On a warm November day, I made a trip to the Jersey Shore. Always looking for ideas for mount articles, I ran into a Honda CBR1000RR. My first thought was how do you mount something to this motorcycle?
Fortunately I was able to get a good look and even snap a photo of the cockpit which is attached to this article. Turns out there are a few locations that will work well on a Honda CBR1000RR to mount a phone, GPS or camera.
The reason the Honda CBR1000RR isn’t a straightforward mount project is there’s a lack of handlebar real estate. A lot of motorcycles have some bare space to mount a device. Honda is well-known for leaving little (if any) spare handlebar space. The Honda CBR1000RR is typical of Honda. There’s nothing on the handlebar.
So given the lack of handlebar space, we need a different mounting location. The fork stem and brake or clutch bolts will make a good mount point for a phone, camera or GPS. There are several companies that make mounts for these locations.
First let’s look at a good fork stem mount.
The RAM Fork Stem Mount with X-Grip IV Cradle includes a cradle large enough to hold almost any smartphone including my big giant iPhone 6s Plus with an Otterbox case. These mounts feature a single one inch ball assembly that has a fork stem adapter at the end. You will need to do some trimming to customize the fit to the fork stem diameter. The mount includes the one inch ball that is universal to most RAM Mount systems. A metal three-inch arm connects the fork stem attachment to a phone cradle. The included cradle also has a one inch ball on the back and can pivot and swivel 360 degrees. Be sure to measure carefully before trimming the stem attachment as you only get one chance to do this right.
RAM X-Grip cradles come with a safety tether. We recommend using the tether. You can read more about motorcycle tethers here.
The same company that makes the fork stem mount also makes a very good clutch mount. The RAM Brake Clutch Motorcycle Mount for Large Phones features the same large X-Grip cradle which opens to 4.5 inches. It’s paired with a brake clutch base that includes bolts to replace the manufacturer installed ones. There is a three-inch metal arm between the cradle and base. All components have a lifetime warranty.
What about a GPS? Both of the mounts we discussed thus far feature the X-Grip IV cradle which opens to 4.5 inches. That’s large enough to fit most vehicular GPS devices. For example, a Garmin Drive 50 is 3.3 inches high. Take off the Garmin cradle and suction cup and it will fit within the phone mounts that we already discussed.
If you happen to have a Garmin Zumo or TomTom Rider motorcycle GPS, both include a mount that should fit the Honda CBR1000RR just fine.
The Honda CBR1000RR doesn’t typically have a windshield so a camera can likely be used just fine. I suggest starting with one of the phone mounts that we already discussed then adding a camera adapter. Most action cameras feature a 1/4″ – 20 threaded tripod adapter at the bottom. Adding the Ram Mount 1-Inch Ball with 1/4-Inch 20 Male Threaded Post to these mounts will turn the phone mount into a camera mount.
If using a GoPro, be sure to use it within the weatherproof case. Now add the Ram Mount 1-Inch Diameter Ball with Custom GoPro Hero Adapter to the phone mounts we discussed. This will attach to the grooves at the bottom of the weatherproof case and includes a tightening knob. The resulting configuration has vibration dampening features to help ensure a steady video.
All these mounts and components feature a lifetime warranty. The company makes solid mounts that can be easily re-purposed for a car, different motorcycle or new device.