How To Use Your Motorcycle As A Tripod
 

One crucial piece of photography equipment that I miss on my rides is a tripod. A tripod is absolutely required to take gorgeous time lapse videos and sharp pictures of distant landscapes. The tripod I have is a pretty good one. But it is also quite large and heavy, making it cumbersome to strap to my motorcycle. There are some lightweight and compact tripods, but I couldn’t find one that wasn’t flimsy and was capable of holding a heavy DSLR camera.

When riding my motorcycle one morning thinking about this problem a light bulb suddenly lit up in my helmet. I realised that I was sitting on the solution to my problem – my motorcycle. It was tall and stable enough to hold my DSLR camera, my GoPro, my iPhone or just about any camera. All I needed was an easy way to mount my camera properly.

The solution I came up with consists of a RAM claw, a RAM arm and RAM adapters for the camera I wish to use. I connected them together and made the claw gently clasp the brake fluid reservoir on the handlebar. There was no place to directly clasp the handlebar because of the hand guards. Due to the ball and socket joint nature of the RAM mounting system, I can level the camera irrespective of the way the motorcycle is inclined or the terrain on which the motorcycle is parked.

http://www.deelipmenezes.com/wp-cont.../2017/01/1.jpg

http://www.deelipmenezes.com/wp-cont.../2017/01/2.jpg

I can set this up and remove it in a matter of seconds without needing any tools. I don’t even need to remove my riding gloves.

An added advantage of this system is I can now mount the GoPro just about anywhere on the motorcycle. For example, to record engine level footage I can clasp the claw to the engine guard. There is no need to buy a bunch of GoPro flat and curved mounts and stick them to different parts of the motorcycle. Then use a collection of adapters to level the GoPro properly.


Update

A reader on Facebook recommended that instead of messing around with a RAM claw every time I wanted to use my motorcycle as a tripod, I could use the rear view mirror RAM ball mount. What a splendid idea. I had one of these lying around and somehow it didn’t strike me to use it.

http://www.deelipmenezes.com/wp-cont.../2017/01/3.jpg

http://www.deelipmenezes.com/wp-cont.../2017/01/4.jpg

Now I have the RAM claw free to do something else like record engine level footage.

Good post, I've a similar setup with a RAM mount for mounting my DSLR, but I've got an upgrade for you.

Buy yourself a Capture Pro camera clip from Peak Design, it'll screw onto a RAM ball easily and allows rapid attachment/detachment of the camera. It's actually how I carry the camera when it's not raining.

The Capture Pro is also a great piece of kit in general, it can go on a backpack strap, a belt or just about anywhere else for convenient camera carrying anywhere, for any activity. No long, unwieldy camera straps. By a long shot the best camera accessory I know of.

I have a little self tightening wrist strap, just so I can't drop it off a mountain when shooting freehand.

I'm on a train at the moment, but can take some photos of my set up when I get back home, if desired.

Hmmm... Thanks for the Capture Pro tip. It's seems like a pretty useful little thing.

I've not had a close look at the Capture Pro clip thing but over the years I've had so many cameras fall off misaligned quick release tripod mounts when I've not been concentrating that I'd be very wary about carrying anything that way routinely. Maybe they've engineered it so that can't happen but it would be an uphill sell with me.

Something like Deelip's mirror ball setup is what I've been using with my Go Pro type cameras and it works very well. Solid and not too much vibration when riding (unlike the DIY version on one of my other bikes). I'd post a picture but sadly the camera is currently languishing in a snowdrift somewhere in the Alps having fallen off my son's skiboot during an attempt to make my skiing look anything than pedestrian. :(