When Cheap is Expensive

So ever since I got back into motorcycling, the one thing that has been a real PITA has been the GPS Nav aspect as it stands on a motorcycle.

Bikes do not have the expansive screens modern cars have for GPS purposes, you have to rely on the Android or iPhone clipped to a suitable spot, then helmet speaker comms and a whole host of other data input points to juggle with.

On the KLX300 the cheap clamps for my iPhone running Waze was in fact a workable solution, moving to the KLR 650 it was as well, I just needed a bigger clamp for the Phone for that platform and I was golden.

The KLR Handlebar with the risers I fitted it with raised the iPhone to the right spot for that to work.

What did not work well was the Buell Ulysess and now the Moto Guzzi V85TT that I currently ride.

Each bike has had its own reasons and to be fair I solved solutions for the two Kawasaki's and tried to make it work on the Buell and the Guzzi with the same puzzle pieces.

By my calculations the material costs for the cheapie clamps and bits I acquired was around $300 which included a lot of screws, clamps and mant misc assorted bits.

I knew the second I started with all this trying to make what I had fit that buying the Quad Lock kit was the solution for each one of these machines.

Sure, I would have had bought different sized clamps for the various bars I had on the various motorcycles to be accommodated, but Quad Lock has all the little add ons you need for any platform.

In any event without even asking the good Cycle Gear guy just comes out to look at my setup and then dives orf to the Quad lock rack in his store and then just starts mounting and fitting it all for me sans asking.

I just let him as it was time to stop fucking around with this aspect.

I am glad I did, I could not believe how awesome it was at the right distance, fully protected by the screen and held by the right clamps and anti-vibration bits it needed to work.

It came to $120 and made my efforts look pretty stupid while at it and best of all it took him a whole five minutes to set it up.

I drove away with my iPhone in the Quad Lock cover, clicked into the Quad Lock clamp and it was so good I could focus on driving instead of wondering if it was going to slip or fail on me.

It transformed my view of the Guzzi Panel, the GPS data on the iPhone screen and suddenly riding my Guzzi was a very pleasant experience.

I was wondering on my drive to Peets coffee how the fuck had that happened in one smooth move?

I can't tell you how many hours I fritted away on just the iPhone mount endeavor on all my bikes.

Everybody had told me "Just get a Quad Lock" (and be done with it), and they were all 100% right.

A very humbling experience indeed.