Two items of interest to motorsports video buffs

DIY helmet cam mount

Here's an article on instructables.com that shows how to make a DIY helmet cam mount. It's not intended for motorcycle use, but there are some useful bits in the article.

Click here to continue...

Another cage driver kills a biker. This was a seriously messed-up situation.

The biker, Gregory Clyde Shannon, of Placerville, California, was minding his own business, when along comes a suspected drunk driver in a pickup truck, and hits him head-on. Hit him hard enough to knock the driver's side front wheel off the truck.

The truck driver leaves the scene, still driving the truck sans front wheel. Sparks flying.

Adding insult to injury, it appears that the truck driver continued on for 7 miles - starting numerous brush fires and totally destroying three homes in the process.

Click here to continue...

I'm riding southbound on highway 880 in Milpitas and I see a CHP cruiser driving on the onramp to the freeway. I naturally slow down and keep an eye in my mirrors for the officer. Just before the split for highway 237 an econobox (Corolla?) passes me on the right and cuts in front of me by a few feet crossing 3 lanes. I tapped the brakes and shook my head. The next thing I know the CHP cruiser passes me and pulls in behind the moron driver and lights him up. I was smiling for the next 20 minutes.

Thank you Mr. CHP for making my day in a good way.

I'm planning on going to the 2006 Amador County Fair in Plymouth (well, to be "fair", it is near my home). It's July 27th thru July 30th this year.

If you are looking for a place to go that weekend, it's a nice ride up highway 49 from Placerville or Sonora / Angels Camp, or up 16 from Sacramento area.

Unlike the typical big-county fair, it's a laid-back, mellow county fair, no big crowds, lots of small-town stuff (including the destruction derby and rodeo on the closing night of the fair.)

Click here to continue...

We received our Viosport Adventure Cam 3 bullet camera. The unit appears to be finely crafted, and sturdy enough to take a reasonable amount of abuse, which is necessary when used on a sport bike or other motorcycle.

The mounting system included with the basic camera is pretty weak, though. It's basically nothing more than a section of extruded synthetic rubber, into which you slip the camera; the base of the mount is attached with standard Velcro. (The Velcro mount is probably sufficient to hold the camera mount securely; it's the mount itself that I'm interested in improving.)

Click here to continue...

I just had a set of Metzeler MEZ6 tires (120/70ZR17 front, 180/55ZR17 rear) installed on my '98 CBR1100XX. I do more straight-up riding than I'd like to admit, so I tend to stay away from the hard-core sport compounds (otherwise, I end up with wearing out the center long before the edges), and I have always liked Metzeler tires on my Honda sport-touring bikes.

I'm somewhat surprised at the installed cost of the tires, though. Purchased from a retail shop in the Sacramento area, including mounting and balancing on the wheels that I brought in, the bill approached $380. Add to that the travel time to Sacramento (about an hour and a quarter one-way), fuel expenses, and hassle factor, the actual cost is well over $400.

Click here to continue...