Just finished installing a 7" monitor & rearview camera

May 23rd, 2010, 05:51 PM

I just finished my project for the weekend. A 7" monitor with rear view camera. I custom made a bracket out of 1" aluminum and mounted it just in front of the gas tank and attached it to the frame. I then took one of the extra mounts from my GoPro digital camera and attached it to the back of the monitor, put a molex connector for power so now I have an easily removable screen. I used a rear back up camera from ebay that came with a license plate bracket and just cut it with a hacksaw to fit in the undertail section just between my rear LED turn signals. Overall I am really very with the install. It works perfectly even in direct sunlight. I previously tired this with a touchscreen Garmin that had a video input but it was almost impossible to view in the sunlight so I got rid of it. Now I have my Iphone mounted above the gauges for GPS and the monitor mounted down below for rear view. I am still going to use my rear view mirrors, but now I have no blind spots at all! If anyone wants more details I would be happy to share exactly how I did everything in more detail and if anyone in SoCal wants to do this mod I would be happy to help. Here are some pics. Enjoy.

May 23rd, 2010, 05:54 PM

.

xtrapsi · May 23rd, 2010, 06:02 PM

Cool mod!
I thought about doing the same thing but wasn't sure how to tackle the monitor problem.

03slime250 · May 23rd, 2010, 11:20 PM

wow, too cool

miks · May 23rd, 2010, 11:48 PM

Great mod mate, but consider getting a case/cover for it.

CZroe · May 24th, 2010, 12:19 AM

You can jailbreak your phone to have video output ("Resupported") and a horizontal home screen (rotation supported). You can even use other apps, like PlaceToggle, to enable/disable home-screen rotation and auto-lock when you enable/disable your custom "motorcycle mode." You can even turn off the iPhone's backlight without locking it.

If I were you, I'd do this and use a momentary switch to switch between rear view and iPhone on the bright, sunlight-visible display.

What display is it, BTW? Does it support S-Video?

binlagin · May 24th, 2010, 03:42 AM

Have you tried this yourself? I ran into a world of hurt when i tried using video on other devices

Quote:

Originally Posted by CZroe

You can jailbreak your phone to have video output ("Resupported") and a horizontal home screen (rotation supported). You can even use other apps, like PlaceToggle, to enable/disable home-screen rotation and auto-lock when you enable/disable your custom "motorcycle mode." You can even turn off the iPhone's backlight without locking it.

If I were you, I'd do this and use a momentary switch to switch between rear view and iPhone on the bright, sunlight-visible display.

What display is it, BTW? Does it support S-Video?

Rayme · May 24th, 2010, 03:56 AM

Does it mirror image automaticaly or you have to realize what's on your left is actually on your right?

Banzai · May 24th, 2010, 04:22 AM

Cool deal. A guy I ride with modded his tank with a fiberglass encolosure where he flush mounted his screen.

He gets a "fix it" ticket several times a year. "Video screen within view of the operator". Under VA law, he's in the wrong. He unplugs the camera, removes the cover with screen, and goes to court. The next day, he puts his add on back on.

Anyone wanting to do this, make sure it's legal where your bike is registered and licensed.

bob706 · May 24th, 2010, 05:10 AM

Very cool setup.

Let us know how the monitor holds up to vibration and heat.

Snake · May 24th, 2010, 07:38 AM

Great idea. Can you hook it up to a recording device for playback video of your rides?

QuarterBoreNinja · May 24th, 2010, 08:16 AM

A most interesting mod... I've been riding for years and I guess I'm getting old, I love to ride motorcycles so I can get away from garbage like phones and video screens, not take them with me... But that's the fun of riding, doing the mods that work the best for each of us...

rockNroll · May 24th, 2010, 09:19 AM

I want one that does DVD's as well.

May 24th, 2010, 03:44 PM

It does a "mirror image" so the left side of the screen is what is actually on your left, etc. Since I am in Socal and I only see rain maybe 3-5 days per year, I am simply going to disconnect it if it rains.

vollrathdude · May 24th, 2010, 10:25 PM

thats cool as balls, good job

CZroe · May 25th, 2010, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by binlagin

Have you tried this yourself? I ran into a world of hurt when i tried using video on other devices

I don't have the cables for it. iPhone only supports video out in certain apps with a specific cable but I hear that Resupported, a commercial app for jailbroken iPhones, will allow it to work with any ipod AV cable in any app including the homescreen. Is that the problem you were having?

rceezy · May 25th, 2010, 12:40 PM

Very neat! I wish I were technologically inclined.

