The popular practice in motorcycle video telemetry is to use PAL/NTSC analogue lipstick/cigar cameras and video recorders. As a cost cutting exercise, and to have the ability to edit/delete my movies on the fly, I have choosen to use digital cameras.

Click here for a demonstration MPEG video (12 Mega bytes)

This is a camera mount I made for my 2006 KTM 990 Superduke. I started with the rear camera mount, as it (seemed at the time) the easiest fitment. I want my camera views to be very low to the ground. This is very tricky to do on the Superduke with bulky digital cameras. So I started with the rear mount. The rear foot peg was the most logical place to put it. Below is a break down of my kit. To consists of the camera, mounting bracket and battery:

The camera bolts onto the bracket using a small screw. The bracket then bolts onto the right pillion footpeg assembly. I had to drill a hole into this assembly in order to bolt the bracket onto it. To further secure the camera, I used strong rubber bands (pictured). The great thing about this position is that the camera is protected from flying stones and debree by your right leg. Therefore, it is not necessary to make a cover.

The biggest problem with the SD is the extreme vibration. I tried several different designs. This simple bracket design seems to be the best. The key to the design is the vibration dampening of the rubber washers and rubber footpeg, and making the camera as light as possible.

For the camera, I am using a Kodak Easy Share C653. This is not a particularly good camera for video quality, but it seems to survive the vibrations. Even though I am using it, I do not recommend this camera. When the camera's power is cut, it corrupts the entire video recording (For example, if you have been recording for 1 hour, and the camera's power is cut for a split second, you have lost your 1 hours recording. This is very annoying). Note: Prior to the Kodak, I tried a Canon A540 Powershot. This camera fails under moderate vibrations.

The camera is powered by an external battery. This battery is a 3.6 volt Nokia 51xx/61xx Nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery (P/N: BMS-2S). It's available in any mobile phone dealer dumpster skip (out the back), porn shop or rubbish tip. This battery will happily power the camera for a few hours (For the curious reader, it's capacity is probably 1.8A/H odd). The Kodak Easy Share C653 camera requires a 3.15 volt power source and most cameras I have seen do. All modern electronics have internal regulation, so this camera will be happy with a 3.6 volt source.

The Nokia phone (pictured) has been turned into a battery holder. I have done this by isolating the Nokia phones electronics, so that the phone no longer draws current from the battery.

The battery (via the battery holder) is directly connected to the camera via a 1 Amp fast blow fuse. The fuse provides short out protection. The cabling is soldered directly to the camera's power rails. Due to the SD's severe vibrations, any sort of touch contacts are not possible, as the vibrations causes open circuits to occur at the touch contacts. I also found that I could not have batteries in the camera. The vibrations would be so bad, the batteries would damage the internals of the camera (hence why I use an external battery).

Card board "Mock up"

I first made a cardboard mockup. This allowed me to see what the bracket would look like. I can then take the mock up to the bike and "try it on" so to speak. If the mock up isn't right, then the real thing won't be right either ;).

Once the mockup fits, knock up the bracket. I used 3mm Aluminium. I cut it up with a hacksaw, and folded it in a vice using soft jaws, wood, cresent and a hammer (If you have a proper metal folder handly, then use that). ..I'll let you work out the folding angles. This isn't German engineering hehehe ;)

Pictures

Here are some piccies for your perusal: