Motovlogging: Do we do it for the toys, or the ride?

scooterwuf

L Plate Member
Jan 6, 2017
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Philadelphia/South Jersey
I ride a
Kymco Downtown 300i
Of late I haven't been able to do much motovlogging over the summer, but now that I'm winding back into it I find myself restless. However, I'm not sure if it's my need to ride and record, or to get the latest toys available. For instance, I've found myself wanting to get the new GoPro Hero 10, though I've no need for the camera. I'm really happy with my current set up which includes a GoPro Max, but the Hero 10 looks real tempting.

I'm also considering an Insta360 OneX2. I have the first Insta model which isn't great, but I got it used and cheap. Knowing its full potential I find myself wanting to get the top model.

So .. do I motovlog for the ride, or the joy of getting new toys to play with. Am I the only one?

- Wolf
 

Skipshift

Perpetual Rookie
Aug 23, 2021
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Arkansas, USA
www.youtube.com
I ride a
2012 gsxr 600
I'm very much a gear/toys guy.
I was leaning toward getting the Insta360 One X2 also, and part of me wishes I had just because it would be a new thing to learn to use. But I am liking the Hero 10 so far. I really didn't need it, already had the Hero 9, but I like gadgets. The 10 seems a bit smoother and less finnicky than the 9 so far. I haven't lost any files on it at least, the rest is TBD I guess. I'm doing some testing with it for a video down the road, but I digress.
There are times I'm more about the rides, and times that I'm more about the toys. Just depends on my mood.
 
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R-Rated

Remember to Have Fun! - Solar Bear 2020 Champion
Aug 4, 2016
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I ride a
2014 Harley Davidson (FLHTK) Ultra Limited
Of late I haven't been able to do much motovlogging over the summer, but now that I'm winding back into it I find myself restless. However, I'm not sure if it's my need to ride and record, or to get the latest toys available. For instance, I've found myself wanting to get the new GoPro Hero 10, though I've no need for the camera. I'm really happy with my current set up which includes a GoPro Max, but the Hero 10 looks real tempting.

I'm also considering an Insta360 OneX2. I have the first Insta model which isn't great, but I got it used and cheap. Knowing its full potential I find myself wanting to get the top model.

So .. do I motovlog for the ride, or the joy of getting new toys to play with. Am I the only one?

- Wolf
Easy answer - I do it for future me to watch and then generations to come. Then there is the "art" of it all in creating something out of hours of nothing.

The toys are good I guess. I am not planning buying a newer hero until the 12 or 16. By then the lens overlay for the eyeball should be able to be worn without too much lens solution o_O

ordi-Star-Trek.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=960&h=500&dpr=1.jpg
 

LoneWolfer

Lone Wolfer Garage
Jun 1, 2017
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I ride a
Harley Nightster, Harley Switchback & Suzuki Savage
I too sadly have not been vlogging much. Had a strong start in the beginning of the year and was super consistent up until about a month and half ago when the Other Lone Wolfer and I decided to dedicate all our spare time to buying a house.

I'm definitely about the ride, not the gadgets. That is probably obvious to many in my videos as they aren't super hi rez, overly produced pieces. My work is a product of circumstance - do I have time to film and edit this? If yes, it gets done. If it will cost too much time, then no. Does it have to look perfect or does it have to be done?

I do very much like my Gopro Hero 9 with eh selfie camera for off bike stuff, but I'll be honest I miss using the Hero 5 as it didn't have as many quirks. And the Hero 5 just felt like it could do more then the 9.

As for going in on the 360 cameras, I still don't see much of a point for them. Yesterday was the first time I saw a blog where I was like, oh that's what the 360 cam is good for, and that was on Theodor's latest quest for ice cream. The camera was pointed to the group he was leading and that view was perfect to get the road, riders and scenery in it, then panned around back to his view, which then switched back to his body camera.

So ya, I'm doing it for the rides, not the toys.
 

R-Rated

Remember to Have Fun! - Solar Bear 2020 Champion
Aug 4, 2016
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Middle Tennessee USA
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I ride a
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I too sadly have not been vlogging much. Had a strong start in the beginning of the year and was super consistent up until about a month and half ago when the Other Lone Wolfer and I decided to dedicate all our spare time to buying a house.

. If it will cost too much time, then no. Does it have to look perfect or does it have to be done?

As for going in on the 360 cameras, I still don't see much of a point for them. Yesterday was the first time I saw a blog where I was like, oh that's what the 360 cam is good for, and that was on Theodor's latest quest for ice cream. The camera was pointed to the group he was leading and that view was perfect to get the road, riders and scenery in it, then panned around back to his view, which then switched back to his body camera.