Tigress · May 25th, 2010, 01:33 PM

Likey Likey!!!

sombo · May 25th, 2010, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Banzai

Cool deal. A guy I ride with modded his tank with a fiberglass encolosure where he flush mounted his screen.

He gets a "fix it" ticket several times a year. "Video screen within view of the operator". Under VA law, he's in the wrong. He unplugs the camera, removes the cover with screen, and goes to court. The next day, he puts his add on back on.

Anyone wanting to do this, make sure it's legal where your bike is registered and licensed.

Sounds like a law they need to re-evaluate. Starting with luxury cars and now trickling down into more mainstream cars are video backup cameras and such for "safety" reasons. Yet there the law is making this sort of safety device illegal. Another great job by our lawmakers.

Love the mod, might have to do something similar someday.

randomwalk101 · May 25th, 2010, 08:37 PM

I'd rather have a gps rather than bu camera though
Posted via Mobile Device

CZroe · May 25th, 2010, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sombo

Sounds like a law they need to re-evaluate. Starting with luxury cars and now trickling down into more mainstream cars are video backup cameras and such for "safety" reasons. Yet there the law is making this sort of safety device illegal. Another great job by our lawmakers.

Love the mod, might have to do something similar someday.

Those devices are usually exempt as long as they disable video playback functionality while the vehicle is in motion. An in-dash DVD player, for example, can show GPS data while in motion but can only play a DVD when stopped.

sombo · May 26th, 2010, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CZroe

Those devices are usually exempt as long as they disable video playback functionality while the vehicle is in motion. An in-dash DVD player, for example, can show GPS data while in motion but can only play a DVD when stopped.

That's just it, they don't. They use the camera/monitor setup in place of a mirror. Sometimes it's because a mirror would be useless due to the back window or lack of one. This design has been used on a couple high end cars and I've seen the idea start to come to the states in the luxury brands. There are also designs to use cameras for the side mirrors as well. The idea for some designers is to do away with mirrors and use cameras instead. So as that starts to happen more and more, those laws will have to be re-evaluated to make room for "safety" devices made out of the devices the laws are currently making illegal.

CZroe · May 26th, 2010, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sombo

That's just it, they don't. They use the camera/monitor setup in place of a mirror. Sometimes it's because a mirror would be useless due to the back window or lack of one. This design has been used on a couple high end cars and I've seen the idea start to come to the states in the luxury brands. There are also designs to use cameras for the side mirrors as well. The idea for some designers is to do away with mirrors and use cameras instead. So as that starts to happen more and more, those laws will have to be re-evaluated to make room for "safety" devices made out of the devices the laws are currently making illegal.

Live cameras != video playback. Most laws are specific enough, only preventing video playback while in motion.

stealth250 · May 26th, 2010, 08:07 AM

that's a cool mod! pretty much eliminates the problem with the crappy mirrors and looking at elbows when you want to look behind you. anyone know if there are smaller monitors available? i think it would be cool to put a smaller one between the windshield and the top of the dash.

May 26th, 2010, 12:36 PM

The monitor I used is a standard 7" headrest monitor: Farenheit T-7000MHR is the model #. They run about $125.00 from any car stereo shop. You can get them for about $100.00 shipped online. The reason I went with a 7" was twofold. One because I wanted to be able to just glance down for a split second to see what was behind me and not have to concentrate on looking into a small screen which would leave my eyes off the road. ( I tired another system with a 3" monitor first) Second, I have my GPS mounted above my gauges & behing my windshield so I have no space there. I also tired a combo system which was a GPS and Rear camera monitor in 1 unit which was fine, however it was not nearly bright enough. This monitor has a lot of brightness & contrast adjustment and works great in direct sunlight.

EngrNewf · May 27th, 2010, 12:32 PM

Great job! Really neat.

headshrink · May 31st, 2010, 11:21 PM

Fantastic!
I thought of doing something like that (only a little smaller), but have a hard enough time when I have my GPS on.... screens have a tendancy of drawing my eyes to them, and then I get hypnotized... they say that is bad on a motorcycle.

