Buying A Helmet Cam For a Dirt Bike

I gave my trusty Swann helmet-cam away last year, just after selling Siouxsie.  The Swann was a good journeyman helmet-cam that never let me down.  The quality was good enough for uploading to YouTube and stills were clear, if a little too wide angle.  However, with some new bikes, and lots of adventures planned, I'm in the market for another.  So I began researching the plethora of models out there...  

Jesus.

My first stop was to the excellent Web Bike World which I already have a link to on the blog. The author(s) go out of their way to review all sorts of motorcycle products in a non biased and informative way.  They are thorough but not overwhelming.  As well as a written review, there are usually several videos and pictures to accompany them.  Web Bike Word reviews many popular and some not so well known models of motorcycle worthy camcorders: Midland, Blackvue, Garmin, Sena, Liquid Image, Go-Pro, Sony, JVC, Delkin, Drift and Replay to mention a few.  Among these, there are some stellar models, and Go-Pro doesn't have it all their own way either.  

But then I found a better site, which the folks at Web Bike World put me on to in their own discussions: Techmoan.

Techmoan is a site hosted by a concrete sequential Mancunian motorcyclist with an eye for detail, a sense of humour, and a diligent devotion to evaluating products without regard for sponsors (he has none) or personal gain.  I cannot believe the time this man puts into his informative, entertaining and, above all, thorough reviews. For nothing. 

After my previous experience with a helmet cam, I had a definite list of requirements for a good helmet cam: many of which were adequately met by my first camera.

• Included Waterproof housing
• Easy to affix to helmet
• Remote Control - no fiddling with a case on the side of my helmet, or worse, as is the case with some of helmet cams, having to remove it from the waterproof case to record and stop...
• An LCD screen so that aiming of the camera would not be hit and miss (no iPhone or Android apps for this please - juggling electronics is not what dirt riding is about).
• 1080P and at least 30 frames per second and 720P at 60fps for slow motion
• 120-170 degree Field of View
• Still-shot capable with the ability to take delayed stills every minute or so (I found this really useful on my first camera - it's amazing what shots you get when you just let the camera do its thing).
• Good battery duration
• Live view that can record and charge at the same time

Oh, and it had to be less than the cheapest Go Pro ($279 for the GoPro 3 at Future Shop).

Many cameras out there nearly fit the bill, but only one does.  There are some honourable mentions though: the ridiculously cheap ($68.99 @ Ebay.com / $98.76 @Amazon.ca)  Mobius with new hard case from JooVuu is an excellent little camera but has no viewfinder; the ($89 Ebay) SJ400 Chinese GoPro 3 knockoff is fabulous and CHEAP, as it its little brother the SJ1000  which itself is a Liquid Ego ($180 Amazon.ca / $149 Ebay.com)  knockoff...I'm beginning to see how the Japanese killed off the British Bike industry in the late 60s and early 70s...only now it's the Chinese undermining the Japanese, US and Korean imaging industry. Really these are great cameras, and Go Pro is heading for a fall unless they innovate soon...

But my final choice, is the $179 Coleman Conquest - known everywhere else on the planet as the pedestrian  TCL SVC200 .  It ticks all the boxes, and with free delivery and no tax (getting it shipped to my in-laws in Washington State - strictly for evaluation use down there, of course...)  The vid is great.  You'll particularly enjoy the man waiting for the bus "singing" (and I use that term very loosely) his lungs out to a U2 track...Let this be a sage warning to us mere mortals...Never sing with headphones on.

I'll let you know how it fairs after a few months or so...Now where's that bike...

Not Me...

Lost Rider Trailer from Lost Rider on Vimeo.

New Season. New Bike. Ingrid Arrives.

Well I'm excited to say that I have finally replaced my trusty Siouxsie DR650 with a new mount.  I found her on the mainland after nearly being tempted by an equally ravishing pumpkin in Victoria (EXC450).  I have really missed riding off-road since last July and the De Cosmos Caper... Since then, I replaced my Cafe'd W650 with a Vstrom (Siouxsie-Too).  A great bike it is, truly, but a true-dirt worthy bike it aint. Perish the thought.  Those mag wheels getting a branch stuck in them?  472lbs, an exposed oil filter, and no way to switch of the ABS means that  you are, at most, fire-road capable, but forget single track.  

As you know, I have been looking for a svelte, sub 400cc bike (low insurance rates are a must), dual-sportable and a trusty mount for 6 months or so.  My first choice was the tried and true DR400S. It fits the bill, the wallet and the insurance bracket, but the design is dated and it has a few issues, particularly the earlier models.  All models suffer from a close-ratio 5-speed gearbox and a cramped (for me) riding position twinned with, at best, adequate suspension which all mean that for pure off-roading, it will need some modding.  Something I don't mind doing, but I got my DR650 so good, that to go through all that again with a marginally lighter version would be counterproductive.  Also I wanted a significant leap in off-road capability and weight savings, while retaining a semblance of dual sportiness and reliability.  While the smaller DRZ is an improvement in off-road performance over a DR650, after a trying a few, it isn't as significant as I thought. In truth, after trying them, I was left a little cold.  The other idea was a street-legal Yamaha WR250R.  The suspension is better than a DRZ400, but the engine is buzzy and the power is down.  For short jaunts, it would exciting and flickable, but for longer dirt trips, it might be tough going when laden with gear.

