The winter started very early (last november!) And quite many years lately the spring didn’t come early or not even in the ordinary time (around mid march). But this year maby it’s early? At least I was actually doing a proper motorcycle ride already in 24th of February!
My ride was mostly about testing the Sena Spider ST1 helmet phone as the microphone. But I was also testing the remote controller (GPS Preview Remote) which is very easy to use and it gives also the GPS data to your video if you want to use it. A week later I was riding again!
This morning (06th of March 2024) it was -8° so maybe we still need to wait?!
Almost the only new models were BMW’s F900GS and R1300GS (from adventure section). But from Ducati there was this totally new model (with new 1-sylinder engine) Hypermotard 698 Mono and I really believe (or hope) that there will be Enduro model also coming!
This is mind blowing! It’s revolutionary. Until now everyone who wanted to talk to the video while riding a motorcycle had to install either a mic with the wire (so called Lavalier microphone) or somekind of wireless microphone inside their helmets. I was using one of the best ones (RØDE wireless Go II) and I did find a place for the microphone inside my helmet but then there was the problem of the reciever and the adapter on the side of the camera.
The sound quality from this RØDE microphone was very good! But because of the rain I did brake 1 mic adapter last summer. Then on december 2023 they released this new Insta360 Ace Pro camera and it has bluetooth connectivity!! I didn’t even realize this when I bought it. But about in the same time when I got this new camera the DJI Osmo Action 4 shared new firmware update that allowed it to be connected to DJI Mic 2. That was the first time when I knew something quite important was about to happen! In DJI’s version you still need to install this microphone inside the helmet. Only few weeks later Insta360 released new firmware that had already more than 5 different helmetphone Brands and models that was supported by Insta360 Ace Pro camera!! I had Sena 30K and it was not on the list…. So I sold my helmetphone and bought the new one! It was Sena Spider ST1 and to pair it with Insta360 Ace Pro you do like this:
I knew that when you are using helmetphone microphone they have this “Advanced Noise Control™” that will block all ambient sounds (sounds from the outside of your helmet). So I started testing how can I easily disconnect the helmetphone from the camera so that camera’s own microphone will record all sounds when I’m not talking to the microphone. It can be done but it’s not very easy.
Finally today (3rd of february) it was so warm weather so I decided I will install the battery to my bike. And because my bike’s engine started like it was not winter at all… I decided to go for a ride! And ofcourse test how this Sena Spider ST1 will work as a microphone in insta360 Ace Pro camera. Here is the video:
As a result I can say that yes, you can hear the engine sound on the video. But it’s not too loud. Actually if I will use music on the video it will cover pretty much all engine sound… So I will try to remember to disconnect the helmetphone (microphone) when I don’t want to talk to the video. And when I want to talk again I need to stop recording and connect the helmetphone to the camera again. And start recording again (Sounds little bit complicated here! But it isn’t.)
I have a promo code for you to buy insta360 Ace Pro Action camera! Unfortunately they do not offer any discount but if you use this link it gives some benefits to me – Thank You!
I’ve had this camera now almost 2 weeks and I’m getting to know it better. First video I made with this camera was only a short walk around the area where I live. But I already added few AI Warp sections to this video.
Then after a long long time not been used I did try my RAM Mount Suction cup holder to my working car. I also made a safety line so if the suction cup wouldn’t hold the camera would not fall to the ground…. But it didn’t need it! RAM Mount was working perfectly and I made this video:
After this video I had quite nicely material to make few AI Warps more! I was sharing them in instagram mostly… https://www.instagram.com/gozamite/ But I also made a video where I collected some of the best AI Warp edits that I have done so far:
I hope they will make few upgrades to this AI warp editor. The main thing would be the possibility to have only 1 filter in one video, now it has quite many and those are changing randomly all the time. The other one would be more seconds to those edited videos. Now the maximum is 4 seconds. I found one video where the guy made 1 minute long video with only WI warp edited material. He told me it took 1 full day for him to make it! Here’s the video:
I’ve neen using Insta360 cameras now little bit more than one year. They are as good as DJI cameras especially when they offer also these 360 cameras. Those are definitely an update for everything there was before these interesting cameras. I realized pretty soon that there’s no sense to have two separate 360 cameras so I started to look for a new action camera… And Insta360 had quite perfect timing when they released new Ace Pro camera. I ordered it right away when it was published. When I got the camera I made “UnBoxing” video to youtube (Only in Finnish):
And today I went first to Billnäs to make some video there, Then I visited in Hub Feenix and got some animals also to this video. I had my “old action camera” insta360 One RS with this new insta360 Ace Pro. SO you can compare the picture that these cameras make in low light snowy landscape with 4K 30fps.
The winter motorcycling is quite challenging! First you’re collecting the best and warmest clothes to put on you. You get dressed up for 1 hour (or something) and then you go out without even knowing if the bike will start?
I was really waiting this kind of weather! The frozen ground makes the gravel roads little bit slippery (Or too slippery like you will see later in this post!) and the riding is more challenging! I took this kind of route yesterday:
I wanted to ride the forest roads near that Iso-Kisko lake and I wanted to see the swimming place and fire place of that lake. I only saw that place once and that was in the middle of the winter -at least now it would be little bit earlier!
Here was the first crossroads where I found the road that I didn’t ride before.
That road had some beautiful views right under the powerline that has no electric current! The line comes from Inkoo Powerplant that was demolished few years ago.
Then I was in another city (Salo) and district (Varsinais-Suomi). That road was just maintained and plowed so there was loose gravel and stones on the surface and right under this loose surface there was frozen layer… It was very slippery! And even I said to myself many times “Be careful, It’s very slippery!” This happened:
For a second I was little bit frightened that I was hurt! I was winded and it felt like there’s something wrong. But it lasted only few seconds and then I pulled myself up and started to my move my hands and shoulders. It felt like everything was ok! I had to ride to the gas station because I needed to fix the foot peg that was stuck on the “Up position”.
This picture I took little bit later when I was already riding back home. The whole adventure video you can see here:
Last week in Milano was again the biggest motorcycle exhibition in the world: Eicma 2023 This time there were many new models that are interesting and I will introduce few of them here. Honda NX500
CB500X will be NX500 from now on. The technical specs will be pretty much the same than in CB500X. But the look will be very close to it’s bigger brother 750 TransAlp.
Royal Enfield 450 Himalayan
New Himalayan will be much lighter and much more adventure ready! 40 hp, 195kg and 21 inch front wheel tells quite a lot about this bike. But if you really want to know more check ItchyBoots YouTube channel, she’s riding this bike already in India even it’s not in full production yet.
Kove 800X Super Adventure
Kove bikes are hardly sold in Finland yet! But they have a dealer here and it will be very interesing to see these!! It has almost 100hp and it weights 185kg! These specs are pretty much everything that all the adventure riders are expecting about the bike.
Triumph Tiger 900 Rally
This is still one of my favorite bikes! I did only a short test ride with it few years ago. Now they made it even better! It has now 106hp and it weights 228kg. I would say it’s totally ready for long long adventures!
And then 2 bike models that were introduced but only as a street models. And everyone is waiting the adventure model to be revealed very soon or at least next year at EICMA.
Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono
First time in 30 years Ducati presents one cylinder engine! But what a beast it is! It has 77hp and the bike weights 151kg! There has been already artist drawings about the Enduro model:
I can say I like it very much!!
KTM 990 Duke
KTM has mad adventure models from every street models so it’s pretty obvious that there will be 990 adventure! This has 123hp and the bike weights 180kg (dry weight).
The lates update was published today and you can download it here: https://transeurotrail.org/finland/ And because you should always have the latest routes and updates I really hope you will go and download the file now! And remove all old gpx -files from your computer and GPS. First update was made in Tammela – Hattula area for Section 1 (and little bit for section 5):
These roads I was checking not so long time ago, here’s the video of that adventure:
Second update is in Section 8 in Utajärvi:
Advseeker.fi made this update for me and he also made a video about checking these routes:
Third update this time was in Section 2 in the southside of Kärsämäki & Pyhäntä:
This route I got already long time ago and it was Atte A who sent the update, thank you! There was also small updates done in section 1 near Hauho and section 5 near Tenhola.
GoZa Mite 