Be your own chase videographer

[Slide Panda]

A clever fellow on a SF made Killboys highlights

- Towing a GoPro affixed to a trailer that looks to be made from the front suspension of an RC stadium truck.

This is what it produces
GoPro tagalong cam test

[He Man]

that is pretty cool. im sure several iterations of that will get rid of the the unsightly connection bar though.

i wonder what kind of bearings are in those wheels. they must be spining FAST.

[Slide Panda]

Little ball bearings.

Way back in the day I raced 1/10th off road. Those little cars could get up to near 50 mph with tech from 20 years ago - and that was the off roads. The on roads 60-70 or more.

[Barney]

that's very cool - if it could mount down by the hub somehow/swingarm  than i dont think the pole would be nearly as intrusive...

there's also a product called gopole i believe that if i'm not mistaken mounts a post using your gopro hardware - it would eliminate the trailer, but you wouldn't get the nice flat shot as it'd be hard mounted somewhere on the bike... could also make for a cool shot though...

[Slide Panda]

One thing this rig does that a pole mount doesn't is stay level. Totally depends on the look you want - but it does give a more accurate impression of your lean angles

[ducpainter]

One thing this rig does that a pole mount doesn't is stay level. Totally depends on the look you want - but it does give a more accurate impression of your lean angles

Sort of like the gyro cam in gp.

Other than the pole being visible in the shot it is very cool

[stopintime]

Wouldn't a curved pole clear the images up nicely?

I expect this thing to fall apart or be knocked over by the first pebble - or maybe not

[Slide Panda]

Wouldn't a curved pole clear the images up nicely?

The route I was pondering.

I expect this thing to fall apart or be knocked over by the first pebble - or maybe not

if he's got it set up well, no. If it's good quality and properly set up race RC stuff the suspension works shockingly well. Also, if I'd built it, I'd add some lead/dead weight to the bottom to help it combe back down if it does hit something big enough to loft a wheel.

Though, a roll cage that would just allow it to flip back on it's wheels would be a pretty trick addition.

[Barney]

staying flat and level is definitely a very cool feature - i'm still of the opinion that just mounting the trailer to the swingarm would all but eliminate any issues with the pole, as it would keep it down towards the bottom of the frame in the shot, and it wouldn't be cutting the picture in half - the only other thing would be to get a skinnier boom, but that could be at the cost of structural integrity. 

Also, if you mounted the camera 3-4' off of the ground or even higher from the trailer, you could get what i would imagine would a VERY cool shot, almost like a small helicopter flying behind you - although i could see this making the whole rig less stable...

[xsephirot]

Wow and it captures the sexy engine noise perfectly. 

[Slide Panda]

I think attaching it to the swinger will make for a much less stable picture. With it being on the tail, it's on a suspended bit. But perhaps coming off under the footpeg... maybe. Just have to be wary of elevation changes catching the rod.

And a tower could be done - you just need to make the base a good bit heavier... and then the suspension heavier  And if it does tip, it'll hit harder. A 6' tall one shooting down a bit would be cool but precarious.

[Barney]

I think attaching it to the swinger will make for a much less stable picture. With it being on the tail, it's on a suspended bit. But perhaps coming off under the footpeg... maybe. Just have to be wary of elevation changes catching the rod.

And a tower could be done - you just need to make the base a good bit heavier... and then the suspension heavier  And if it does tip, it'll hit harder. A 6' tall one shooting down a bit would be cool but precarious.

it would definitely crash harder, but i've seen those gopros go thru some pretty rough tumbles and come out generally unscathed... a wider base would probably help to keep it stable, but that shot would most definitely be sweet! 

as far as mounting to the bike goes, I would think the closer to the rear axle, the more stable the rod's gonna be...i mean assuming the rear tire never leaves the ground, the axle should stay a fixed distance away from the ground - not taking into account leaning obviously...I may very well be wrong though 

the other option would be a to keep the mounting point the same but put a jog in the pole so it comes down then out, rather than the straight pole...

these are all just ideas, guess it depends on just how dedicated one is to getting the shot they're lookin for! that's the beauty of those gopros though, you really can put them just about anywhere you want!

[Barney]

upon closer inspection, these are loafers.


seriously though, after having another watch, you'd have to come up with some sort of joint in the pole where it could pivot if you wanted to mount it down low on the swing arm...otherwise the pole would totally come in contact with the rear wheel in turns, which i assume would be no bueno. 

[lazylightnin717]

The poll really didn't bother me too much

It was a really cool video and a great idea with real potential to be improved upon 

[BastrdHK]

I get that this is intended for shooting yourself, but if you flipped the GoPro around.......what a cool angle of your buddy without him having to get too close! 

I have had that problem when riding and filming with others.  It is just not safe to ride that close to anyone.  Gives me one more level of respect for professional racers!