INNOVV K2 Dual Channel Motorcyle Motocam with WiFi, GPS and Parking Mode (No SD Card)

If there is one thing motorcyclists like to do, it's share their love of motorcycling. One of the ways they do this is by recording video of their rides. I've been doing this myself for many years - starting by duct-taping a digital camera to my helmet! Don't laugh, it worked!I've gone through a long series of cameras, from tiny battery-powered cameras to the BulletHD Biker Pro to last year's Innovv C5 system.There are many cameras - helmet cameras, chest cameras, cameras that mount to handlebars, the list goes on. My preferred type of camera is the type that is permanently mounted to the bike, powered by the bike, so that it is not dependent on batteries. This camera, similar to a dashcam, requires no user intervention. It just records, all the time. For this reason, it's particularly good for capturing incidents - accidents, near accidents, and so on. This can actually be used as legal defense!Innovv took the suggestions from motorcyclists all around the world and put them into a new camera, the brand new Innovv K2 Dual Channel Motorcycle Camera System. The K2 is similar to the C5 in some ways, but it improves upon it in many ways. The most obvious one: it now has TWO cameras. Obviously it's intended that you point one camera forwards and one camera backwards, but I suppose you could stick the second camera pointing up at your face, down at the ground, or whatever else suits your fancy.The system records two separate HD streams, one for each camera. In that way, it's almost like two separate camera systems in one. Each camera records a 1920x1080 full HD image at 30 frames per second progressive, for very high quality video at a bitrate of 12 mbps, encoded using H.264 MPEG4 AVC. The audio is recorded at 32 KHz with a 95 kbps bitrate encoded with AAC. The audio and video streams are combined into two separate MP4 files - one for each camera.Another difference that the K2 adds over the C5 is GPS tracking. The unit includes a GPS receiver, and records the location and speed of every frame, so that you can see exactly where you were when you play back your videos, and how fast you were going. Both of these functions can be turned on and off by the user if they desire.One of the most useful features is parking mode: the unit will "watch" when the bike is parked and turned off. If it sees motion near the bike, or detects movement, it will start recording. When I reviewed the video my K2 system had recorded, I was surprised at just how often people stop and check out my bike when it is parked. I had no idea!The system arrives in a foam-packed box, with the DVR unit, the GPS receiver, and the two cameras. The weatherproof DVR is about the size of a deck of cards. It can be installed under the motorcycle seat, in the fairing, or pretty much anywhere you can fit it on the bike where it will not be subjected to direct road spray or hard rain. While the front of the DVR is shiny plastic, the rear is solid aluminum. I suspect this acts as a heat sink. And speaking of heat: even though the K2 is processing and recording two HD streams at the same time, it actually runs MUCH cooler than the C5. At times, the C5 would get too hot to touch. The K2 gets just somewhat warm.The front of the DVR has four lights:Wifi: Lights up to let you know Wifi is enabled/connected. When flashing, it's enabled, when solid, a client (phone) is connected.Video: Lights up to let you know it is recording video. When flashing, it is actively recording. When solid, it is on standby.Photo: This light flashes three times when a still photo is taken. It flashes rapidly when firmware is being updated.GPS: When flashing, it is searching for GPS. When solid, it has a GPS lock.There is also a round button in the middle of the DVR. No mention is made anywhere in the instructions or on the web site what this button is for. Experimenting however, I discovered that you could turn the unit off by pressing and holding this button down for a couple seconds.On one side of the DVR two cables emerge: one for power and one for the GPS receiver. Both of these cables terminate in a screw-lock weatherproof connector. The polarity of the connectors is reversed so that the user can't accidentally plug the wrong one in. The other end of the DVR is where the cameras plug in. The cameras now use USB-C connectors, with a (literal) twist: they have thumbscrews that screw into the DVR, to fasten the USB connectors to the DVR and prevent them from accidentally coming loose. The USB-C connector on each camera cable has a weatherproof gasket on it to keep out moisture. Each camera comes with a different length cable. This way you could put the DVR under the seat and use the shorter cabled camera for the rear, and run the longer cabled camera to the front of the bike. I did it in reverse: my DVR is inside my fairing, the short cabled camera is pointing forwards, and the longer cabled camera runs to the rear of the bike.One side of the DVR is covered by a rubber gasket. Peeling back the gasket, the Micro SD card slot is revealed, next to a Micro-USB port. I used a 128GB Samsung Evo Class 10 Micro SD Card which gives me about ten hours of recording time. The Micro-USB port has no function, except to program the unit initially at the factory. The tiny microphone hole is also located underneath this gasket.Also included is a GPS receiver. The GPS