motocycle rigging and motocycle cinematography

[bokser]

Hello all,
shooting a few projects with motorcycles and would like any advice or info (pics, etc) on how to rig a motorcycle with a red one to get all sorts of shots.

also is there a special motorcycle hitch/trailer where you can lift the front tire (a bit off the ground) and connect it to a trailer, while the back tire still rides on the road...
or a low rider trailer for the entire bike thats pretty low to the ground.

Thanks all any advice appreciated

 

[robstar]

Your best bet is to locate the closest BMW Motorcycle Owners Group or contact a local BMW Motorcycle dealership.

You can also try the BMW Motorcycle Owners Association at:

http://www.bmwmoa.org/

There are a few reasons I suggest BMWs:

1. I own one myself and they are smooth engines
2. They are well suited as a shooting platform and are used in most bike races etc.
3. They are very quiet
4. BMW Dealers are also service centers for a Russian bike called a URAL which is a side-car made bike
5. Lots of BMW riders are accustomed to passengers on the back and it's easy to find people with experience using them as working bikes in triathlons, marathons and bicycle races

Your other option is the find someone with a 2-3 bike KENDON motorcycle trailer. They are about 10-12 inches off the ground to top of the deck. I own one and have been planning to make it a small process trailer. You can buy a new one for about $2600 or snag a used one on Craigslist for $1500 or so.

Hope this helps!

Robert

 

[David Mitchell]

Another "Unique" alternative available for sale

Another "Unique" alternative available for sale

I have a light weight Yamaha TW200, that I have tricked out for basic shooting. Also my modifications can carry a medium sized tripod, and smaller tripod, along with gear on the bike for hard to reach places. The bike comes with a versahauler trailer hitch mount, so the bike too can be transported.

I built this bike when I had a Red One, and can fit a small to medium sized Red One package in it's carrying box. The idea was to carry a Red One, and a digital still camera (for timelapse) to hard to reach places, or to use it as an easy to carry second vehicle. I used this bike with my Airstream Sprinter, and would set up a base camp, and then use the bike to get to a second harder to reach location.

As a street camera platform, it would need street tires, as the knobbies cause can cause some vibration on paved surfaces. Off road, everything shakes, so it did not matter.

The advantage of my bike over a BMW is a substancial price difference, and the tricked out mods to carry gear. I'm sure the BMW or other mentioned options would be great tools also, but I decided on a lighter bike, one that can be carried by riding on the hitch of a vehicle, can go off road, and would be easy on my legs for driving it around town. It gets a lot of looks, and can just make it to speeds.

The modifications I made always get a lot of positive comments from people who see it in person. The tubes to carry tripods are made from 8' PVC pipe, wrapped in an aluminum skin to protect the tubes. I also added a large front plate, with an Arri dovetail, for mounting large cameras. The whole project was built for cinematography, as a light weight tool for shooting. The side tubes can be easily removed, and the resulting hardware can carry medium sized tripods that are too large for the tubes. It is very flexible in how it can be configured.

Again, it's not a BMW, and does not have the ride of the BMW, but it is a unique tool for cinematographers. I have it listed for sale at $3795.00, on ebay, just search for "Red one camera mount", and it will come up. I also made a video of it, that you can see on the Ebay page.

I sometimes tell people that the tubes are steam pipes because the bike "runs on coal", it's amazing to see someones reaction to that. I have had a lot of fun riding this bike, but I no longer have my Airstream, and shoot more international locations that I fly too. The bike has under 2500 miles, mostly street riding. Please contact me through Ebay if you are interested.

 

[David Mitchell]

Another great thing about the TW200 RED modified bike, is for a solo city shooter, you can park it almost any place.

 

[Justen Nguyen]

David could you perhaps post a picture of your motorcycle?
Also I don't want to thread hi-jack or anything, but I suppose it is somewhat similar... Would anyone have any experience rigging a red one onto a go kart? I think that would be an awesome setup. haha

 

[John Fairstein]

RED on a motorcycle through the Dragon US129

RED on a motorcycle through the Dragon US129

I strapped my RED with a vintage 25mm Super Baltar on my Ducati ST3 tank and rode the Dragon US129 TN-NC (318 curves in 11 miles) last year. The RED rested on a pillow on the tank. The RED and pillow were strapped to the frame with nylon tie-down straps. The windshield was removed, and a clear filter mounted over the lens. Mics were mounted next to the crankcase and on the license plate frame pointed at the exhaust. I put the RED RAID in my jacket pocket. My girlfriend followed behind in the "chase" van.

It all went fairly well. The bike was comfortable to ride, nothing really got in the way. I guesstimated an aperture (f8-11 @ 320?) to work for light and dark stretches, and the setting worked out OK. I had some trouble with the RED-pillow sliding slightly off center. The drive hiccuped a couple of times. I got caught behind some slow riders, but I made one dramatic pass. Not quite Steve McQueen, but I got a rush out of it.

If I did it over again, I'd set the camera for a lower frame rate, then render it out at a higher frame rate to give it a faster look. Maybe shoot 24, then render at 30? I'd also do a warm up lap to get myself up to speed sooner.

The footage was rendered out in REDCine. You can see it at www.cinescenes.com. Constructive comments welcome.

Hello all,
shooting a few projects with motorcycles and would like any advice or info (pics, etc) on how to rig a motorcycle with a red one to get all sorts of shots.

also is there a special motorcycle hitch/trailer where you can lift the front tire (a bit off the ground) and connect it to a trailer, while the back tire still rides on the road...
or a low rider trailer for the entire bike thats pretty low to the ground.

Thanks all any advice appreciated

 

[John Fairstein]

Link to Dragon US-129 ride footage

Link to Dragon US-129 ride footage

http://www.cinescenes.com/

Hello all,
shooting a few projects with motorcycles and would like any advice or info (pics, etc) on how to rig a motorcycle with a red one to get all sorts of shots.

 

[Mark Phelan]

David could you perhaps post a picture of your motorcycle?
Also I don't want to thread hi-jack or anything, but I suppose it is somewhat similar... Would anyone have any experience rigging a red one onto a go kart? I think that would be an awesome setup. haha

Agreed, but doubt you'd get that one past the cops who patrol the Dragon ALL the time. Mounting a camera on the front of a MINI would be a good alternative ride. Ultimate would be a Russian Arm chasing a bike. Hootchimama!

The Dragon is a bucket list motorcycle ride for sure.

 

[Jamie Metzger]

Try Doggicam Systems.

 

[Mark Phelan]

Try Doggicam Systems.

Forgot about them, great suggestion.