SSB Tested:Twenty20 On-Board Camera
B.S.-ing is one thing, but having video proof of your on-bike exploits takes your benchracing game to a whole new level (or, if you're not quite there yet, will definitively show you where you need to improve your skills). In reality, though, producing quality on-board camera footage for street riders and stunters alike can be challenging, especially when it comes to finding a good location to mount a camcorder. This is what makes the $350 Twenty20 on-board camera system so cool; the tiny, lipstick-sized camera unit can be mounted virtually anywhere on the bike for unlimited filming possibilities and features cutting-edge CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology for the best-possible picture quality. The Twenty20 system includes everything (except the camcorder itself) that you need to get filming: camera, anti-vibration camera mount, wiring to connect to the bike's battery, a fused voltage regulator to protect your camcorder and a noise canceling microphone that can be mounted inside your helmet (for commentary) or on the bike to record ambient noise. Installation on our Aprilia Mille was a breeze, and took less than an hour. We secured the regulator under the seat and mounted the camera to the side of the upper fairing, positioned to allow unobstructed footage of the road ahead. Locating the Twenty20 components was a cinch; the biggest challenge that remained was locating the camcorder itself. If your bike offers sufficient space you can usually hide a Mini DV camcorder under the passenger seat for totally stealth filming; otherwise, you can do as we did and carry the camcorder in a tankbag or fanny pack on the rider. Once you have the Twenty20 system hard-wired on the bike it's as simple as plugging the 3.5mm mini-jack recording cable into your camcorder, and you're ready to roll footage. When we first mounted the system we complained about the size of the camera mount (it's bigger than the camera itself), but the double ball-joint design allows you to aim the camera virtually anywhere, and the rubber-metal-rubber construction greatly reduces vibration, so once we started using it, we shut up. The mount might not be pretty, but it works--picture quality was excellent, and as long as the camera was mounted to a sturdy piece of bodywork, it was significantly more stable than with the camcorder hard-mounted on the tank. If you fancy yourself a two-wheeled Spielberg, the Twenty20 system for gathering on-board footage is tough to beat.
www.twenty20camera.com
Garage Art
It's one thing if you have to stare at wildflower collages and fluffy puppy dogs every time you check the date inside the house, but when you're counting down the days to your next stunt event or bike show out in the shop, shouldn't you be able to do it on a calendar that represents your interests? Of course you should, which is why we want to give you a heads-up on this pair of hot new 2006 calendars that recently came across our desk. The 2006 High Stakes Streetbike calendar features "14 months of fast bikes, hot women and insane action," which translates to stunt action from Kane Friesen, Darius Khashabi and Todd Colbert, plus plenty of SoCal's hottest bike models posing with hotted-up hardware like a 240-mph turbo Hayabusa, the world's fastest CBR600RR and Graves Yamaha's AMA/Superstock R1 racer. The Speed Vixens calendar features similar content with an East Coast flair, featuring custom sportbikes from Spyder Racing and Second Image plus stunt action from Kyle Woods, Vertical Outlaws, Natural Born Stunterz, Road Hazards Extreme and more, with plenty of Florida hotties to hold your attention throughout each month. The Speed Vixens piece retails for $17.99; the High Stakes for $19.95 including a poster--order one of each and never miss a date in 2006!
www.speedvixens.com
www.highstakesinc.com
Exo-Armor
Functioning essentially as an exoskeleton for extreme sports enthusiasts, Dainese's WAVE Safety Jacket offers the ultimate upper-body protection for stunters or any other impact-phobic motorcycle enthusiasts. Originally designed for motocross riders, the WAVE is built off of a mesh base designed specifically to keep the rider cool and maintain excellent freedom of movement, and includes no less than nine pieces of articulated hard armor to protect the rider's elbows, forearms, shoulders, chest and spine from even the hardest impacts. The $399 WAVE jacket comes in sizes ranging from S-XXL and features an adjustable waistband and adjustable tie straps at the shoulders and arms to customize the fit and keep the armor in place in the event of a crash. A brilliant piece of protective equipment and a huge improvement over the ill-fitting soccer or hockey gear that many stunters struggle with now.
www.dainese.com