Get a grip (Ram Mounts X-Grip IV)

It's getting to the point where having a camera on a bike is a necessity. With so many idiots on the road and road rage altercations. A lot of folks are getting "GoPro" products, which are, by all accounts, very good; however, they are also expensive. For around $50, it's possible to adapt a camera most of us already have for much the same purpose. There are certain trade-offs to be made, but if saving money and still having a workable solution is the goal, a handlebar Cell-phone mount is a viable option. 

There are multiple options on the market, and many look good on the surface but after reading review of phones slipping and being ruined, there was only one product that seemed to have a good track record. 

Enter the Ram Mount X-Grip IV. 

Pictured is the large phone version. 

There are many options for attaching the X-Grip, including a U-Bolt, which worked well for the handlebars of the PCX. Two ball joints allow good range of motion to put the phone wherever it is most ergonomically pleasing. After the adjustments are tightened up, the core components stay put and do not move about, which keeps devices from flopping around, which is obviously good. 

Round rubber nubs on a spring loaded circular doohickey (I believe that is the technical term), grip tightly around the phone. The mount has done over 100 miles now and the phone hasn't given any sign of slipping, even when doing 65+ on the highway. The HTC-One M8 pictured above does have an Otterbox on it, which probably helps with the grip as well. It should be noted that harder cases may not see the same results. Note that the phone can be turned vertically or horizontally.

There is the issue of vibration, which I think is something that would be difficult to solve and can be seen in the video attached at the end of this post. The vibration seems to be transmitted through the thin metal arms of the "X"; however, it seems most noticeable when at a standstill. It's likely that this will be problematic with any type of mount due to the length of the extension arm and the simple fact that most motorcycles and scooters vibrate. It is hard to fault the X-Grip for the failings of the machine to which it's mounted.

The X-Grip allows access to GPS, camera, even music up to a point. Of course this also makes it easier to see calls coming in, but answering them is complicated and not recommended while moving anyway. As mentioned, playing music is limited by speed: the faster one goes, the harder it is to hear.

All in all though, it's good, sturdy solution that does exactly what it promises to do.

UPDATE (09-15-15): I used the X-grip on my recent trip to Massachusetts and back again, over 600 miles round trip, with about 800 miles traveled total after touring around old haunts a bit. It didn't slip once. 

The following video was taken using the X-grip mount. It's just a nice scenic ride through Lancaster County. (original video has been replaced with HD version)