KTM have produced some lovely bikes that have always appealed to me.  I have ridden a friend's KTM on several occasions and realized what they mean when they say "once you've sipped the cool-aid, you won't go back".  They are a simply a class apart.  Light and agile, they're alive in your hands, responsive to your every thought.  They make riding a breeze compared with the heavier big thumpers from Japan, although, thanks to their racing heritage, they can be a little flighty and, like any thoroughbred, tempt you to go faster than you should... Certainly the few times I have tried the pumpkins, they have left an impression on me that I couldn't forget - they are truly, as one friend puts it, "a magic carpet ride".   But the maintenance (oil, filters, valves) of many of them is far more intensive than a Jap thumper...a double edged sword then.  

So I was caught in the middle then.  I want it all: something reliable, fun in the dirt, light, agile and an easily handler.  Something big enough to ride without being too cramped, but light enough to play.  Something that can carry some camping gear, but not a monster.  Something that is tractable in the technical stuff, sporty but not racy, daunting or wearing.  I don't mind a regular maintenance schedule for oil and filter cleaning (something all dirt bikes need given the environment they operate in), but I don't want something that requires a ton of mods to make it trick enough to enjoy.  And it must be road legal but cheaper to insure than a DR650, which means the KTM450EXC wasn't the perfect bike given the ccs.  The new 350 probably would be, but the price...

And whatever this bike was going to be, it had to be 100% dirtworthy and at least 10% road worthy (just enough to be legal and get me the few miles to the trails).  After all, my new "Dual Sport" doesn't have to be particularly well mannered on the road; I have a Vstrom for that.

So cue Ingrid.  She is a 2010 Eurochick with some pedigree.  I am very pleased with her so far, although I have only ridden her for a short jaunt, it was enough, despite her neglected cosmetics, to spend some hard earned cash on.  She blew me away with her manners, suspension and engine.  

Right now, as is tradition when any new bike gets into my garage, she is in pieces as I explore her inner workings.  The Rekluse clutch has to go though!  Luckily the original clutch parts came with her, and after checking valves, greasing swingarms and wheel bearings, replacing fluids and filters, I will be fixing the LED indicators and checking out the engine mapping.  Lots to do then. 

What is she?  Well it's all in the name.  Meet the coy Ingrid.

Alchohol Stove Update

Well there you have it.  Easy.  Made this one in five minutes.  Use a straight edged blade - it's easier to press the indentations into the can top (the jets).  The thing really works and boils 3 large cups worth of water in just over 6 minutes.  Very effective, and uses hardly any fuel - you're talking two tablespoons. I used some fondu fuel ($2.99 for 500ml at the local hardware outlet).  Cheap, cheerful and, above all, light.

Dual Sport Camping Weight Loss Part One: Make A Beer Can Alcohol Stove

 

 

As a dual sporter, you always worry about weight.  I spent the first month of my dual sport bike ownership shedding pounds from the bike.  I removed "unnecessary fittings" like passenger footpegs, steel grab-handles, the metal gas tank and fairing, the steel handlebars. Others go further.  They buy light seats, lighter rims (unsprung weight is the best to trim they say), shed the stock exhaust and replace it with a 8lb lighter header and can...

 

Having a DR650 allowed me to carry a ton of stuff, but at a penalty.  Still, being a DR, it was heavy anyway, so the weight premium of carrying spare clothing, camping supplies, fishing gear, cooking stoves, fuel canisters, utensils etc. wasn't so critical.   As long as I didn't stop on single-track incline, or have to get off and manhandle it out of a quagmire, I was fine... 

 

We all dream about owning that perfect dual-sport bike.  You know the one?  It's got that KTM suspension, performance, and light frame, but it's got the Japanese bulletproof engine with loooong service intervals and a reputation born of many pan-South American trips.   It's got an all-bonded aluminum subframe (not the plastic found on the rear of some of the up market Euro-bikes for weight savings) that you can strap the kit too.  Being light it's flickable, malleable and responsive.  For looks, weight and performance is a KTM 690, for reliability, economy and ease of maintenance it's a DR650, for road comfort it's a BMW 800...all rolled into one.  Or perhaps its the new Canadian bound 280lb CCMGP450 Adventure?

 

At any rate, so now we've got the perfect bike, what do we do?  We proceed to sling every camping gadget and gizmo known to man BACK on it, weighing it down, and transforming it's thoroughbred svelt soul into a turgid, top-heavy tractor...Might as well have bought a KLR...or a GS1200...

