Now that I can record and edit videos on my GoPro Hero+, my goal is to nail some motorcycle rides. Big difference from a bicycle: high speeds up to 80 mph, possible rain, bugs and such.
Experimenting on my Shoei helmet leads me to conclude that the top of helmet position is the most secure--and should get excellent rider's view perspective. Chin and side mounts are not as good. Chin of helmet is way too curved for solid mount. Side might be in way of my shoulder, and distorted from rider's view.
May I solicit advice on motorcycle helmet mounts? And which case should I use? I think one door is more water proof than the others. Wind noise is an issue, plus general protection.
I will see if a picture will load: what I think is the best mount point.
Any general advice on motorcycle video capture/edits is solicited.
I will wait and seek experienced advice. Concerned that top mount wind drag will be a real issue.
Wondering if side mount actually makes more sense. Veloce!
You won't get half decent sound without an external microphone.
A good place for that out of the wind is tucked behind padding in the chin bar, and you also have the option to talk to it.
This is much easier to do neatly with camera mounted on or near the chin but I share your concern about how awkward it is to mount there - though sometimes you can use an extra connector and mount somewhat to one side.
A lot of the more professional bike users will discard gopro sound and use a separate recorder such as a zoom.
You may or may not want to see bars and clocks.
Speed is not always something you want to show.
My camera is mounted on the right side of my helmet. It gets very little wind resistance there. I have tried on top and it knocks your head about some. I also have the windscreen on my bike set to throw the wind over the top of my helmet. With it set that way buffeting became a real issue with the GoPro mounted on top of the helmet. I use my gopro remote attached to the bars with a velcro strap to toggle the camera on/off and to record or take photos.
I also have a mount on the back of the helmet for a different perspective. Mounting on the chin bar is in my opinion a bad idea. If you come off the bike and to a slide with the chin bar down, you will be eating your helmet screen and bits of gopro camera.
Thanks for your advice. Top mount is likely a bad idea: both my bikes have flyscreens that throw air right at the top of my helmet.
A side mount works with my helmet no problem. A fellow rider on the Moto Guzzi forum suggested a side mount with an extension like this one: (tried to link amazon Gopro extension-- quick reply won't let me do that)
Hooked up a bar mount to the Triumph STRX and ball mount to Guzzi V7R. One or other will get tested tomorrow. Curious about wind noise, and such. If I really get into motorcycle videos I may look for an upgraded camera that can handle a mike into my helmet.
Will use iPhone as control, but I like your idea of GoPro remote velcroed to convenient spot on bike.
Correct me if I am wrong, but STUDIO can adjust slightly off angles on cameras, correct? That would help with video correction with bikes.
Lol! Lotsa cameras! Captured about 40 minutes of video this morning riding my Moto Guzzi V7R to/from church. Used handlebar mount.
Man, you guys are giving me ideas. The little GoPro camera seems pretty keen for motorcycle use. I will edit the long videos into about five minutes and see how it turns out.
I am about convinced a side helmet mount is my next attempt.
the Session is a very good helmet cam due to its size, & not having to need extensions or anything to get it the right way up. Just be wary of its limited resolution
Being so close around the corner. I hold off and see what Gopro inc will bring out in the newer camera's. 2nd half is here its a waiting game for those of interest.
This is a video taken with my GPH4S, 2.7K 30FPS. The mount is on the right side of my helmet, the remote is on the bars on the clutch side (you can see it to the left of my gps).
Click the photo to be taken to the video. (give it sometime to load)
You will quickly find that having the gopro protruding from the crown of your helmet will create a lot of drag at high speeds; pulling your head back and creating more unwanted movement for the camera. One of the only cases I see for having the gopro up on the crown would be if your doing sit down wheelies and you want to have a better view of the road from the top of the bike. Also as far as POV goes, this angle is too high, the goal is to give the viewer the sense that he is experiencing the ride he is watching as opposed to simply watching you doing it.
Having said that you can probably surmise that I will advise you to mount it on the chin. The surface angle is not a real problem, you can stick the mount further up on the side and use pivot arms to preposition it. To prevent wind noise, get a wind muff windscreen that attaches to the slotted back door.
