If you have an iPhone mounted on your motorcycle, especially on the handlebars, this notice is for you. It seems the iPhone camera system has a lot of image stabilization technology to keep your photos sharp even when your phone isn’t perfectly still. So far, so good. Unfortunately, a lot of motorcycle riders have mounts for their iPhone attached to the handlebars or somewhere similar and the vibrations, “like those generated by high-powered motorcycle engines,” can degrade the performance of the camera system.
High-power or high-volume motorcycle engines generate intense high-amplitude vibrations, which are transmitted through the chassis and handlebars. It is not recommended to attach your iPhone to motorcycles with high-power or high-volume engines due to the amplitude of the vibration in certain frequency ranges that they generate. Attaching your iPhone to vehicles with small-volume or electric engines, such as mopeds and scooters, may lead to comparatively lower-amplitude vibrations, but if you do so a vibration dampening mount is recommended to lessen the risk of damage to your iPhone and its OIS and AF systems. It is also recommended to avoid regular use for prolonged periods to further lessen the risk of damage.
It you keep the phone in your pocket, you’re probably OK, of course, if you use your iPhone as a GPS, that doesn’t work.
Remember when life was simpler and we rode our motorcycles to get away for a while and the need for constant communication and high tech wizardry wasn’t necessary?
Gabe Ets-Hokin says
Yes! I went though THREE iPhone Elevens! Use your BT headset to set up playlists, listen to nav directions, etc. There’s NO REASON to have your phone in your field of vision! I learned this lesson the hard way.
todd says
Is this only when it’s on? Do the image stabilization mechanisms work when the phone is “off†or even shut down or is it some sort of mechanical system that is damaged by motion regardless of power? I really think they should have made that distinction. I don’t ever have my phone on while riding (is that legal?) so I’m wondering if this is still a concern for people that ride with the phone off and in the pocket.