Front and Rear DVR Video plus Helmet Camera

amorley

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Houston
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2015 BMW K1600GTS
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001468
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I am into photography and have enjoyed taking pictures and recording video of my motorcycle rides.

For photographs on my long distance rides, I'll carry an Olympus OM-D EM-1 with two lenses in my tank bag and often a tripod on my rear seat. I also carry a rugged, waterproof, Panasonic DMC-TS4 around my neck for taking pictures while riding.

I also like to take video and started out with a helmet camera. After initial experiments and disappointment with an early GoPro used by my son, I settled on using the Drift Innovation video cameras. I now have three, a Drift Ghost-S3 and two Drift Stealth 2 video cameras.

https://driftinnovation.com/products/drift-ghost-s-3 : $230 on Amazon

https://driftinnovation.com/products/drift-stealth2 : $95 on Amazon, often reduced to $65

I initially chose these Drift cameras because of the following reasons
  • All Drift cameras a water resistant, but not waterproof. They cannot be submerged with a waterproof case.
  • Drift Ghost S has a screen built in so you can see the video image directly
  • Drift Ghost S has a rechargeable, replaceable battery
  • On both the Ghost and the Stealth, the front lens rotates 355 degrees which make mounting the camera much easier
  • A remote control was available so I could control the cameras while riding
  • The shooting options encompassed all of my needs
  • The menus were simple to use

Beyond straight 1080 HD video, these cameras support other options that I found very useful
  • 12MP still images captured by pressing the remote
  • Time delayed 12 MP still images automatically shot at intervals from 0.5 sec to 60 sec
  • Video tagging during which the camera records video continuously but only saves a sequence to the memory card when the Action button is pressed. It then records the preset interval BEFORE the Action button was pressed, and the same interval AFTER the Action button was pressed. The time interval can be set from 10 seconds up to 10 minutes! I found this mode very useful to control the camera when it is attached to my helmet or on the front forks.
  • Car DVR mode. In this mode the camera comes on and starts recording video as soon as power is applied through the USB cable. It will record video files of a preset length until the micro-SD card is full, and then it erases the first file to record a new one in a continuous loop.

DVR Cameras

I was every interested in setting up front and rear DVR cameras as I wanted a solution that I could install which would automatically start recording as soon as I turned on the bike. I could then just retrieve the video files I required and delete all others.

So for the current installation on my 2015 K1600 GTS, I have the Drift Ghost-S3 camera mounted on my dashboard beside the Adaptiv TPX radar detector. The Drift Ghost-S3 has an optional back plate that provides a port for the USB power cable. This reduces the water resistance but I have not found it a problem.







I mounted this camera on the dash so it points through and is protected by the windshield. This reduces the need to remember to keep wiping the camera lens which will quickly get dirty in any other front facing location.

For the rear I have mounted a Drift Stealth-S camera below the top box. The Drift Stealth-S is a much smaller camera than the Ghost-S3 and does not offer an optional back plate with USB ports, so I used my Dremel tool to carefully grind away enough space in the standard back plate to allow the micro USB power cable to fit.





Although the BMW top box does not vibrate as much as the Hondaline top box on my ST1300, it still vibrates. I have decided that the rear camera needs a more stable location so plan to move it to close to the license plate.

As everyone knows, just a little bit of dirt and damp on the road will be sucked up and coat the rear of the bike so it is necessary to remember to regularly wipe the lens of this rear facing camera.

Both of these cameras come on and start recording video 7 seconds after the engine starts as set on my PDM-60. They will continue to record for the 10 minute preset time interval I use for the DVR files. The cameras will then turn off automatically. With a 32Gb micro-SD card I can record 4.75 hours of video which is okay for short rides. Despite Drift saying the cameras only support 32Gb cards, I have successfully used 64Gb cards which give me a 9.5 hour capacity before I have to change out the card!

Both of these cameras are easy to remove when the bike is parked.

Helmet Camera

My second Drift Stealth-S camera is controlled by the Drift Remote control. I normally have this camera set in video tagging mode so it records 1080HP video continuously, but only stores 2 minute long files video files, one minute before I press the Action button on the remote and one minute after the Action button is pressed. If I feel lazy and just want 12MP photos, I set it to take a picture every 1 second. The Drift Stealth-S camera gives me about three hours of recording time but does not have a replaceable battery like the Ghost-S3.