If the measure of truth were to be measured by how many ppl believe it. The earth would still be flat, and donald will be a great president. That isn't to say that you're opinion is completely wrong. Granted, at 65 mph, drag isnt much of an issue, but double that speed and you'd be better off attaching the camera on a bobble head. :wink:
Yes, I did watch your video. Wow, what cars. Anyway, I digress.
I have tried my GPH4S on the chin, on the top, on the right and on the rear with the same wind interference. I just edit the video to include good audible sound when it's there and mask the rest with music. I know that's the lazy mans out.
As for the high speeds, I am older so I am sort of over that part. So, would you care to share what is it that you do to abate the wind noise? (PS is that an R1 you're riding?)
As for my latest video, seven of my friends met in Maggie Valley, NC. for a week of street and gravel riding. We came here to ride the storied "Tail of the Dragon and parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Enjoy
Yes, I did watch your video. Wow, what cars. Anyway, I digress.
I have tried my GPH4S on the chin, on the top, on the right and on the rear with the same wind interference. I just edit the video to include good audible sound when it's there and mask the rest with music. I know that's the lazy mans out.
As for the high speeds, I am older so I am sort of over that part. So, would you care to share what is it that you do to abate the wind noise? (PS is that an R1 you're riding?)
I've got one of those (similar) but my riding is mixed gravel and tarmac. Using the skeleton door usually isn't an option for me. However, I should have remembered that door for the above trip.
I have done more filming from helmet on my sled than my bike. My motorcycle riding is pretty uneventful. But the biggest reason I mount it on top of my head is so that I can turn it on and off with either hand.
I have the WiFi remote, but the battery in the remote and the drain on the cam does not allow that cam to sit in standby mode till lunch break when I can swap the batteries. I can hear the beeps through my helmet, so powering it and operating the shutter is a non issue.
On the wildcat, that's a different story. our helmets are inside a roll cage, so helmet mounts on top are out of the question. We use a side mount then, or mount them to the wildcat itself (hood or rollcage)
I do have to say the chin mount is pretty cool. That would be worth trying.
I have a Hero Session I use with a chin mount. Since my helmet is a Shoei RF-1200, there is no flat spot on the chin, so I had to offset the mount a little bit and use a few extensions to center it. Make sure you point it towards the sky a little bit to compensate for leaning forward.
Does anyone use the chest mount with the camera mounted high and set to upside down? It seems like it would minimize any drag and give a good rider POV.
When riding my dirt bike, I use a chesty at normal height yet I tend to stand a lot when riding. For a street bike, the chesty may only film handle bars and not produce the desired view. However, its recommended to test and see what you like.
For helmets (dirt bike and snow skiing), I use a top and side mounts, yes my helmet has multiple stickies on it, to gain various perspectives. I prefer the side mount as its a cool perspective with part of the helmet's side profile in view.
Handle bar mounts are another way to increase vantage points yet depending on riding surface, can make for shaky video.
Filming from one vantage point makes footage boring to watch, a common issue that plagues a lot of videos online. Trial and error is something you'll have be ok with and being that film can be deleted so easily, it makes sense.
Yes.. helmets and mounts.. basically that is up to your taste, what you want to film.
I personally do not like videos where 50% of the image is the dashboard, or on the side mount - you will always see the helmet. Its just not my thing.. so for me its helmet top mount. Because I also like to film what I see .. where I look!
Now on a dirt bike - thats perfect, I dont feel anything different; dirt bike riding is rattling all over the place anyway and you are never that fast.. and these helmets are super light with a plastic sun shield - perfect for mounting.
On my street bike - different story... have a Multistrada 1200 with wind screen ... the wind screen can direct the air flow directly to the cam... that needs some playing around with positions .. and my naked bike, yet another story... and on top of that: different helmets behave differently.. because they have their own "air flow"... wherever you put the cam, you do change that
I guess there is no way around testing trying playing around and then decide what you like best artistic freedom rules ;-)
Its a perfect excuse to take the bike out for a speedy turn
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