Vantrue Falcon 1 Bike Cam

£315.00

I have been riding motorbikes for over 40 years and never had a dashcam on any of my bikes, whereas all my cars have cameras and have done so for years.  I had been hoping for a decent motorbike system to come to market as it seems that most accidents get argued and settled as 50/50!  A mate of mine was T-boned at a junction and there was no way it was his fault, but the other driver came up with a story as to why it wasn’t their fault and the insurance companies settled on 50/50.  His insurance premiums then took a big hike and perhaps if he had a bike cam - a digital witness to the event - he would have been entitled to a replacement bike and full repair from the others’ insurance company. 

Therefore, when I got the chance to test out the F1 on my bike I jumped at it.  The fitting isn’t as simple as with cars which are typically a plug-in-and-play system. Instead, I had to undress the bike but taking panels, the seat and the petrol tank off to run the wires from the front 4k camera and rear 1080p rear camera to the centre where the battery lives.  Once the cameras were stuck in place and I’d tie wrapped them to the frame, I had to connect it to the battery with one wire to the positive, and one to the negative. Thankfully, this was fairly simple as I could loosen the connections and slide the wires in. However, the yellow wire is to be connected to the ignition so that the F1 turns on and off with your bike. I found this was the trickiest part but was doable after reading through the instruction booklet a few times. Once connected, the system alerts you to needing a high-speed memory can which was a nice touch to ensure you didn’t ride off with no way of storing the footage. However, the F1 does not come with a memory card in the box, so this is an additional necessary purchase to store your recordings.

Once I had the cameras connected to my bike, I just needed to download the Vantrue app and connect it to my F1 camera. I was then able to view both cameras on my phone screen and could make any final adjustments before I set off to test them out. After using the F1 for a few weeks I was super impressed, not only does it provide a great view of in front and behind the bike, but the image quality is also super clear – this gave me great peace of mind knowing if an accident was to occur, I had an extra layer of protection recording everything occurring around my bike. In fact, I was super thrilled to see that the image quality at night was comparable to that during the day, ensuring that no matter when I decided to take a ride, I knew the cameras were there to record should anything happen.

The overall quality of the F1 is excellent, and it is clear that Vantrue is passionate about making dash cameras that are easy to use and durable enough to withstand their function – something that’s super essential for a motorbike camera as it is always exposed to the elements. Therefore, I was super glad to see the F1 was rugged, sturdy and waterproof to tackle even the wettest of British summers!  

I was initially interested in a bike dash camera to record my rides and act as an extra pair of eyes should I be involved in an accident. However, after exploring the Vantrue app, I was thrilled to see that the F1 actually does so much more even when you’re not on the bike. The F1 provides a 24/7 parking guard, which will capture footage should your bike be hit whilst you are not near it. The F1 awakens and records the movement, meaning that even whilst parked the camera is ensuring that your bike is protected. This footage is then stored on the app, much like the footage from every journey, and so can be sent to insurance companies or the police if necessary. Plus, another great bonus of the F1 is that it has an inbuilt GPS which can record your journeys and driving speeds, so you can see your routes all mapped out – a nice little added touch.

Overall, I have to say I’m super impressed with the F1 Bike Dash Camera, and it has become a key part of every ride for a little extra peace of mind. Years ago I started wearing an air vest for safety when on my bike, and on the odd occasions that I ride without it now, I feel so wrong – I can already tell this is going to be the same for the Vantrue F1 camera system as I can’t image riding anywhere without it now!

If you’re an avid motorbike rider and are looking for top quality bike dash cam you really can’t go wrong with Vantrue’s F1 Bike Dash Camera. I will admit it is not the cheapest bit of kit, but for the camera quality, sense of protection and other useful parking features it really is worth the price. I personally learned many years ago with motorcycle gear, that if you buy cheap, you buy more than once until you bite the bullet and buy the best – and the F1 is certainly the best.

Available from www.vantrue.com.

If you're interested in the Falcon 1 Bike Dash Cam or any other products from VanTrue you can use code: 'gadgethead' for 25% off or use this direct link to access the discount: https://www.vantrue.com/discount/Gadgethead. 

Pros:

• Top quality camera for clear footage both night and day
• Parking mode for added protection when you’re not on your bike
• Dual camera system for the front and back of your bike for extra security when riding

Cons:

• Is a little more tricky than car dash cams to install and does require wiring into your bike yourself