Arkon Camera Bike Motorcycle Handlebar Mount Holder for Sony Samsung Panasonic Nikon Cameras...

EVALUATION > A good solid semi-permanent camera mount for ~1" (25mm) handlebars/rods/pipes/poles, with easy (but limited range) tilt adjustment, for lightweight cameras. DESCRIPTION > 2 1/2" wide X 1 1/2" X ~3" high to tip of camera screw when installed on a ~1" rod/pipe/pole. > Comes with 2 rubbery pads which help grip the pole and absorb vibrations. > Grips a ~1" rod/pipe/pole using 1 of the rubber pads. >-> Could be installed on a ~1 1/8" pole without any pads, but probably would not grip as well, and you'd loose the vibration dampening. >-> Could be installed on a 7/8" or smaller pole with both pads and/or additional padding, but might not grip as well. > Range of tilt 45 degrees from vertical, 90 degrees total. > For relatively lightweight equipment only, particularly on a bike or motorcycle. > Oddly, the upper and lower portion of the mount are separated (as shown in the photo) by 3/8" when installed on a ~1" rod/pipe/pole. COMPARED TO A TRIPOD BALLHEAD (available on some similar mounting devices) > IN SHORT: The ballhead of the Arkon mount works well, better than a tripod ballhead in some respects or applications, but it is not as versatile as a tripod ballhead. > A tripod ballhead with a comparable size ball would be taller, which results in unwelcome leverage making it easy to push your camera etc. out of orientation. > The Arkon ballhead is movable when moderately tightened, and stays in place better than an ordinary ballhead. So, it is easy to position and reposition just by grabbing your camera and moving it where you want. > When locked-down tight the Arkon ballhead ballead is less likely to spontaneously loosen than a comparable tripod ballhead. > The Arkon ballhead does not have the multiple independent movements of a tripod ballhead. You screw on your device and then lock it in position. For example, there is no independent way to tighten your equipment on or to (in effect) adjust the length of the camera screw-thread. > Tripod ballheads allow a full 180 degrees range of movement (tilt),the Arkon only 45 degrees from the vertical, 90 degrees total. > The Arkon is all plastic, tripod ballheads are metal. >-> The ball of the Arkon ballhead can pop out of its socket (if you mount heavy equipment and hit a hard bump--likely resulting in damage to your camera). >-> The Arkon ballhead can can snap off at the neck (if you mount heavy equipment and hit a hard bump--likely resulting in damage to your camera). > Click on Stoney just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask questions.

This is an inexpensive, sturdy, useful, and secure camera mount. It is easy to adjust and remove your camera once you have attached this product to the handlebar. I can literally think of no way to improve this product. It is an excellent value. I would recommend mounting the camera upside down, meaning the threaded camera mount hanging under the handlebars. You can mount it right side up above the handlebars, and it will hold your camera in place, but there will be more vibration. Perhaps vibration would be less of an issue with a motorcycle, but having never ridden one, I cannot say. You can use software to flip the video; I used XviD4PSP for this. It's free. I purchased this to secure a HD action camera to my bicycle handlebars to record my commute in the event of a traffic incident. Unfortunately, I was hit by a ~ 7,000 pound truck (hit & run driver...) soon after this purchase, and the camera stayed attached during the entire collision. My bicycle was destroyed, but this mount and the camera remained completely unharmed. It is in fact now attached to my new bicycle. I have since recovered fully. I will not provide further information about the incident I have related in this review, so please don't ask.

Surprisingly flexible with regard to the variety of items it can be attached to if suitable 'bushing' materials are used. Motorcycle grips (yes it will fit the actual grips), motorcycle handlebars, bicycle handlebars, ski poles, 1/2" electrical conduit... etc. Great quality, cannot imagine higher quality regardless of price - though obviously there is no stabilization - just a simple mount that is easy to adjust yet holds the camera quite firmly, even while riding offroad quickly in rough terrain (off road motorcycling). Quick tip - if you are using this for a motorcycle, try mounting in the center of the bars. There seems to be far less motor vibration there.

First off, I would only recommend this mount for smaller cameras/pov digital video recorders due to the obvious limitations of the materials (adjustable joint consists of all plastics: ball, clamp, and tightening ring). Attaching a heavier camcorder will cause it to shift. Out of the box, this is just a mediocre mount. Just from looking at it and with prior experience with rubber ball joint mounts, I knew it would shift in the upright position with it being all plastic. So I mounted my Contour ROAM camera (155 grams) in the hanging position to help minimize any extra movement. It would still shift a little bit when giving it a test tap. On my first ride it ended up shifting a few times; about 12 miles in, and then after readjusting it stayed put for about another 8 miles. Up to this point, the mount is a 1.5 star product for still holding onto my camera without dropping it. As i mentioned, the ball and clamp are both plastic, which are relatively smooth. So instead of trying to keep things from moving by over-tightening the clamp and risk breaking one of the plastic pieces, I added a small amount of adhesive putty to the ball joint. This is easily performed by unscrewing the tightening ring all the way, pulling the clamp off the ball, adding the putty, then reassembling. The next few rides have been a success: the camera has not yet shifted. So to recap, after adding a little extra friction to the ball joint, this mount has worked to my expectations. For the price, along with a small dab of putty (sanding with rough sandpaper may also work), this mount is hard to beat. 4 stars overall; 5 for price, minus 1 for requiring a small fix.