As alternatives to mounting on my helmet, I have also installed a mirror mount,


a front facing engine crash bar mount,


a side pannier mount where the camera can be set to point to the front or rear,


I use the velcro wrist strap of the remote control to mount it to the brake fluid reservoir


Processing and Results

In general I am very happy with the results of this setup. As stated earlier, I am going to move the rear facing DVR camera to a more stable location on the frame by the number plate.

The first issue with processing is the time it takes! Even with a USB 3 connection it takes a long time to copy the contents off a full 64Gb card. I use a 10 minute file size for the DVR mode and the video is time stamped so I try and remember times of day when an incident occurred, or the view from the bike was particularly impressive. I then use my 9.7" iPad Pro to view and check the files. If I have my MacBook Pro with me, I'll then just copy off those files and reformat the card for reuse. If I don't have the MacBook Pro with me because I am camping, I'll just remove the micro-SD, store it and replace it with a new one.

The cameras record in MP4 format using the H.264 codec which is very standard. For processing the video, I use Adobe Premier Elements 3 which is installed on my MacBook and on my PC at home. This allows me to do all the editing I have needed to date including cutting and splicing, speeding up sections, removing audio and adding a sound track, and overlaying multiple videos from different cameras in the same frame. I will also often just cut a frame as a still image to include in my online photo albums. I have set the cameras to time stamp the videos which assists in synching the videos as long as I remember to set the time correctly in all three cameras.

Here are some results.

Classic incident that requires a DVR mode. Deer on the side of US550 in Colorado is thankfully discouraged by my Stebel Horn and strobing 7,000 lumens Clearwater Ericas!
[video]https://youtu.be/UlsVa-l4pbU[/video]

Riding US550 in the early morning from Ouray to Durango
[video]https://youtu.be/h93BVo_ZyW8[/video]

Picture in picture video combining views of DVR camera on dash and helmet mounted camera
[video]https://youtu.be/vz1XMtLAMBg[/video]

Animal hazards while riding in Texas in 2016

Single frame captures

Riding over the Beartooth Pass from Montana to Wyoming in 2015


Giving first aid to a downed cyclist in Unaweep Canyon, Colorado in 2016


 

gmast1100

Gettin old sux
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
1,554
Age
76
Location
Blairsville, GA
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2016 Kawasaki Versys
STOC #
297
Andy, great stuff, but like I said to you at RockSTOC, I'm envious of your abilities. I have problems posting just a single picture!

I do remember hearing you leave RockSTOC early that morning but the KBIK is pretty quiet!
 
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
44
Age
74
Location
Switzerland, 9472 Grabs
Bike
ST 1300 ABS,
Hi Amorley
I am Thomas from Switzerland and today I made once again a look into the ST Owners, where I saw your report with the Drift Cameras. Very nice films:)
The Drift I am using too since some years and I think it is the best for capturing motorcycle action. HD solution is good enough and some wobbles from the helmet are authentically.
Here in the ST Owners Video section are some films from me under titles - Riding in Switzerland-.
The last video this year is riding with my friend Moto Charlie (also a member in ST Owners) and his group Alps Tours with Moto Charlie .

[video=youtube;JkBlLcVoO8w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkBlLcVoO8w[/video]


Have a nice Day
Thomas
 

BakerBoy

It's all small stuff.
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
5,454
Location
Golden, Colorado
STOC #
1408
Great setup Andy! I like the always on and loop feature you're using.

I too use a Drift camera, but only on occasion. Mine's a "HD Ghost" that is a few years old. I like the features that Drift offers, including the ability to serve as a WiFi server to my phone to see the video live (to check camera aim). But I've not hooked up live power and instead carry an extra battery (good enough for when I want to use the camera).
 
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amorley

amorley

Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
2,025
Age
68
Location
Houston
Bike
2015 BMW K1600GTS
2024 Miles
001468
SPOT
LINK
Drift Innovation now offer only the Drift Stealth 2 (https://driftinnovation.com/collections/cameras-new/products/drift-stealth2) and the new Drift Ghost 4K (https://driftinnovation.com/collections/cameras-new/products/ghost-4k)

Both of these Video cameras have the auto on DVR feature which I find so useful. The Drift Ghost 4K adds image stabilization and full 4K recording. It also supports 128Gb microSD card which would easily support a full day (12hr+) of riding recording at 1080P. Unfortunately it is $300!
 
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