Helmet camera, who uses one?

[Gone in 60]

In self-imposed Gulag - got sick coming home from a business trip and both of my employers are saying to stay the heck away from them. It’s given me time to finalize the claim following the unpleasantness with my Bonneville, which is being repaired.

While I didn’t come off of the bike due to the low speed, I was bruised up a bit. I was going to discuss this with the insurance adjuster but she beat me to it with an offer that was more than I would have asked for. Not a windfall by any means, but I’d like to use some of it to start using a camera on my daily commute. Had a police report not been issued showing the offending driver to be at fault, this incident would still be in a he-said she-said quagmire. It got me thinking that video evidence in the future is a good idea.

I’m thinking a used GoPro would do the job. The smallest model available to keep things simple, and local Craig’s listings show abundant availability.

The questions become where to mount the camera. One thought is to put a mount on the bike itself, maybe below the headlight to keep it on sprung weight to reduce vibration.

The other option is helmet mount. In this case, where is the best location to minimize wind noise and resistance at speed. I’ve seen riders mount them in front, on the side, and on top of their helmets.

Finally, can a GoPro be set up to record in a loop, so that just tapping on and off will do the job, without complicated operation?

[the Ferret]

Gone the guys on the ST forum are really into this. See if you can see this thread

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/threads...st-2198974

there were lots of threads, I just picked one.

here's another with dash cam video of an accident the cam came in handy legally (Post 10 where it says accident)

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/threads...lf.170491/

I can put you in touch with this Bob (SuperSabre)..he's from your coast as well

[GoldOxide_imp]

I use a camera, but not regularly and mostly to record the essence of a journey.

I have used GoPro, but lately mostly knock-off brands because they appear to work quite well and consuming little stash.

In all cases, battery run down always seems to be a thing once some mileage gets put on the batteries.

The later models should have continuous loop mode, ideal for evidence purposes. I don't recall going into and out of loop mode easily, however, once the mode is set, that is the mode used when recording.

I mount the camera in all kinds of places: Helmet, on the wrist, above the instrument cluster, at the side of the passenger seat, from the chest. My most typical application is from the helmet top. It has the most geeky appearance, but in general I find it covers the action the broadest. One negative is if you are doing a lot of head turning (which one ought to be doing on a motorcycle), the playback can sometimes appear a little "sea sick", especially if the camera is mounted in front of the helmet mouth.

Start/stopping the video for me recently has been by a velcro wriststrap remote pushbutton that works flawlessly. It is nice to have assurance that the video is actually recording or actually stopped. Pressing the start/stop button the camera body while riding and wearing gloves provides vague feedback regarding the run status of the camera. This is even harder when the cam is mounted on the helmet.

[max]

Lots of good links ferret, at some point i had a small cam mounted on the flat brake cover, not bad and not much vibrations, showed the road and the corners as i went through them as opposed to just straight ahead on the frame.

Now i use a mount that disconnects the cam in front of the helmet, it falls off in case of an accident for safety reasons, i can see if it is recording and control the direction of the shot, it does require a decent image stabilisation cam because of the constant shaking of the helmet which is not nice on a 50" 1080 screen, the gopro's are best in class for that at the higher end but do not come with a 1/4" thread to mount them, mine does and it's handy.

The quality of the video is also dependent on the amount of dust and grime normally associated with riding and shows up as glare ( loss of contrast ) in the video especially riding into the sun, i now use a small black shroud like a traffic light one and keep the lens covered if i'm not recording, made a big difference, almost no glare into the sun now.

My use for the camera is to record my trips for the future and present ( when its raining and cold ) but for your purpose it could be beneficial to have it on the helmet in case of a dispute, people tend to adjust their behaviour when confronted with a recording video camera.

Another point is the recording time with a battery, which in my case is over two hours, after that it needs a recharge which takes 2 hours, just something to consider, not all cams last that long and you may need a 12 v. cable for your purpose and do you want to remove it to prevent theft.

Just wanted to give some pointers and help you with your research and work things out for different options, no doubt many more questions need answers but it sounds like a good idea to me

[Gone in 60]

Thanks for the help, guys. Ferret, those are good links, been going over them. Gold and Max, with your camera positioning on top of and in front of your helmets, have you experienced any added noise or buffeting at speed? My door to door commute is less than 30 minutes, so not too concerned about battery life.

[max]

No buffeting or noticeable "drag" at up to 100 km/h even when looking sideways ( lower wind profile ) with my setup.

I can just see the screen and "recording led indicator" from where it is mounted which is why it is in this position.

The windnoise is overwhelming on the video over 40 km/h though but i usually add musick on the finished clip. but no added noise is heard inside the helmet when riding the bike.



Think this is also the most "discreet" position on the helmet and you can see if the cam is still on the helmet instead of getting lost in another position where it can't be seen all the time.

[GoldOxide_imp]

No buffeting or noticeable "drag" at up to 100 km/h even when looking sideways ( lower wind profile ) with my setup.

I can just see the screen and "recording led indicator" from where it is mounted which is why it is in this position.

The windnoise is overwhelming on the video over 40 km/h though but i usually add musick on the finished clip. but no added noise is heard inside the helmet when riding the bike.



Think this is also the most "discreet" position on the helmet and you can see if the cam is still on the helmet instead of getting lost in another position where it can't be seen all the time.

The front mount is the less geeky for sure, and view of the LED indicators help for sure. Also, the mouth is close to the microphone for dictation purposes. However, the position does not work well on 3/4 helmets and can be a bit tedious on modular configuration, depending on your other attached wares.

Thanks for the help, guys. Ferret, those are good links, been going over them. Gold and Max, with your camera positioning on top of and in front of your helmets, have you experienced any added noise or buffeting at speed? My door to door commute is less than 30 minutes, so not too concerned about battery life.

In terms of top helmet mounting, I have never experienced an impediment or noticeable noise or buffeting at any speed. For me, it just seems "out-of-the-way", but geeky.

I will add, unlike the front mount, if your battery dies while top mounted, you won't know.

[Gone in 60]

Ahh, didn't think about the front mount position allowing you to see the LED indicators. Good idea. All of my helmets are full face, so no issue there. I guess it will be a matter of experimentation to see what works best. Thanks for the input, guys. Hope I never need to use the footage, but I'm in "better safe than sorry" mode.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Gin60.

lol ... I have to say when the camera is mounted at the front helmet chin guard, to me it always appears the rider is snacking on it.

[Gone in 60]

Actually, digging what this guy did. I love, cheap, simple solutions to things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHCwKZATjfk

I like the stealth aspect, but of course, it brings the thought that, if you do get in a crash, you have a little camera ricocheting around inside your helmet.

Even cheaper and easier, sitting outside:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcA92UM8A8s