Thrak · June 2nd, 2010, 05:01 PM

maybe I'm old school, but whats wrong with turning your head?

alex.s · June 2nd, 2010, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrak

maybe I'm old school, but whats wrong with turning your head?

I donno about those other guys, but I'm just too cool to be bothered with turning my head.

slolane · June 3rd, 2010, 09:18 PM

Very cool, great mod!

seis gunnar · June 3rd, 2010, 10:15 PM

I was looking at doing something like this too. At the local Pep Boys I found this little gem.

http://www.nextar.com/frontend/proddisp.asp?co=10000312

It is designed to be wired into the gear selector on a car, so when the car is placed into reverse the back up camera is on. Otherwise it is a GPS. My initial thought was to try and wire it into the turn signal, but that might cause it to blink back and forth between the GPS to the camera. So a separate switch might be in order.

My other concern is as a GPS what is the quality and the type of support you get. Does it compare with a Garmin or Tom Tom? One of the clerks said he had set it up on his dads cruiser and it "the camera works well".

As for mounting, once the WC clip-ons are installed I'd just mount the bracket to the holes left by the original handle bars.

Nice job with the install

; lets us know how it works out. Though I think I would leave the mirrors in place until you're sure you know where, if any, blind spots might appear, and the law catches up to technology.

Jon

June 11th, 2010, 04:43 PM

I actually had a nextar GPS. They are a great unit. Worked very well for me. No complaints. Compares in quality to Navigon, Tomtom, etc.

cifex · June 29th, 2010, 11:30 AM

Personally I think its extreme overkill. It's a 250 Ninja not an Escalade......

stealth250 · June 29th, 2010, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cifex

Personally I think its extreme overkill. It's a 250 Ninja not an Escalade......

Well, as they say (whoever "they" are

), to each his own. I think it's a pretty cool add-on. All it needs now to be like an Escalade would be cup holders and a seat warmer!

headshrink · June 29th, 2010, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stealth250

Well, as they say (whoever "they" are

), to each his own. I think it's a pretty cool add-on. All it needs now to be like an Escalade would be cup holders and a seat warmer!

.... and government "bail-outs."

Techno250 · July 18th, 2010, 06:35 PM

iPad + velcro, yo.

Link to original page on Vimeo.

(It's really just for the lolz. See here: http://vimeo.com/11886557)

s2kenny · August 1st, 2010, 04:48 PM

Holy moly that screen looks huge on the tank!

Michaeldphotography · June 14th, 2011, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CZroe

You can jailbreak your phone to have video output ("Resupported") and a horizontal home screen (rotation supported). You can even use other apps, like PlaceToggle, to enable/disable home-screen rotation and auto-lock when you enable/disable your custom "motorcycle mode." You can even turn off the iPhone's backlight without locking it.

If I were you, I'd do this and use a momentary switch to switch between rear view and iPhone on the bright, sunlight-visible display.

What display is it, BTW? Does it support S-Video?

What do you need to do with your iphone/apps to download once you jail break for video output. I never wanted to jailbreak my phone but i think i just found a reason

Kevin2109 · June 14th, 2011, 09:44 AM

Idea! Screens on the mirrors

bdavison · June 14th, 2011, 10:22 AM

Kinda too "goldwingy" for my tastes.

May 23rd, 2010, 11:48 PM	#5
miks I'm lovin' it. Name: Mike Location: Melb, Australia Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Black 250R Posts: A lot.	Great mod mate, but consider getting a case/cover for it. __________________________________________________ Son: When I grow up I want to ride a motorbike. Father: You can't do both son.

May 24th, 2010, 03:56 AM	#8
Rayme ninjette.org guru Name: Remy Location: Moncton Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '04 sv650s Posts: 438	Does it mirror image automaticaly or you have to realize what's on your left is actually on your right? __________________________________________________ There's 2 types of people in this world, those who complain and those who act.

