My experience: Shooting video on a motorcycle

Shooting from the tankbag:

To get a slightly higher shooting position and for more stability, I used a chunk of styrofoam from a shipping box to hold the camera higher and to allow the forward-most position for the camera to sit and protrude through the tankbag zipper opening.

Next, I use a pair of bungie cords to ensure the camera and tankbag stay adhered to the tank for situations when the bike takes sharp bumps which might lift the camera or tankbag slightly from the bike.

I use an inexpensive external microphone and place it into the tankbag. The videocamera's built-in microphone will pickup the noise of the wind.

Using a combination videocamera and external bullet/lipstick camera:

The "bullet" or "lipstick" camera (I purchased the Sony CCD High-Res 480TVL Package from RFConcepts in the UK) is an external camera which has a seperate microphone and is powered by an external power supply consisting of 8 - AA-type batteries.

Attached to the fairing (no drilling!):

I used existing bolts to attach a pipe strap lined with gaffer's tape for resistance and not to scuff the painted surface.

The video recording device is my Sony Digital8 Camcorder which is stored in the tankbag. The microphone was taped to the to the top of the instrument cluster near the windscreen.

Attached to the forks (no drilling!):

The video recording device is my Sony Digital8 Camcorder which is stored in the tankbag, and the microphone was taped to the inside of the windscreen.

Attached to pivoting pole at the rear of bike:

The video recording device is my Sony Digital8 Camcorder which is stored in the tankbag, and the camera is mounted in the end of a PVC pipe about four inches above the road. The pipe pivots at the end of the seat (above brake light). When the bike leans, the pivoting pipe should stay perpendicular to the road, but you'll see that due to the looseness of the pivot, the pipe swings side to side.

To reduce the side to side swinging of the pipe, a heavier pipe would be required. Then, the pivot point can be tighter to reduce the swinging motion.

Hmmm...a sensor which determines direction of lean activates a motor which assists the pipe's swing to a stationary point until the sensor senses a change in lean angle (from right to left or vice versa)...hmmm. Too complicated.

Next, for the rear shot, I'm thinking of a 3/8"-1/4" plexiglass stationary mount. Its anchoring point is the license plate screws and extends to the lower right or left (reversible). At the end (right or left) is the mount point for the camera.

(Yes...too much time on my hands...blame it on the economy...I'm unemployed! -rkim, 2002)

---