Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Sport touring: Sena Prism action camera review

It was bound to happen, sooner or later I'd succumb to curiosity and acquire an action camera.  While I never intend on becoming a Vlogger since I prefer written words and am far from a video editing whiz as a tool it does serve a purpose. 

There have been a few occasions while I've been out riding when I thought I wish I could record the outing, whether it was a winding back road, descending a mountain road or the occassional unfriendly actions of auto operators while commuting.  There are many options in terms of small compact action cameras with GoPro being the most popular.  The Prism is one of the latest offerings from Sena a moto specific accessories manufacturer.  

My main criteria in looking for a camera were: it should have decent video quality, affordability, ease of use and mounting to my helmet. The prism meets of all these and as an added bonus it is incredibly compatible with iMovie.  I ordered the Prism Lite pack, it includes a camera, two surface mounts and a helmet clamp mount, perfect. So far it has performed well.  Unlike the old adage a picture is worth a thousand words, how about a video saves a thousand words. 

The following is a short clip while product testing in real world conditions.  Feel free to add your own soundtrack.





Thursday, October 8, 2015

Sport Touring: Gear testing on a cloudy day…

On a cloudy damp Thursday I decided that it was time to deviate from my quotidian affairs and indulge.  Instead of diligently heading over to my desk jockey location I decided that an early breakfast at my local mart was in order accompanied by my best pal.  Furthermore, I decided that today was a good day to perform gear testing.

If anyone asked you what is something you need in abundance in your life what would you say?  Today time is something I would like in abundance, time to surf, time to…  And when all else fails one must create it.  I recently acquired a few exquisite pieces of gear that had yet to be tested and what more appropriate time to do this then while a tropical storm batters the East Coast, indeed.  I have previously mention that Sport Touring requires some level of training and one variable one must train for is riding in the rain.  Every time I have gone on a tour it has rained.  The 650 (aka Ibex) is ready to roll, and I am ready to test my new Alpinestars Gore-Tex gloves, Sena’s prism action camera, and Kriega’s US 30 dry bag (reviews forthcoming), along with my moto skills.


The air is chilled, humidity levels have dropped to ideal levels, and Ibex is warm up and ready to roll.  I close my eyes take one, two, three deep breaths make peace with the world pull the clutch drop to first, roll the throttle and am on my way.  Whereas before I lived inside the Matrix, my current residence lies outside of it and today I must venture inside.  As soon as I rolled onto the interstate the road spray and vertical precipitation reduces my visibility to less than 100 meters/328 yards, yet cages maintain or exceed posted speed limits.  The rain continues and so do I.  My field of vision is limited as the rain persists, yet it fails to damper my outlook. Today I will surf.  My gear is performing flawlessly, Ibex is steady, I am dry and my heart rate is calm.  Surf on even if I am the only moto on the road.  An hour later and having covered 22 miles I arrived at my destination drenched on the outside yet serene on the inside.
Some may ask, wouldn’t be [insert own thought] if you just drove or…? I am unable to answer this question.  I simply choose to believe that despite what the hyperactive media reports in the U.S., One exists in a jovial world, therefore, I must Surf it.  In a world full of complexities, I am a Tarmac Surfer and this is my reality, exponentially beautiful reality.


Ibex