May 24th, 2010, 04:22 AM	#9
Banzai Psychic war veteran Name: Thomas Location: Norfolk, VA Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): Kawi Green '09 Ninja ZX6R Posts: 663	Cool deal. A guy I ride with modded his tank with a fiberglass encolosure where he flush mounted his screen. He gets a "fix it" ticket several times a year. "Video screen within view of the operator". Under VA law, he's in the wrong. He unplugs the camera, removes the cover with screen, and goes to court. The next day, he puts his add on back on. Anyone wanting to do this, make sure it's legal where your bike is registered and licensed. __________________________________________________ * If you're arguing with some idiot over the internet, chances are pretty good he's doing the same thing! Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction

May 24th, 2010, 09:19 AM	#13
rockNroll . Name: rock Location: greenville, south carolina Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): black Posts: A lot.	I want one that does DVD's as well. __________________________________________________ Always get a second opinion because most of these people are makin' this stuff up

May 25th, 2010, 01:33 PM	#18
Tigress Musical Genius Name: Belinda Location: O'Fallon, MO Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 09 Ninja 250R Blue AKA "The Kid" 08 Vulcan 900 Classic Blue(for now) AKA "Honey" Posts: 146	Likey Likey!!! __________________________________________________ ti·gress n. 1. A female tiger. 2. A woman regarded as daring or fierce.

May 23rd, 2010, 06:02 PM	#3
xtrapsi newbie Name: Gregg Location: Cape May, NJ Join Date: Mar 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2013 300 ABS Posts: 83	Cool mod! I thought about doing the same thing but wasn't sure how to tackle the monitor problem.

May 23rd, 2010, 11:20 PM	#4
03slime250 ninjette.org member Name: dakota Location: northwest arkansas Join Date: May 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2003 ninja 250 Posts: 61	wow, too cool

May 24th, 2010, 12:19 AM	#6
CZroe CPT Falcon Name: J.Emmett Turner Location: Newnan, GA Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '08 CP Blue EX250J, '97 unpainted EX250F, 2nd '97 unpainted EX250F (no engine), '07 black EX250F Posts: A lot.	You can jailbreak your phone to have video output ("Resupported") and a horizontal home screen (rotation supported). You can even use other apps, like PlaceToggle, to enable/disable home-screen rotation and auto-lock when you enable/disable your custom "motorcycle mode." You can even turn off the iPhone's backlight without locking it. If I were you, I'd do this and use a momentary switch to switch between rear view and iPhone on the bright, sunlight-visible display. What display is it, BTW? Does it support S-Video?

May 24th, 2010, 05:10 AM	#10
bob706 ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Sean Location: Mary Esther, FL Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250 1998 HD Road King Posts: A lot.	Very cool setup. Let us know how the monitor holds up to vibration and heat.

May 24th, 2010, 07:38 AM	#11
Snake ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Rick Location: Alexandria, Louisiana Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 05 Blue Ninja 250 Posts: Too much. MOTY - 2017, MOTM - Jan '19, Oct '16, May '14	Great idea. Can you hook it up to a recording device for playback video of your rides?

May 24th, 2010, 08:16 AM	#12
QuarterBoreNinja ninjette.org member Name: D Location: Michigan Join Date: Mar 2010 Motorcycle(s): Why do you care? Posts: 64	A most interesting mod... I've been riding for years and I guess I'm getting old, I love to ride motorcycles so I can get away from garbage like phones and video screens, not take them with me... But that's the fun of riding, doing the mods that work the best for each of us...

May 24th, 2010, 03:44 PM	#14
davelhunter Guest Posts: n/a	It does a "mirror image" so the left side of the screen is what is actually on your left, etc. Since I am in Socal and I only see rain maybe 3-5 days per year, I am simply going to disconnect it if it rains.

May 24th, 2010, 10:25 PM	#15
vollrathdude ninjette.org member Name: jordan Location: edmonton, alberta, canada eh Join Date: Jul 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 250r se Posts: 30	thats cool as balls, good job

May 25th, 2010, 12:40 PM	#17
rceezy Lean Me Name: RC Location: America Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250 Posts: 678 Blog Entries: 4	Very neat! I wish I were technologically inclined.

