How to Setup Your GoPro For Motocross

How to capture the ultimate GoPro footage:

Getting a GoPro to film your motos and antics is one of the best off-the-bike accessories a dirt bike rider can own, as we all love to watch those gnarly moments we just experienced.

You're probably used to watching the GoPro clips from the AMA Supercross and Motocross where the view is just perfect every time, and you might be thinking about how you can achieve the look with your own action camera. In this guide, we share our GoPro setup secrets so you can get the best looking footage while on the track or in the trails.

Locking down the settings:

When you're first setting up your GoPro, you're welcomed with an abundance of video settings, such as 4K, 24fps, 30fps, HyperSmooth, and they can all be a bit overwhelming. 

Resolution: The first thing you want to set up is your resolution - this usually comes in 4K, 1080p and 720p. 4K is the latest, greatest and largest resolution, meaning if you want to show your mates just how fast you ripped that corner on the big screen at home, the quality is going to be the best it can be. 

There is a downfall to 4K - because it is such high-quality and a big resolution, the file sizes are generally quite large, meaning less room on your memory card to record more motos and slower download times to watch them on your phone - if that's the only place you want to watch them on, we recommend using 1080p, which will still look great on your TV.

Frame Rate: Next up is choosing the right frame rate, which comes in many different rates, ranging from 24fps all the way through 240fps. FPS stands for frames per second, so the higher the number, the more frames there are in that second. A higher frame rate is what you'll use if you plan on slowing down the footage in editing software, such as 240fps. 

24fps is the most natural-looking frame rate, as that's the frame rate that our own eyes see things - that's a topic in itself, though. If you film in 30fps or 60fps, you'll get smoother looking footage, but it won't be as natural-looking footage like 24fps. GoPro uses 60fps for its supercross and motocross videos, and this gives you the flexibility to slow things down later.

Field of View: Next up is selecting the correct field of view - the GoPro has four options: SuperView, Wide, Linear and Narrow. The best field of view for dirt bike GoPro clips is SuperView - this is the widest field of view, which will allow us to capture all of the action, including what's going ahead of us, plus how we're moving around on the bike and when we're using the controls.

HyperSmooth: Now the last thing to choose between using HyperSmooth or not - we always recommend using it, especially in motocross when you're constantly moving, as it will give you that smooth, buttery riding footage. 

Our best GoPro settings for those who just want to watch back their motocross or enduro clips on their phone are 1080p, 60fps, SuperView, HyperSmooth. These settings will give you the best looking footage without taking up too much memory space.

Getting the right mount:

Now that you've got the settings sorted, it's time to choose the right mount. GoPro has a huge selection of GoPro accessories and mounts, so you can get pretty creative with them. Although, there are generally two types of mounts that work best for riding and racing motocross - the standard helmet mount, and the chest mount. 

The standard helmet mount is available in a flat and curved option, but you'll almost always need a curved mount for a motocross helmet. This is the most traditional mounting option, and it's the one you see in GoPro's official AMA Supercross and Motocross videos. We recommend sticking the mount rear of the centre of your helmet, as this will provide the best field of view.

The chest mount straps over your shoulder and around your chest, with the GoPro camera secured in the centre. This is a unique angle and really shows the movements of yourself and your bike. The camera will need to be mounted upsidedown, but the GoPro will correct this itself (double-check your settings).

It all comes down to positioning:

The biggest factor in getting good GoPro footage comes down to the positioning of the camera - too far forward and you'll be watching your handlebars, and too far up and you'll be watching the sky. 

The angle of the camera should always be looking ahead while in a riding position, and the best way to set this up is to link the camera with your phone, hop on your bike while it's on the stand, and put yourself in the attack position - from here, you can make tweaks to the camera angle while looking at your phone (we usually just place our phone on the handlebars while we're setting it up), and then secure it in place when you find the right spot.

That's it! You're now ready to rip some motos and have the best looking GoPro footage amongst your mates!