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[DanielCoffey]

My insurers have suggested that I might like to get some sort of camera while using my Zero and that it will provide a benefit to my premiums if I choose to have one fitted. Since I am not familiar with the current crop of cameras, where they should be mounted and how they receive power on a Zero I thought I would come and ask.

It would simply be for liability use rather than adventure or route recording.


1. Helmet, body or vehicle mount?

I am familiar with the "GoPro type" box cameras for helmet, chest or handlebar which I would assume have to be removed and re-fitted every time you leave the bike but I used to own a "bullet camera with DVR" unit in the distant past which would be fixed to the bike itself.

What do you advise for mounting location and why?


2. Power

I know most of the helmet cameras have integrated batteries but tend to have limited battery duration before recharge. The latest GoPros for example tend to have a bit over an hour. Since the Zero DS 2018 does not have an integrated 12V battery, how are the DVR types wired in? Those models aimed at ICE bikes are wired to activate at key on/off. Can this behaviour be copied on the Zero? I do have a tracker on the bike which activates on key on.


3. Recording - loop and lock?

Assuming a suitable SD card, how do the motorbike cameras tend to handle looping at end of card and incident locking during accident?


4. Front only or both front and rear?

Some models of DVR are twin camera. Is this a feature that people tend to advise? Riding location is rural and small town.

Thanks in advance for advice and suggestions.

[BigPoppa]

I have both a Sena 10c helmet cam/communicator and a GoPro Hero5. Here's my thoughts:

Sena 10C:
Pros

• Integrated unit...camera and communicator in one.
• Captures what I'm currently looking at.
• Full loop recording...never have to manually erase files as the memory card fills up

Cons

• Difficult to charge while recording for rides over 45-60 minutes (recording battery life)
• Captures what I'm currently looking at.

GoPro Hero5 (when attached to the bike instead of me)
Pros

• Able to record while plugged into a charging option (both of my bikes have a charging outlet within a foot of where I have the camera mounted)
• Captures what's in front of the camera only (won't miss what's happening in front of me if I happen to be looking to the side).
• Supports the use of a larger MicroSD card than the 10C.

Cons

• Requires a mount on the bike.
• Captures what's in front of the camera only.
• Limited loop recording support. Will have to manually delete files when the memory card fills up...the larger memory card makes this a once a week affair for me.

For the past 8 months or so I've pretty much stopped using the 10C and primarily use the GoPro.

[DanielCoffey]

I do have an external battery which I could connect to something like the GoPro while it was in use which would mitigate the small battery. Good idea.

I assume you have to take it off each time you leave the bike and must remember to start recording, yes? That was why I was thinking of the bullet DVR option.

What resolution do you tend to use the GoPro in and do you find it reads car numberplates adequately? My old camera when I was a cyclist was somewhere around 576p and rarely caught plates.

[BigPoppa]

I don't have to take the camera off the bike but unless the bike is in my home garage or someplace I trust completely I take it out of it's mount and lock it away when I'm not using it.

I do have to manually start and stop recording but that's true of both my Sena 10C and the GoPro.

I'm using 1080p on both of my cameras. It's my understanding the new Sena 10C and I believe the GoPro Hero7 will both do 4k recording. Since I'm not vlogging 1080p is fine for my needs as a dash cam. I can usually make out license plates within 50 feet or so but it does depend on speed, light, etc.

Some folks use the Innovv system for more of a DVR type solution that starts and stops when you start the bike. I believe that setup will record front and rear fixed views but do require figuring out how to mount the cameras/dvr unit and route the wiring. Here's a link to a recent Motorcycle.com review of one of the Innovv systems: https://www.motorcycle.com/products/mo-tested-innovv-k2-motorcycle-camera-system-review

Personally, I've found the GoPro sufficient for now but I may consider something like the Innovv system in the future.

[Haag13]

If you are doing this for insurance purposes, i.e. you want to have it on all the time, I'd highly suggest you get a unit that is fixed to your motorcycle, faces front and back, is hard-wired into the bike's power, and has automatic loop and overwrite recording features.  I use a GoPro Hero 5 Session which is great for a track day, occasional recorded rides, and for additional purposes beyond my motorcycle, but it would be a pain to use it as an every-single-time riding camera.

The Innovv system discussed above seems to check all the boxes, but I don't have any personal experience with it.

[gadgetgirl]

Some folks use the Innovv system for more of a DVR type solution that starts and stops when you start the bike. I believe that setup will record front and rear fixed views but do require figuring out how to mount the cameras/dvr unit and route the wiring. Here's a link to a recent Motorcycle.com review of one of the Innovv systems: https://www.motorcycle.com/products/mo-tested-innovv-k2-motorcycle-camera-system-review

Personally, I've found the GoPro sufficient for now but I may consider something like the Innovv system in the future.

That INNOVV K2 looks pretty great. Has anyone hooked it up to a Zero? Is hooking something like this into switched power difficult on a Zero? (I have a SR/F)

[DanielCoffey]

I don't have a camera yet of course but I do know that my Dealer added a tracker to the Zero wiring loom. It is on battery when the Zero is off and recharges itself when you key on so it must be possible. I have not read the Unofficial Manual yet either.

Thanks for the comments so far. I am leaning towards a DVR fit-and-forget system at the moment.

[daniels1216]

That INNOVV K2 looks pretty great. Has anyone hooked it up to a Zero? Is hooking something like this into switched power difficult on a Zero? (I have a SR/F)

I am interested to find the answer to this question as well. I understand the innovv cameras require a hard wire connected to a power supply as well as an ignition supply of power, but is it possible to wire this camera to a usb port and plug into the tank storage usb port?

[Curt]

One reason to mount the cameras to the bike is that helmet cameras are illegal in any state (e.g., California) that requires helmets to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218: "A helmet shall not have any rigid projections inside its shell. Rigid projections outside any helmet's shell shall be limited to those required for operation of essential accessories, and shall not protrude more than 0.20 inch (5 mm)." Basically, it's OK to add stickers but little else. While the chances of getting hassled over it are low, one would likely be called on it if pulled over for a violation.

[DanielCoffey]

Fortunately not an issue here in the UK but useful to know. I will be looking to fit it to the bike itself and will have a look at the wiring that has been done to power my tracker and see if I can  hook in to the same places.

I did note that the Innovv K2 and other bullet cams have a narrower field than the likes of the GoPro so will have to look at reviews of image quality. The GoPro type tends to have image stabilisation too which is worth thinking about.

At the end of the day I will want a fit-and-forget installation.

[flattetyre]

I personally prefer chest cam to helmet cam because it is smoother and shows what the bike's doing. You may want to wear a chest protector with that.

[dittoalex]

I've been using a Sena 10c since it came out and it works well as a DVR, but the video quality is so poor I read the license plates and I hear the Sena 10c Pro isn't much better.  My new E1 helmet requires the sticky mount, but I expect that to fail after a few months and will switch to a hardwired DVR like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D371DRF/ref=psdc_3248689011_t1_B07DWT911R