Not every state has toll roads, but for those that do, the EZ-Pass, M-Tag, IPASS or Smart-Tag is a huge time saver. For those unfamiliar with this technology, it’s a small box that allows you to drive through the toll instead of sitting in long lines waiting to drop quarters into a bucket or hand dollars to a collector. The box emits a signal that is picked up as you drive through the toll which is equipped with a reader. Normally, you get a discount when using these versus cash. You load them up with credits ahead of time and then the amount that use is subtracted from your balance. The savings add up to quite a lot if you pay a toll on the way to work each day.
In a car, there are holders that stick to your windshield via small suction cups or (gulp) Velcro strips which ALWAYS come off when the weather is really hot. But that isn’t going to work on a motorcycle. You need something that will attach to your handlebar. There are a few options on the market, and if you have some spare handlebar space, several good choices exist to help you out. We will talk about a few options in this article. One thing to remember is that all of these devices are different sizes. So the one that is used by New Jersey is likely going to be a different shape versus the one used in Florida. Be sure that you are buying a mount that is made to fit the device that you have. To complicate things, certain states including my home state of New Jersey recently changed the shape of these devices. The newer ones are about the same width as the older but far more rectangular versus the older square shape.
A company called JJCyclePass has been around for a while and they specialize on making mounts to fit these electronic devices. The older square device mounts include a handlebar fitting. They also were on the ball in coming out with a handlebar mount for the new devices. Made of plastic and reasonably priced, they support most of the popular toll collection devices. They make mounts to fit a handlebar or a fairing. They also have kits that will convert their holders to fit third-party mounts. For the price, these are hard to beat.
In other articles on this site, we have talked about RAM Mount’s magnetic Power Plate III. These platforms combine a strong magnet with a metal strip to securely hold devices such as a radar detector or toll collection device. You would combine these platforms with one of RAM’s gazillion mount combinations to place this practically anywhere on your motorcycle, with one of the most popular being a RAM Motorcycle Handlebar Mount with Round Adapter. The total cost of this solution will vary depending upon the finish and placement. RAM also offers a Finger-Grip cradle for oddly shaped devices. Depending upon the size of the toll collection device, you might prefer this option. Similar to the Power Plate III, these are combined with one of RAM’s mounts. This comes with a lifetime warranty which is rather unique in this industry.