Update September 11, 2021: It may have taken over a year for The Verge to catch up to me, but I reported on the iPhone/motorcycle compatibility issues way back in December of 2019. It appears the problem is not limited to the use of the Rokform motorcycle bar mount. The Verge article points to issues with mounting the iPhone to any motorcycle. This is one of those times I wish Jimmy Mac On Two Wheels reached more riders. I could have saved a lot of iPhones!
January 28, 2020: Warning. I’ve run into a big problem with the combination of my iPhone 11 Pro Max and the Rokform Rugged Case mounted to my Suzuki DR-Z400 with the Rokform motorcycle bar mount. This combo may render your iPhone camera useless.
The first time I used the combo was on a 100-mile dirt-road ride. The roads had the usual washboard sections and rocky sections but not what you’d call harsh-riding conditions. After the ride, the iPhone’s camera was no longer focusing. I took it to the Apple store and because there was no damage, Apple figured (and so did I) that it may have been a manufacturing issue and replaced the camera at no charge. I didn’t put the riding and the malfunction together until my next ride.
The second ride, also off-road, was on fairly smooth, sandy roads. The ride was just over 100 miles. The camera broke again. I explained to the Apple tech that I would pay for the repair this time. They wouldn’t let me! Apple replaced the phone at no charge, figuring it was an internal issue.
The third ride was the roughest of the three (on gnarly dirt roads around Primm, Nevada). The camera broke in less than 25 miles. To my utter amazement (and protests), Apple replaced the camera again at no charge. The replacement came with one stipulation…stop using the Rokform mount.
It appears the phone’s camera is too fragile to be used with the Rokform motorcycle bar mount. The first time I contacted Rokform, a rep said the company had never heard of this issue. The second time I called (requesting a return), a company rep explained that they are hearing from other riders who have experienced similar problems. The rep explained they don’t have a fix because they have not identified the problem. They did offer a refund on the mount if I shipped it back to them.
Conclusion: Apple offers amazing customer service and went way beyond what I expected. Rokform didn’t hesitate to offer a refund. Still, it appears they need to up their R&D game. If you own an Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, I cannot recommend pairing it with a Rokform Motorcycle Bar Mount on single-cylinder dual-sport (or off-road) motorcycle.
