it reaches the camera module.
Android phones are generally less susceptible to this issue, but using a dampener is still good practice on any motorcycle mount, particularly on a touring bike where sustained highway vibration adds up over thousands of miles.
What to Know Before You Buy
Measure your reservoir bolt spacing before ordering. Both the Quad Lock and Tackform mounts accommodate a range of bolt hole spacings, but it is worth verifying your specific GL1800 or GL1500 configuration before placing an order. The reservoir lid bolt holes are the anchor points, and while both systems have adjustable rails, confirming fit takes 30 seconds with a ruler.
The Goldwing cockpit runs warm. Adhesive mounts placed anywhere near the fairing can fail over time from heat cycling. Reservoir mounts avoid this entirely since they are bolt-on. If you have ever seen a sticky-pad mount fall off a hot dash in summer, this is the same problem on a motorcycle — it just happens faster because the heat is more concentrated.
Consider charging if you ride long days. Both Quad Lock and Tackform offer optional wireless or wired charging heads that pair with their reservoir mounts. If you are using your phone for turn-by-turn navigation on a full touring day, the screen-on GPS drain will exceed what your phone charges passively. A 12V adapter and charging cable from the mount is worth adding.
Waterproofing your phone matters more on a touring bike. A cage mount or spring-loaded cradle will not protect your phone from rain. If you are running a phone that is not water-resistant, consider adding a small waterproof sleeve for extended riding in wet weather. Most current flagship phones handle rain well — but the USB charging port is the weak point when the bike is moving.
For riders looking at camera mounts specifically, see our motorcycle camera mounts guide for action camera options that work on touring bikes. For general motorcycle mount options beyond the Goldwing, see our best motorcycle phone mounts roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these mounts work on both the GL1800 and GL1500?
Yes. Both the Quad Lock and Tackform reservoir mounts use adjustable bolt spacing that accommodates the range of reservoir sizes across virtually all Goldwing model years, including the GL1800 and GL1500. Measure your specific reservoir bolt hole spacing before ordering to confirm fit for your exact year.
Will these mounts work on a Harley-Davidson too?
Yes. Most Harley-Davidson touring models use reservoir bolt dimensions very similar to the Goldwing, and both the Quad Lock and Tackform reservoir mounts fit both platforms. See our Harley-Davidson motorcycle mounts guide for model-specific details.
Do I need a special case to use Quad Lock?
Yes. Quad Lock requires either a Quad Lock compatible phone case or their Universal Adaptor plate adhered to the back of your existing case. If you do not want to change cases at all, the Tackform mount accepts any phone in any case via its universal spring-loaded cradle.
Can motorcycle vibration damage my iPhone camera?
Yes — Apple has officially acknowledged this. High-frequency vibration from motorcycle engines can damage the optical image stabilization mechanism in iPhone cameras over time. If you mount an iPhone on a Goldwing, use the Quad Lock Vibration Dampener between the mount head and your phone. Android phones are generally less susceptible, but a dampener is still worth using on a touring bike where you log long miles.
Can I mount a GoPro or action camera on a Honda Goldwing?
Yes. Tackform offers GoPro-compatible adapters that connect to the same reservoir base, letting you run an action camera from the same mounting point as your phone or GPS. For riders who want to document tours without cluttering the cockpit, this is a clean solution that requires no drilling or permanent modification. See our motorcycle camera mounts guide for more options.
Why can’t I use a handlebar clamp mount on a Goldwing?
The Goldwing’s handlebar is enclosed inside the fairing, leaving virtually no exposed bar real estate for a standard clamp. Some riders have used bar-end adapters or found narrow sections of exposed bar, but these are workarounds that result in awkward positioning. The reservoir is the purpose-built solution for this bike.
Is installation difficult?
No. Both mounts use the existing reservoir lid bolt holes. The installation process is removing two factory bolts, positioning the mount base, and reinstalling with the slightly longer provided bolts. Most riders complete installation in under 15 minutes without special tools. Tackform includes both 1/4-20 and M6 hardware in the box to cover the range of Goldwing configurations.