 

I'm guilty of it.  Last year I went camping numerous times on the DR I had worked hard at lightening and upgrading.  I packed it right up, and was guilty of returning with most of the supplies and gadgets that I packed unused; in fact, we cached a lot of food out in the bush, rather than ride back with it, and I can't remember using my gas stove at all, let alone needed the spare gas canisters...

 

So next time, regardless of which svelte mount I procure for my future off road adventures, I'll be doing things differently.  I'll be focusing less on the bike and more on what I'm packing.  It's cheaper that way, and makes more sense.

 

One of the great weight-loss ideas I've come across (thanks, Andy) is the beer-can stove.  It's a great device: it's "a win-win" in every sense.  Incredibly light, incredibly cheap, incredibly easy to make, incredibly replaceable, and incredibly effective.  In fact the only downside I can find, is that you MUST drink the beer first.  Bummer.  There are many designs out there, but my beer-can stove has to be made from one can, using only one tool - a knife, and the process has to be easy enough that after a challenging or potentially gruelling DS ride I can drink the beer BEFORE make the stove!  As I said, WIN WIN. 

Watch the video and marvel.

 

 

 

How To Turn A Beer Can Into The Only Camping Stove You'll Ever Need from Tom Allen on Vimeo.

Isn't it great!  As I said, there are others out there, but most of them are more elaborate, requiring more tools, more cans and cannot be made in 3 minutes...

Next week, a (used) tea bag that transforms into a down-filled sleeping bag!  Ok, perhaps that's a little far fetched...

 

 

Mt Prevost + Big Sicker Mtn

Took a trip today - my first dirt road since July...  With the DR 650, Siouxie, moving on to pastures greener (still at Mile Zero for $3999 - I have some spares for free if you buy her...contact me...), Iris, Isobel and myself had to make do with a Mazda 3 "ride" up to Mount Prevost and then Big Sicker (I hand my head in shame). 

 

We were in search of the old mining site(s) with the idea of taking in some views.  Briefly, the road up is amazingly smooth, rock free, and no bike is needed...unless you want to pass the 2 locked gates to Sicker Mine proper that is...  Then a bike would work wonders.  And I missed mine today.  I imagine the roads will get fairly sloppy when the rains come, but today, it was gorgeous.  Certainly Mr. Manta (my VStrom) would make it up with no issues at all.  Still, that little dirt bike is in the works...there were soooo many little roads to explore up there.  Can't wait...Pics:

Couldn't resist: the Misty McMountain Hop...What can I say?  It was just good to be out again...

Typical Scotts: have to conquer everything...

Yoga has the "Downward Dog".  We call this the "Dirty Doggies".

Iris on the way up...

Looking down at the Cowichan Valley from Burgoyne Bay, Saltspring Isl (left) to Cowichan Lake far right.

Wouldn't you know it, my decent camera was outta batteries...So apologies for the iPhone snaps.  That's Crofton Mill, Maple Bay and Saltspring in the far distance.

The Shebang...Cow Bay in the distance...Great Racing there last summer with the Martin242 Nationals...

The Maps...  

An overview of the Prevost to Big Sicker route today - click to enlarge...Get past closed gate#1 and you'll find the ghost town...

 

Some more Pano's below...

 

She's here, she there, she's every 'kin' where...Can't take a damn picture without her poking her beak in...Typical female...(I'm going to pay for that...)

This is the picture I wanted..

Definitely worth the "ride".  I will return with Andy on bikes and do the mine proper...

Siouxsie Departs

It's been an unusually long time since I've posted, but fear not, it's not because I've lost interest in dual sport in general, off-roading in particular or road riding.  On the contrary, while a few things have changed - including Siouxsie's departure to pastures greener (Mile Zero Suzuki), I am very much looking forward to getting back into my off-road adventures.  If you read my last post, you are aware of my minor prang a couple of months back.  The ever robust DR was undamaged; however, my knee took 8 weeks of physio to recover (as did Andy's KLX which I rode into).  I decided, as I couldn't ride to sell both my bikes and get a couple of different ones.  The road bike I have procured, and am thoroughly pleased with (a 2013 Vstrom).  I am now looking for a 250-400cc 4-stroke light dirt bike which is road legal.  Cheap is the watch word.  While I don't mind older, I do want reliable, light and durable.  I intend to continue where I left off, but to tackle some even small trails. 

Siouxsie was an excellent bike - even before the mods.  The DR's torque and manners were a lot of fun, but she was cumbersome at walking speed going up boulder strewn creek beds etc.  Of course, the DR650 was never designed for that, but the bike did it nevertheless.  Finally, the bike was incredibly robust and, with the big tank and upgraded front suspension it was a real trail gobbler, able to soak up all sorts of punishment at ridiculous speeds.  

So this winter, keep your eye out for something with two wheels that might fit the bill.  Drop me a line, and I might just be out there come spring, blogging more and keeping you up to date with what's going on out there...in the back country.

Cheers Paul