Filming on board, point of view motorcycle movies, has gotten drastically easier in recent years with the advent of small, digital video cameras that record to flash memory. The GoPro Hero HD and GoPro Hero Wide are compact, wide angle, flash memory cameras that have a growing number of innovative mounts, making recording your video easier than ever before.
LRRS racer with a GoPro Hero mounted on helmetThe GoPro HD is only 1 ½ inches tall by 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep. The camera has a lithium-ion battery that records approximately 2 ½ hours of video on a single charge. Videos are stored on an SDHC memory card. Memory cards can be as large as 32GB allowing for 4 hours and 21 minutes of high-definition, 1080p video storage. The camera is waterproof and built for motorsports.
The high definition GoPro can record in five video formats:
- 1920 x 1080 pixels – 16:9, 30 frames per second 15Mbits per secord;
- 1280 x 960 pixels – 4:3, 30 frames per second, 12Mbits per second;
- 1280 x 720 pixels - 16:9, 60 frames per second, 15Mbits per second;
- 1280 x 720 – 16:9, 30 frames per second;
- WVGA, 848 x 480 pixels - 16:9, 60 frames per second; 8Mbits per second.
Videos are compressed using H.264 and saved as Mpeg-4 files.
The standard definition GoPro Wide is thinner than the GoPro HD, but is otherwise approximately the same dimensions. The standard GoPro can use either lithium-ion or NiMH AAA batteries. Battery life with lithium-ion is 3 hours and 2 hours with NiNH. Recording is to a SDHC card of up to 4GB, allowing a maximum record time of just less than 2 hours. The standard definition video format is 512 x 384, 30 frames per second.
There are many mounting options for both GoPro’s and mounts are compatible across the product line. Combining mounts is like building with Legos, enabling you to create an assortment of mounts for a variety of camera angles.
GoPro Hero HD with optional accessoriesThe Motorsports Hero package comes with three flat adhesive mounts, two curved adhesive mounts, a suction cup mount, and two buckles for attaching the camera to the mounts. The curved mounts are perfect for helmet applications.
An optional handlebar mount has a clamp that works on tubes between ¾ inch to 1 ½ inches in diameter. A roll-bar mount clamps tubes between 1.4 inches and 2.5 inches. I use the handlebar mount on the frame of my Ducati Monster to get a low angle shot and on the passenger hand-hold to get a rear facing view. A head strap mount that slips on over your helmet and positions the camera like a headlamp is available, as is a chest harness that mounts the camera in the middle of your chest.
The adhesive mounts can be removed using WD-40 and patience. Soak the mount with WD40 and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Gently push and twist the mount until it separates from the surface. If it does not separate, apply more WD40 and allow it to soak longer. Use WD40 and a rag to remove any remaining adhesive. To reapply an adhesive mount, use 3M double-sided foam tape.
GoPro Standard versus HD
Choosing the standard or HD version is dependent on where you plan to share your video and your editing software. The HD model records in Mpeg-4 format with H.264 compression. Not all video editing software is compatible with this format and compression, so check your target editing software to ensure support.
Microsoft Movie Maker – a free program for editing video -- does not import Mpeg-4 without conversion to lower resolution format. This defeats the purpose of having an HD capable camera. If Movie Maker is your editor and YouTube is your target output, I recommend the lower resolution GoPro Standard, because conversion will nullify the advantage of the HD version.
The HD version has noticeably better video quality and far superior audio quality. If you have a video editor capable of editing Mpeg-4 format, the HD unit is worth the extra cost. 
Sample Video from the GoPro Hero HD