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Clownfish
10-02-2004, 10:38 AM
So i bought this camera mount of Ebay.
Ebay Auction for Camera link (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2490675003)

Delivery/buying
It arrived in great time from texas, about 3 days. Very pleasing. And it was an excellent transaction.

Initial Impressions
It is brushed aluminum but could be polished quite easily if yuo needed too. It looks nicely made and real simple. Only fault i had with it, is the bolt that connects your camera really should have a star washer on it to keep it On the camera plate. Instead it will be so easy to lose.

Instructions
I didn't see any instructions but it did come with a bag of bolts (7 or so), and was Only in two pieces anyway. So this shuoldn't trouble virtualy anybody. I discovered very quickly that the reason for so many bolts is because it's one bag for lots of different bikes. So some are not used at all.

Fitting
So i went about fitting the thing and it also comes in the bolts bag 3 thick nylon washers for raising it off the tank itself, very nice. The fitting was obvious and really easy. So i removed the three tank/gas cap bolts and placed the mount on top, then placed the new bolts into the cap. This went very smoothly and everything fitted together real well.
After that it's just connect the camera plate and then your camera!

Whats it look like
http://www.webloonies.com/cbr954/cammount1.jpg http://www.webloonies.com/cbr954/cammount2.jpg http://www.webloonies.com/cbr954/cammount3.jpg

Video
The video i got after testing this is excellent. I now know i need to wash my windshield, hehehee. But i am really pleased. My handycam had trouble with landing wheelie's, it tends to make the picture go blocky. But great view. APART from it does not see your dash/speedo. This is because the mount is too high. But it is excellent for following other riders etc. Also with it being behind your windshield it does not get bugs on it etc.

What i liked
It was easy to install.
It's a great position for recording other riders etc.
Did exactly what i hoped it would.
great price for a camera mount.

What i Disliked
It can be considered ugly.(see pictures)
Bit high of a placement so i cannot see speedo if i want too.(none adjustable height!)
Camera mounting bolt does is not attached to camera mount plate.

What Next
Well when i next go out for a ride i will be using this baby. It rocks, and i enjoyed watching my video of me going to work. But i have some real easy expansion idea's for this mount.
I don't like the fact i cannot see my speedo, but i can easy make another camera plate to lower this position. The one it comes with mounts the camera at the top of the extention bar. I could easily make one that mount under the bar dropping the height by about 1-5-2 inches. Thus allowing it to see my speedo. I will be trying this out once i get to home depot for the aluminum.
I am also gonna try to place some neoprene under the camera, hopefully to dampen the wheelie distortion effect. Not sure how well that might work out. Also i should mention that i secured the camera strap inside the gas cap itself. I might mod the mount slightly to have a strap attachement on it.

Final thoughts
I am really pleased with this buy.
I cannot wait to make some more video's.
My wife liked the 7 minute video of me riding to work graemlins/wtf.gif
I am looking forwardto making mod's for it.


Final Score 9/10
You get what you see. It works great.

Marmalade Dad
10-02-2004, 11:50 AM
Good write-up! Makes me want to get one, too!

Vtec44
10-02-2004, 12:27 PM
Nicely done. The pictures are great too! I would have bought one if I don't already have a lipstick cam. :D

Marmalade Dad
10-02-2004, 04:13 PM
Originally posted by Vtec44:
I would have bought one if I don't already have a lipstick cam. :D With which to apply lipstick! :D

warthawgg
10-03-2004, 06:15 PM
cool! you coming to jd's b-day?

MAD1
10-03-2004, 07:35 PM
Originally posted by warthawgg:
cool! you coming to jd's b-day? Is it Jermaine Dupri's birthday already? graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Good wright up. why put the camera straps in the gas tank...wouldn't it be easier to just remover the neck straps altogether?

warthawgg
10-03-2004, 08:18 PM
Is it Jermaine Dupri's birthday already? No, its jimmy deans birthday, were gonna have some sausage! slap.gif

Clownfish
10-04-2004, 10:45 AM
Yes Wart, i'll be there, thaking some god video footage i hope smile.gif

And the strap is placed in the gas cap in case any of the bolts decide to come loose and fall off. This way i don't lose my camera. .. simple eh smile.gif

Last nigtht i made my first addon for the mount.
It's a new camera platform that is underslung on the main arm. It has a nice neoprene pad that the camera sits no as well. But this platform allows the speedo to be seen. I am gonna go test it now :D oh yeah!

Andre Alforque
10-04-2004, 11:17 AM
If you haven't already: might want to use some loc-tite on the bolts (blue - non-permanent).

Clownfish
10-05-2004, 11:05 AM
I have loc-tite on the bolts on the tank, but it's the other transitional bolts i am worried about.

The new mount part i made worked well enough, but the steel i used was too flexible (thin), so it allowed the camera to bounce all along my route :(

It works well apart from that and you can see the speedo real good, and enuogh of the road ahead not to get sick.

All in all a great test piece, now i have to make it out of the thicker gauge steel i bought (cuoldn't find any aluminum sheet)


BTW J Ds ride.
JD fell off today
OUCH (http://www.socalsvriders.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=155555#post155555)
That's his account of what happened. So he will not be joining us on saturday, and therefore will not be on my new camera :(

tzr-jimmy
08-11-2005, 02:01 AM
You may also want to try a Bullet style cam and a Mustek PVR-1 solidstate flash memory video recorder ( the size of a MP3 player) its a smaller package where you can install the bullet cam anywhere and the recorder almost anywhere, if you want some pix for example i can take some of my bike for you.

ZMoe
08-11-2005, 09:02 AM
Holy thread resurrection batman!

RanchoRider
08-11-2005, 09:58 AM
Cool, we have more camera bikes now. Excellent write-up! I have that tank mount too, but decided to use the bulletcam instead.

tzr-jimmy
08-11-2005, 12:35 PM
wait..wait.. let me go take pictues of mine right now

Well heres my setup , i have 1 Sony 420 lines resolution bullet cam, and a Mustek PVR-A1 , and a Archos AV420.

I choose the mustek pvr-a1 because it records directly to flash memory but memory card limitations in size and recording time sucks, with a 512 in high quality i can record abour 20 mins, just enough for 1 session at the track, and I just swap them out and transfer to my archos when im not riding. The archos is AWESOME since it has a 20 GIG HDD and both devices record directley to MPeg 4 - AVI files. I can use the archos to record as well but unfortunately at the track theirs too much shock for the Archos HDD.

heres the bullet cam, and mustek.

http://moombacyclesports.com/jimmy/bulletcam.jpg
http://moombacyclesports.com/jimmy/mustekpvr.jpg
The mustek usually strapped IN but i took the image with out the strap for show.

reng
09-25-2005, 09:02 PM
you could hook up a small synchros to the camera and a gyro to your helmet and it can look wherever you look

Joonera
09-25-2005, 09:21 PM
you could hook up a small synchros to the camera and a gyro to your helmet and it can look wherever you look

or you can just stick the camera to your helmet!

Vtec44
09-25-2005, 09:24 PM
or you can just stick the camera to your helmet!

...and hope that you have a lipstick cam, and not one of those VHS type camera.... :laughing1

reng
09-25-2005, 09:52 PM
or you can just stick the camera to your helmet!
like vtec said, who would buy a lipstick cam to attach to helmet rather than a synchros anyway