RAM Mounts for the Drift POV Cam

I like having my POV cameras going when I ride for two reasons.  The first is to be able to create a video of my ride if it's particularly interesting that day.  The other is for documentation just in case the something happens.  Lately, I've been riding with only one of my cameras mounted to the side of my helmet, which quite frankly, makes for some nausea inducing footage, particularly when checking around for lane changes or making turns.  It is probably a preferred mounting point for the second of the above reasons, though, as I'm more likely to see things at least from the front cone of vision.

I've been thinking of mounting points on the bike itself, and the two obvious locations are the mounting posts for the frame sliders and the passenger footpeg supports for a rear-facing camera.  Unfortunately, the handle bar mount that came with my Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth POV cam is for a 1" diameter bar, and the footpeg supports are smaller than that.  That meant buying a new mount.  RAM Mount makes a U-bolt mount that will fit anywhere from a 0.5" to 1.25" bar.  Perfect.  The part number for the base is RAM-B-231ZU, and I got ordered it through Amazon.com with 2 Day delivery since the vendor was part of Amazon Prime.  I also had to order another camera mount as well as a double-socket arm so that I could mount both cameras simultaneously.  I already had one set from a previously purchased mount.  The camera mount is RAM-B-202AU and the arm is RAM-B-201U.  These also came from Amazon.  Here are the Amazon links for the mount and arm.

Tools Used:

• Ratchet Handle
• 7/16" Socket
• Cordless Screw Driver with Flat Head Bit
• Flat Head Screw Driver

Time to Install:  ~45 minutes

RAM-B-231ZU U-Bolt Mount

I installed the U-bolt mount shown above on the upper support tube for the left rear passenger footpeg.  The insert on the left will swivel around the support to find its preferred position to take advantage of the V-shaped grooves for grip.  I used the 7/16" socket and ratchet to tighten the nylock nuts until they were snug.  A good tug on the double-socket arm confirmed that the mount did not slip or shift positions.

Mount Installed on Rear Passenger Footpeg Support

With the RAM Mount fully assembled, it was a simple task to mount the camera and position it.  After mounting the camera, I sat on the bike to make sure that my leg would not bump into the camera.  Even with the camera positioned towards the front of the bike as shown below, there was not interference with my left leg.

Drift POV Camera Mounted Facing Rear

For the forward facing location, I contacted Blair at SVRacingParts.com to find out the diameter of the post.  Blair said they are 32mm, which is 1.259".  Unfortunately, the RAM mount U-bolt solution only goes up to 1.25", and I was pretty sure that .009" would make a difference.  I bought their base that uses a metal strap clamp like what is used on rubber hoses, and it comes with the U-bolts as well, so I could check first to see if that would work.  It didn't.  The part number is RAM-B-231Z-2U.  I got this through Amazon.com as well, although this part wasn't from an Amazon Prime vendor.  The package came with the U-bolts as well, so I test fitted the large U-bolt to the post and, as expected, it was too small.  Even if I had pried it appart, the rounded portion of the bolt would never fit around the post, and I didn't want to mess up the finish while attempting it.  I've since been in contact with Blair, and he said he would see what they could do to accommodate the RAM Mount in future production runs.

The base of this mount is a bit wider than the length of available mounting post for the frame slider.  The edge of the base closest to the frame actually sits up on top of the washer that sits between the mounting post and the spacer.  I was hoping to orient the base so that the ball mount is actually away from the frame, but if you do that, the metal clamping strap sits right on top of the washer, which is not ideal.  So I turned it around such that the ball mount is next to the frame and the strap can cinch around the aluminum post.  Be sure to measure the rubber strap cover before putting it on the metal strap as it will need to be cut shorter than it is.  If you leave it at its original length, you won't be able to fully tighten the strap.

Metal Clamping Strap Cinched Tight 

Drift POV Camera Mounted Facing Forward

Drive POV Cameras Mounted Fore and Aft

After taking this picture, I sat on the bike and found that the front camera hit my shin pretty easily.  I ended up having to loosen the metal strap to rotate the mount so the ball mount was pointing a little bit forward.  If you look from the end of the slider puck, the ball is pointing between 10 and 11 o'clock.  I also angled the double-socket arm forward a bit, too, which got it away from my leg, but also brought it in a bit closer to the bike than I originally wanted.  I may look at getting a second double-socket arm for more adjustability.

With everything mounted and connected now, I took the bike out for a shakedown ride as well as to burn off some more break-in miles.  I had both cameras going on the RAM Mounts instead of having the forward facing camera on my helmet mount.  The resulting video was quite stable and showed only the slightest amount of rolling shutter/Jell-O effect.  Sorry about the first 25 seconds or so of non-action while putting on my gloves.  I just edited the video on YouTube to cut that out, but it doesn't seem to have updated fully yet.

When I got back from my ride, I found that I had just hit the 500 mile mark!  With the initial break-in stage completed, I can now rev up to 7,500 rpm, which will make leaving stop signs and lights a lot easier, not to mention avoiding getting run over on the highways!

I hope these posts have been at least interesting if not helpful.  Please feel free to leave comments.