So ya, I'm doing it for the rides, not the toys.
As always, great points!

I wanted to dive into a few with some pointers I have found helpful...

The first sounds like a motivation thing. A lot of folks times when they are bursting with energy and then times where they have no wind in the sails. I find it helpful to film a lot and then when the energy is there - hit the old editing reel and see what happens. Occasionally, I might have a good amount of footage where I am like, "what the heck can I do with this?" Then I listen to the universe and usually something hits me like a song or even seeing what the AI built in to the editing software can come up with.
Using the creative streak to stock up from time to time is a good thing to overcome when I cannot edit due to mood, adulting, or anything else that gets in the way

That ties to your second point - does it have to look perfect or just get done? Well, if you are banking in the money from the videos then more perfect. If you are like me and not that much comes from the videos as far as the coins, then getting it done is more of a priority. Plus, overly produced, perfect shot. too happy videos seem so fake. For example I watched a video where a creator was showing why the table in the RV was the right size. He gets up from the driver's seat, passes back past the table, give a thumbs up to the camera, and then exits out the side door to the coach. I thought - why the heck not just go out the driver's door? Plus there is the other part of the video talking about how hot it is in the desert but then another shot showing someone wearing thermal top heating hot coca in the microwave while wearing a ski hat. Too bad they left the shade up showing the broad daylight on the desert sand outside.
So perfection can end up being flawed if overdone.

360 Cameras - I have some videos coming out where the 360 gets to be following up and behind me on a stick to give drone like effect while hiking, then it grabs some good low shots on the bike where I can adjust the point of view in post, it looks over the edge of a sinkhole while keeping the orientation right in post, and then there is gem of my steam driven arse climbing the observation tower in actual 360 (that is a card for the first video in the latest motocamping adventure).
So 360's can be very helpful. I even have used it as a traditional camera on the helmet in a pinch.

Maybe we need a place where if we run out of creative energy, we can go to each other for encouragement? Feel free to PM me if you need some goofy and or bad ideas for videos. I got plenty!
 
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Theodor

Don't wannabe
Nov 16, 2017
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Valkyrie 1500
I too get hooked with hoarding hardware, every now and then. I go fishing only few times a year, but I have box full of lures in the basement :p Several of them have never been in water even. Lucky for me, cameras are so much more expensive, I usually am unable to get more :D
The reality is, that getting hooked with consumption, can lure you ( :p ) from what you originally started getting the equipment for.
I am no psychologist, but I know biologically we are all prone to laziness, because lost energy goes against survival instincts. I think advertisements take advantage of that, and make us subconsciously believe, newer and better equipment will get us better results, with no effort from ourselves. So we could only reap the benefits, without losing calories, thus "survive" easier.

...The camera was pointed to the group he was leading and that view was perfect to get the road, riders and scenery in it...
This is actually the only reason I originally got it, to take scenery shots, that get left out from my chesty. All the other stuff, like weird angles and drone faking, what I did for the ad game entry are fun sometimes, but not really the real goal with it.

...Maybe we need a place where if we run out of creative energy, we can go to each other for encouragement?...
Yes, if only there was a place like that. I'm thinking maybe a forum of some sorts. :p
 

R-Rated

Remember to Have Fun! - Solar Bear 2020 Champion
Aug 4, 2016
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I ride a
2014 Harley Davidson (FLHTK) Ultra Limited
I read a brief article that covered some scientists analyzing creative people and found there is a pattern of experimenting and then exploiting a new style or method.

Perhaps buying the new camera is the easy way to experiment and then using that catalyst we head into the exploitive phase?

Could also explain the use of drugs or other vices in many creative fields...

Full paper about it here for us ubernerds like me
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25477-8
 

Moto Mengy

Motovlogger from PA, USA
Mar 23, 2020
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I'm very much in the camp of motovlogging for the ride, not the toys. Motovlogging is just a hobby I do alongside the riding I'd be doing anyway, plus I really enjoy the creation process of making videos.

HOWEVER, on the topic of toys and 360 cameras, I have to admit I LOVE my new Insta360 One X2. I've done a few motovlogs with it now and I've been very impressed with the dynamic aspect it's allowing me to add to my recent videos. In all honesty I think I could ditch the helmet cam entirely and just motovlog straight with the One X2 and still make great motovlogs, but I need the Hero 8 on my helmet as it's my microphone.
 

L. Bilious

Huge member
Aug 2, 2019
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I ride a
CBR1100, GSXR750, XR250
I'm in it to record my rides to watch back when I'm too old.
I'd love to afford new toys but even my budget is budget.

I use a drift ghost HD (not even the S) and ive just picked up a gopro3 to try a second cam view.

