Hi all,I'm getting ready for this summer motorcycle trip - 5,500 miles (or more) to the Rockies and back from Washington DC. It'll be a quicky, 16 days for the whole thing. Anyway, I was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for where to mount my brand-spanking-new GoPro Hero3. Handlebar seems to be the obvious choice, and probably easiest for pushing buttons. But would a helmet mount be less shaky (on the side, not on the top - don't want to look like a Martian)?Any suggestions are welcome!

I would recommend handlebars. If it's not so tight that you can't budge it with a moderate amount of effort it's probably too tight and will translate to more vibration. Suggest a test ride or two to evaluate shake. The GoPro's have a way to electronically compensate for shake (their algorithm is awesome). I have mine mounted atop my bike's dash behind the windshield / bug zone and rarely see vibrations... RARELY, so I am betting that vibration will not be as much of a concern as you fear. On the helmet may catch the wind some too. If there is a way to mount it centerline (I used the enclosed 3M stickies) the video for that comes out awesomly IMO. 

Good luck, safe ride and good filiming!

AnnaDC, Herzliche Willkommen. I thought it was you.

I've had the Hero 1 for quite some time now. On every trip, I have all these great visions of using the camera to capture some fraction of the trip so I can show people how cool it was. In my experience, it never seems to work out the way you would think it should.

The reality is that the files are too large and the amount of work required to actually do something with those files is non-trivial. What I have found after quite a few trips is that the idea of using the GoPro while riding, without stopping to set up a shot, is largely futile. The resulting video is too long and more times than not isn't actually all that interesting. Even epicly twisty Deal's Gap ends up looking like an afternoon ride on a calm road.



As for mounting the camera on the helmet, be aware whether it's on the top or the side, at any speeds over 50mph the wind resistance tends to twist your neck and becomes painful after a while.. So I only use the camera on the helmet for slow typically very twisty roads or for epic scenery that I can, again, travel through slowly.



As for mounting on the bike, pushing the buttons on the camera while riding really doesn't work that well since you don't know the mode it's in or whether it's actually recording. (The stereotypical scene of staring into the lens dumbfounded while trying to determine if it's actually recording is the beginning of every video I've shot.)

They do now make a remote which might help with that but I haven't tried it yet.

I typically have a few mounting points on the bike. I have one on the front of the bike usually above the headlight. I have another on the fender for low to the ground shots. I also have one towards the rear of the bike for those times I want to capture rider position or maybe capture the rearward view.

The little rubber thing, typically white, that they include in the kit is there to put into the mount after you snap the camera in. It prevents the vibration rattle that happens when it's on the bike. It took us forever to figure this out. 

You'll likely find that instead of randomly pressing the record button, it works better to find a compelling stretch of road, get off the bike, pick the mount point best for that road, press record, give a little introduction, go for a while and then stop. 

When shooting video, the human element, talking to the camera, explaining what's going on, is a great way of remembering what happened on the trip and it makes the resulting videos much more interesting to watch.

Yun Lung Yang and I are leaving July 12th, heading down to the Gap, then to the Ozarks and on to the Rockies. We're going to ride up Pikes Peak (highly recommended) and then make our way to the coast. What are your planned routes/stops?

For instance, here's some video I shot of the Total Control II course:

In retrospect, not an example that demonstrates what I was saying. I need to upload some videos which is apparently going to take some time.

Hi Yermo, dankeschoen - tolle Site!Thanks for your details about the camera. I used the GoPro Hero 2 (not mine) last year on my Hamburg - Tuscany trip, so I do have some experience with it.I am not so much interested in video-logging or producing awesome riding videos. My hope is to snap a bunch of photos without having to stop or getting off the bike, and to film ourselves in close encounters with wild life in Yellowstone. So, for the most part, I won't be going fast when the camera is rolling. :)Also, my bike is carbureted - there'll be no going fast up Mt. Evans Road (or Pikes Peak, as you called it) for me anyway. And even on a fuel-injected bike you might encounter performance issues at 14,240 ft. Can't wait to compare notes with you when we're back.Here's the link to my blog - the last entry has details on the route we're planning to take: http://www.freeranging.net/blog/Once upon a time, I lived in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, in Laramie, WY - being a poor college student, I didn't have money for a motorcycle back then. I am super-excited to visit all of my old hangouts on two wheels for the first time, incl. Badlands NP, Beartooth Pass, Yellowstone NP, Vedauwoo, Rocky Mountains NP, Mt Evans Road, Great Sand Dunes, and of course the awesome secret spots ... Let me know if you're interested in any recommendations for the Rockies.

I haven't had much luck trying the interval photos things. I have been considering getting the remote and mounting it to the left handlebar somehow so that, with the camera mounted on the helmet, I could snap a picture of something as I rode by. Without the remote switch I'm not sure how well that would work.

It sounds like we're going to be visiting many of the same places. Maybe we'll cross paths somewhere along the way.

I've done the interval photos thing a bunch and really like it. I usually set it to take a snap every 60secs. Works great.

That's great to hear, rshaug. That's exactly what I had in mind.I think it might be easier to push the button on the camera than on the remote but that's just a guess. I have used the iPhone app but that obviously not an option while riding. Fun toy, though.

My suggestion, do both. if you use the Hero 3's you can install multiple cameras and use a single remote to trigger them. Mount the remote on your bars, one camera on the fender, one camera on your head and keep hitting the button as you see fit. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz4X7cDMu18

Seriously, THAT's your answer? Spending another $600 and turning my motorcycle into a Google Streetview van?

On that thought... Google Streetview + Motorcycles = DailyMotoRide.com




But I digress....

Believe it or not, more people are starting to run multiple cameras. I suspect the remote set up is probably a good option. Once I get a working remote back from GoPro, I'll find out for sure.

Meanwhile, I'd suggest adding mounts in a variety of spots on the bike and testing to see what you like most. I have multiple mounts on my bike and like different camera locations for different purposes.

The only place I've not liked having the camera for long periods of time is on my helmet, at least not at highway speeds. You can definitely feel the camera up there.