My first foray into motorcycle vlogging. (Sorry about the dirty windshield.)

I picked up a GoPro Hero 5 Black as a personal gift to myself after switching jobs back in September, and since then I have been thinking of ways to use this little camera on my motorcycle. So far, I've tried a helmet mount, but I received too much wind buffeting and resistance at freeway speeds. In later tests, I went with a RAM mount setup since I already have five RAM balls spread out along my handlebars. Another perk of opting to place the camera on my bike instead of my helmet was that I could plug the camera into my built-in USB-C power cable that's usually reserved for my Google Pixel XL smartphone. This means that I can record extremely long videos without worrying about the camera going out on me.

This is one of a couple configurations I can use when mounting the GoPro to my FJR1300. My RAM Cup Holder would normally be in the spot where the GoPro is hanging from. However, I do have the option of taking the RAM X-Grip (left), moving it to the lower ball, and mounting the camera on the left side of the bars. It doesn't affect my ability to use my handlebars in either place. Of course, your configuration will vary depending on the model of your motorcycle.

After a few months of messing with the camera by itself, I picked up the GoPro 3.5mm Mic Adapter and a basic lavalier microphone to start recording narrations while I was riding. My biggest challenge in the setup was the location of the mic inside my helmet. In the first sample video, I had the lavalier clipped to the bottom fabric lip of my full-face helmet pointing up toward my face. This limited the microphone's usefulness to speeds below 55MPH, and I could imagine that threshold to have been lower if I didn't have a significant windshield on my motorcycle. I also had the microphone setting on the GoPro set to "Standard Mic+" which I found to be unnecessary because the sound was peaking and cracking, even at slow speeds.


In the second video, I adjusted the lavalier mic so that it was nested behind my helmet's rubber breath guard. I also returned the GoPro mic settings back to "Standard." That worked out perfectly and the mic sound was clear at all speeds, even during the short moment when I raised my face shield to scratch my nose. So for now, that microphone positioning will be my go-to when recording my voice with the camera on.

(Top) Lavalier microphone. (Bottom) Microphone for my Sena SMH10 headset. There is no interference or feedback between the two microphones despite their close proximity to each other.

Here's the lavalier mic's clip from the outside. I can't see it when I'm riding, but I do admit that it is a tad bit goofy to look at from this angle.

So here's the second test that confirmed my theory about microphone positioning. I will have to find better times to do my recordings because heading eastbound in the morning and westbound after work will put me directly into the sun's path. However, I am pleased with these first trials. Next task: clean my windshield!

2018 Yamaha Star Eluder: Test Ride Video!

Hey, it's been a while! I'm trying something new with my acquisition of a GoPro Hero 5 Black, and for the first time, I was able to do a video of my entire test ride of the 2018 Yamaha Star Eluder bagger motorcycle. Enjoy the show!



Overall, I found the bike to be very well-balanced and smooth. Its engine is identical to the original Yamaha Roadliner/Stratoliner that debuted in 2006. The electronic cockpit was easy to read from a quick glance, and the onboard dual speakers are more than enough to counter the wind noise. One of my few critiques of the bike is that it lacks a heel-toe shifter which would be perfect for a bike with such a forward foot position. I recommend taking a test ride on one of them for kicks. You won't be disappointed.

Insta-farkle: 1" RAM mount "built-in" for the Yamaha FJR1300

Even after six years of owning Eleanor, my 2007 Yamaha FJR1300A I still don't know everything about her. However, it does help that I work for a motorcycle store that gives me a lot of products to ponder over and experiment on her. In this thought experiment, I came up with this idea from the plethora of RAM Mounts at my disposal.

Anyway, for those of you that own a Yamaha FJR1300 (all years), have you wondered about that random hole that sits on the left side of the handlebars next to your clutch's master cylinder? Yamaha did us riders a favor for aesthetics and put a plastic plug there to hide it. But of course being my curious self, I removed it and exposed what looked like a 10mm hole with coarse threading. After looking through a few screw-on style RAM mounts, I discovered that a RAM-B-349U (RAM M10 X 1.25 Pitch Male Thread with 1" Ball) and a little blue Loctite is a perfect fit for that hole!

Sometimes I wonder if Yamaha did this on purpose.

That is disturbing and beautifully functional.

For this thought experiment, I installed my Sony Webbie HD MHS-CM1 compact high-definition camera attached to a medium double-ball arm (RAM-B-201U), pointing inward. As you can see from the photo below, the arm is hovering over the clutch's master cylinder reservoir. The camera itself is mounted on a RAM-B-202AU (RAM 2.5" Round Base (AMPs Hole Pattern), 1" Ball & 1/4"-20 Threaded Male Post for Cameras).

Side view of the mounted camera.

Front view of the mounted camera. Of course, the camera can be tilted/adjusted as needed.

With the camera adjusted to be straight when the bike is upright, this device just barely clears the windshield when the bars are at full lock. Considering this is a taller unit than a lot of the newer "action sports" cameras, there would probably be more success with a GoPro Hero, Liquid Image, Venom, Contour, etc.

Here is the full handlebar lock video test of the mounted camera.

A shot of my somewhat busy cockpit. Other accessories here include two RAM Motorcycle Brake/Clutch Reservoir Base with (2 Quantity) 1" Balls (RAM-B-309-2U), Garmin Zumo 550 with Touratech locking bracket, a RAM X-Grip phone mount, RAM Drink Cup Holder (RAM-B-132BU). That brings a total of FIVE mounting options in front of me! The RAM Antenna Adapter Plate (RAM-344U) on the left behind the GPS once held my XM Radio antenna and will now hold my E-ZPass with a little industrial Velcro. 

A few final thoughts...
- Make sure the mounted devices clear the windshield and front panel at full handlebar lock. The restriction of your motorcycle's range of motion is just downright dangerous and not recommended.
- This would be a great alternative for those who only want one ball and doesn't want to install the Brake/Clutch Reservoir Base.
- Theoretically, the long arm could work if it was sticking out away from the bike, but I have not tried this with the long 6" (RAM-B-201U-C) arm option. However, both the short 2.38" (RAM-B-201U-A) and medium 3.69" (RAM-B-201U) arms will clear the windshield.
- What else can be mounted there? Perhaps a spotlight? Radar detector or SPOT GPS Tracker with an X-Grip pointed upward? Or for humor for the firearms enthusiasts out there, a cross-draw or left-handed draw pistol mount?