I've got a couple of rides dumped on the laptop hard drive and a dirty bike vlog that's 3/4 edited. I rarely seem to have time or incentive to edit, I'm trying to fix that.
 

LandyVlad

King of Mycenae
Jun 8, 2020
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Brisbane, Australia
gsx1400owners.org
I ride a
Suzuki GSX1400
I haven;t been doing much because I haven;t come up with a good solution yet.

My GitUp camera is pretty ordinary - certainly from an audio perspective I need to do some surgery to the hardware!

At least I have a bracket on the way which should allow me to set it up on my helmet properly.

I also had a major DaVinci resolve meltdown ( basically when I changed hard disks so no Resolves fault) and getting that recovered is still proving problematic. Motivation has been low as a result as I've been a bit down., Then yesterday I had to get my dog put down so , yeah :(
 

Meifesto

Semi-Suicidal Dutchie
Jan 5, 2013
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I definitely do it for the riding. The people you (can) meet.
The roads, the view, the motorcycle.
|And maybe a bit because the chances to ride other bikes it gives me.

The toys are a bonus, sometimes wanted and something i'm becoming more and more curious about.
And sometimes just needed....
 

Drakhen99

The Forrest Gump of Motovloggers
Aug 31, 2020
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2019 Harley Street Glide Special, 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Classic (bobber), 1979 Kawasaki KZ650SR
Ya'll make some very good points and are asking some great questions.

I started motovlogging as a way to share my rides and an excuse to add tech and motorcycles together and learn a new skillset. Creating YouTube content has been a dream of mine for years, so last year I decided it was time.

It escalated to buying lots of tech and focusing too much on that than the ride itself. Now I'm getting back to that point... I have some great tech and have gotten my audio to a point where I can expand the roads I ride and record on, and I'm getting less focused on making the videos perfect. Like R-Rated said, being able to make something from seemingly nothing, well that's a heck of a skill to have, and with the tools I've got, I can do just that. I haven't ridden at night at all this year because I spend too much time editing my videos.

I've also grown a lot in my on-camera presence and ability to talk to a camera, so instead of constantly pushing the envelope and having to test things, I'm seeing better results from my efforts.

Sometimes the motivation isn't there, and I'll just ride to ride, but I'm still generally recording, even if I don't make it into a video. Sometimes the new tech drives the content.

I'm hoping to settle down tech-wise and just focus on the content itself. Being able to trust your settings and hardware is a great feeling - just go ride and if you feel like talking, do so.

One other thing to mention is burnout is real. It hits me about once a month or so, when I just don't have it in me to record or edit, even if I've got a topic in mind I want to record, or some [seemingly] great footage to edit. Do something too much and the excitement wanes. A break is required to reset that, IMHO.

TL;DR: There's ups and downs to adding tech to a great hobby like motorcycles, and if you're not feeling it, don't do it - the results will show. OTOH, it can drive your excitement to get new tech, especially if you're a techie nerd like me, which then drives the content and makes it more fun.

Did I answer the questions or go way off-tangent again?

-John
 
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scooterwuf

L Plate Member
Jan 6, 2017
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Philadelphia/South Jersey
I ride a
Kymco Downtown 300i
I'm preoccupied with motion. It's a filmmaker thing. Whether I'm riding to work, for fun, traveling, or creating footage and putting it together in editing. When I'm having a good time on a ride I tend to think - I want to share this with others. I also get excited with shooting really good footage, especially from a good camera or format. This is probably why I'm excited by the idea of new gear and equipment.

I wonder if it's like the tree falling in the woods. If you go on a great ride and no one sees it -- did it really happen? Of late I've found that it's lonelier to rider if I'm not narrating into my mic, especially on long trips. Maybe motovlogging is the closest we get to being a first person narrator in a first person POV story.

- Wolf
 

Moto Mengy

Motovlogger from PA, USA
Mar 23, 2020
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That indeed is the curse of current generations. We find it difficult to enjoy things ourselves, we need others to do it for us :p
Huh, I very much enjoy doing things alone, in fact sometimes I prefer it. I still go on many rides where I don't film at all, not to mention all of my other hobbies I do alone because my girlfriend is working or my friends aren't around.
 
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Drakhen99

The Forrest Gump of Motovloggers
Aug 31, 2020
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road-reality.com
I ride a
2019 Harley Street Glide Special, 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Classic (bobber), 1979 Kawasaki KZ650SR
Huh, I very much enjoy doing things alone, in fact sometimes I prefer it. I still go on many rides where I don't film at all, not to mention all of my other hobbies I do alone because my girlfriend is working or my friends aren't around.

HOW DARE YOU not adhere to the Vlogger Code of Ethics! You sir, are in violation of Regulation 13982!

:D

-John
 
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