Having a camera on the bike is something I’ve thought about for a long time. Being able to record some idiot prior to a crash is certainly one of the reasons but it would also be nice to record some rides. I did do a temporary install of a dashcam that came with our Ford Focus and it did work but it kept skipping segments and I never did figure out why that was. I suspected the motion of the bike but I quit using it as it wasn’t worth the hassle.
A few months back I looked at quite a few online reviews of dashcam systems, specifically made for motorcycles. The features, quality, and prices are all over the place. I sort of narrowed it down to one and then watched multiple reviews of it and decided that it was the one: Aoocci C6Pro. I ordered it with a discount code for about $170 and finished that I’d get it before my trip in the middle of May.
As things go, it ended up backordered, then got hung up in customs or something in Los Angeles, so by the time it came to Billings, I was already on my way to Pittsburgh. We’d had our mail stopped so it sat at the post office until we returned.
When I got back I opened it up and played around with all the mounting accessories and, while it came with LOTS, I didn’t have what I needed to do the install. I wanted to install it on the ram-like ball that I’d installed on the steering stem nut. Some people mount them above the clutch or brake reservoirs or above the dash behind the windshield but I don’t want it up that high. The unit came with a ball mount but not with the bracket that goes between the balls. Plus, the ball on the unit is 7/8” and the one on the bike is 1”. Aoocci sells a mounting kits with all sorts of options including a larger ball mount and the bracket for it. I ordered that for about $40. Now the wait.
It took a while and it was interesting watching it move across mainland China, fly across the ocean, move through Los Angeles, and eventually to Billings.
Once it arrived I started the install. It went well but there were lots of decisions to be made. Where to mount the cameras? Where to route the wires?
Mounting the head unit was straight forward. It sits low, between the handle bars. I can still see my dash but have to reach over it to get to my key. No big deal. The included remote sits on the fairing, by the glove box on the left, with some double-sides tape.
I mounted the rear camera on the bracket above the license plate light. While it came with some screws, I used the heavy duty double sided tape. I’ve used that stuff in the past and it works well, although it’s prudent to replace it one a year.
From there I just let it follow an existing cable, eventually, sneaking it between a fairing piece and the gas tank.
The front camera was mounted under the front fairing above the front fender, off to the side.
All of these pieces connect to the head unit with waterproof, socket and screw connectors. I stashed them the best I could and used a few zip ties to keep them in place.
Prior to all of this I’d bought a fused power distribution panel and installed it under the seat. It is wired to my tail light circuit so it is only “on” when the bike is on. I ran the power wires from the head unit to that.
That’s my tire pump under the cloth next to the fused panel and the power box from the head unit is next to that. There is also an inline fuse.
Once it was all connected I turned on the ignition and it booted right up. By default it started recording right away. Instead of the 64 GB MicroSD card that came with it, I used a 256 GB one that is supposed to record 30-40 hours before it loops and records over earlier segments. That should be plenty.
I took a break for a day or two and then brought the bike back into the garage to finish up configuration. To get the video out of the head unit, there are several options. The SD card can be removed BUT it’s under a cover with REALLY TINY screws so not very convenient. Also under that cover is a USB connection and they supplied a cable of that but, again, is not very convenient. It turns out that it has a built-in Wi-Fi server and I ended up downloading two apps (I don’t think I need both) that allow me to access the files and download to my phone. That should work well enough.
I also configured the CarPlay thingy which pairs the phone with the unit so I can see maps, etc. I guess it allows music streaming and all that but I use my phone to Cardo setup for that but it does allow access to other stuff through menus without having to access the phone. When I get that figured out it might be worth using.
So, it’s all together and ready to try out. I plan to go out for a short ride to get gas and take a short spin outside of town. I’m interested in how the map looks on the screen while riding and whether or not any of the wiring needs a bit of rerouting.
Very high tech.