May 25th, 2010, 08:37 PM	#20
randomwalk101 self wrencher Name: john Location: houston Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 08 250r and 07 600r Posts: A lot.	I'd rather have a gps rather than bu camera though Posted via Mobile Device

May 26th, 2010, 08:07 AM	#24
stealth250 Gearhead Name: Mike Location: IND Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: 242	that's a cool mod! pretty much eliminates the problem with the crappy mirrors and looking at elbows when you want to look behind you. anyone know if there are smaller monitors available? i think it would be cool to put a smaller one between the windshield and the top of the dash. __________________________________________________

May 26th, 2010, 12:36 PM	#25
davelhunter Guest Posts: n/a	Yes There are smaller available The monitor I used is a standard 7" headrest monitor: Farenheit T-7000MHR is the model #. They run about $125.00 from any car stereo shop. You can get them for about $100.00 shipped online. The reason I went with a 7" was twofold. One because I wanted to be able to just glance down for a split second to see what was behind me and not have to concentrate on looking into a small screen which would leave my eyes off the road. ( I tired another system with a 3" monitor first) Second, I have my GPS mounted above my gauges & behing my windshield so I have no space there. I also tired a combo system which was a GPS and Rear camera monitor in 1 unit which was fine, however it was not nearly bright enough. This monitor has a lot of brightness & contrast adjustment and works great in direct sunlight.

May 27th, 2010, 12:32 PM	#26
EngrNewf Geeket Name: Terri-Lynn Location: Newfoundland Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: 175	Great job! Really neat. __________________________________________________ bike++;

May 31st, 2010, 11:21 PM	#27
headshrink ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Bob Location: CA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250r, '14 CBR500r Posts: A lot.	Fantastic! I thought of doing something like that (only a little smaller), but have a hard enough time when I have my GPS on.... screens have a tendancy of drawing my eyes to them, and then I get hypnotized... they say that is bad on a motorcycle.

June 2nd, 2010, 05:01 PM	#28
Thrak ninjette.org member Name: None Location: Atlanta Join Date: Feb 2010 Motorcycle(s): Lots Posts: 55	maybe I'm old school, but whats wrong with turning your head?

June 3rd, 2010, 09:18 PM	#30
slolane Motorcyclist Name: James Location: Maryland Join Date: May 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Ninja 300 ABS Posts: A lot.	Very cool, great mod!

June 3rd, 2010, 10:15 PM	#31
seis gunnar ninjette.org member Name: Jon Location: St Paul/ Somewhere on the blue marble Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R SE Lime Green Posts: 48	You beat me to it. I was looking at doing something like this too. At the local Pep Boys I found this little gem. http://www.nextar.com/frontend/proddisp.asp?co=10000312 It is designed to be wired into the gear selector on a car, so when the car is placed into reverse the back up camera is on. Otherwise it is a GPS. My initial thought was to try and wire it into the turn signal, but that might cause it to blink back and forth between the GPS to the camera. So a separate switch might be in order. My other concern is as a GPS what is the quality and the type of support you get. Does it compare with a Garmin or Tom Tom? One of the clerks said he had set it up on his dads cruiser and it "the camera works well". As for mounting, once the WC clip-ons are installed I'd just mount the bracket to the holes left by the original handle bars. Nice job with the install; lets us know how it works out. Though I think I would leave the mirrors in place until you're sure you know where, if any, blind spots might appear, and the law catches up to technology. Jon

June 11th, 2010, 04:43 PM	#32
davelhunter Guest Posts: n/a	I actually had a nextar GPS. They are a great unit. Worked very well for me. No complaints. Compares in quality to Navigon, Tomtom, etc.

June 29th, 2010, 11:30 AM	#33
cifex ninjette.org guru Name: Z Location: Long Island, NY Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R (sold) Posts: 356	Personally I think its extreme overkill. It's a 250 Ninja not an Escalade......

August 1st, 2010, 04:48 PM	#37
s2kenny Lean in Name: Ken Location: San Diego, California Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): Pearl White 250r, Raven R6, Black 600RR, Silver Ninja 250 Posts: 111	Holy moly that screen looks huge on the tank!

June 14th, 2011, 09:44 AM	#39
Kevin2109 KThanksBye Name: Kevin Location: Orange County Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2006 zx636r Posts: A lot.	Idea! Screens on the mirrors __________________________________________________ ----> My Youtube! <---- Unregistered, watch my youtube page!

June 14th, 2011, 10:22 AM	#40
bdavison Wartown, USA Name: Bryan Location: Warner Robins, GA Join Date: Nov 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R SE, 2007 Ninja 650R, and assorted other bikes Posts: A lot.	Kinda too "goldwingy" for my tastes.

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