SOME OF us here are old enough to remember the early days of making videos on motorbikes. Duct-taping small Sony MiniDV cassette tape camcorders onto a GSX-R1000 K5 fuel tank, or - if you were really lucky - maybe a smaller 'bullet cam'. These were massively pricey, used lots of fiddly connectors, still needed a camcorder or other tape recorder setup, and pretty fragile too. All for a slightly sketchy VHS tape which we'd then sellotape onto the cover of a *printed magazine* gawdhelpus.
Yes, I am very old. But even I've become used to the amazing video tech available nowadays. Like the Drift series of action cameras. A unit not much larger than a MiniDV cassette case, that records high-definition 1080p video files, with several hours' battery life, and the ability to bounce off the deck at 100mph, repeatedly? Witchcraft. I've used a couple of the firm's older Ghost SM cams regularly over the years, and they make for excellent onboard footage, even after falling off bikes at high speed (repeatedy). The cams are sleeker and fit more easily than the more cuboid-shaped GoPro-type cameras out there, and the mount system is pretty good too (they only fall off when badly installed, haha). Check the onboard footage from the BMW HP4 Race launch above.
So we're looking forward to trying out this latest Ghost X camera. It's smaller than ever, and drops the main colour LCD display monitor from the older versions. The plan is you use the WiFi to connect to your smartphone and use the screen on that when checking footage and lining up the cam on your bike or lid (there is an optional clip-on screen for the 4K version). The new design also includes a modular clip-on accessory bay, which can hold a larger battery for up to eight hours running time.
We'll be trying out the new Ghost X on the various riding launches and tests this season, and will report back on how it stands up to typical journo abuse. If we can't break it, it'll be fine for everyone else.
The Ghost X costs £129.99, with the extra capacity battery costing £24.99. More info: https://driftinnovation.com