receiver combines a GPS antenna and receiver head-end in a small square module. This then sends the GPS location data through the cable to the DVR. It needs to be mounted with a view to the sky.The power module supplied with the K2 is very similar to the C5's power module. It gives the K2 standby power for parking mode, as well as delays the turn-on and shut-down of the camera. This allows the bike to start up and gives the engine and electrical system time to settle down before turning on the camera. Similarly, when the bike is turned off, it waits for a little bit before shutting the camera down.The camera mount is completely revamped for the K2. Whereas the C5's camera mount was a plastic "C" ring that wrapped partway around the camera, the K2's camera mount is a solid chunk of CNC-milled aluminum. It really is a beautiful, incredibly strong and well-designed mount. It has a plethora of tapped holes to allow it to be screwed into place in a variety of ways. A bag full of hardware accompanies each mount (there are two supplied) to assist in the mounting to the bike. There is a rubber stick-on adhesive that is adhered to the inside of the mount ring, to give incredible grip to the camera. Unlike the C5, where I was often having to re-aim my camera, this camera will never move once it is installed. Once the camera is inserted and rotated upright (so that the Innovv logo is facing up), the screw is tightened. As with the C5, it took a bit of trial and error to get the cameras facing exactly upright.I installed the front camera just underneath the front of my fairing. Instead of using the mounting hardware, I fastened the camera mount in place using 3M VHB double-sided tape. This tape is incredibly strong, and I have been using it for many years to fasten things to my bike, without a single failure. What's better, if you do choose to remove it, it comes off without any damage or residue. My rear camera is mounted next to my license plate, using the same VHB tape.The K2 camera will work just fine as is, with no configuration at all. However, you can (and I would recommend) download the free K2 app for your smartphone. Both iOS and Android versions are available. The app allows you to configure the camera, as well as format the SD card (which is recommended when you first install it), view videos and photos, and share them. The app connects to the DVR over Wifi, so transfer speeds are fast.There is also a free downloadable application, Dashcam Viewer. When this Windows application is used to view the video files generated by the K2, it shows a map of the route taken, as well as a chart of the speed throughout the route. As the video proceeds, it shows where on the map you were at that point in the video, the direction you were travelling, and the speed.Installation was actually quite easy, and took about two hours, including removing some bodywork on my GL1500 Goldwing to run cables. Anyone who has ever connected a light or something electrical to their bike should have no problem hooking up this system. The high quality connectors make secure and easy connections.So how does it work? Amazingly well. Both the front and rear cameras are of equal quality - the resolution, picture quality, is the same. It is not going to produce the same quality video as an ultra-high bitrate 4K GoPro camera, but the intended purpose of a GoPro is different. There are always a bit of video compression artifacts visible in the picture. Innovv could have increased the video bitrate to reduce the compression artifacts, but in doing so it would reduce the amount of time that could be stored on the card. My 128GB card stores 10 hours of dual-stream video.I know with the C5, Innovv issued several firmware updates over time that continually improved the compression artifacts, and subsequently the image quality. Being that the K2 is fairly new to the market, I expect the same thing to happen here.That said, it would be great to have a selection in the configuration that would allow you to adjust the video bitrate, so that you could choose between recording time and video quality while still at HD resolution. You can currently reduce the image resolution which will drastically increase your recording time.The microphone in the K2 is definitely better than the one in the C5. It's still low-bitrate sound, so you're not going to be recording high-fidelity stereo, but it's a massive improvement on the C5. I need to better fasten my DVR in the cubby, as it is vibrating a bit, causing a vibrating sound in some of my videos.The cameras are, in a word, amazing. Their quick reaction to changes in bright/dark areas are exceptional. Their night-time performance is excellent, the sensitivity of the cameras at night is better than the human eye. At speed in the daylight, the camera images are razor sharp. The camera shutters are extremely fast in daylight, so there is absolutely no blur at all, which means you can easily pick out things like signs and license plates. Even at 75 mph, there is just no blur to be seen.Of course where this camera really shines is in traffic. You have almost 180 degrees of recorded vision around you at all times. If an accident were to happen, who will the police believe? The soccer mom on her way to church, or the degenerate biker stereotype? Well now you have positive evidence that yes, Ms. Soccer Mom did actually slide into your lane without signaling and hit you, and no, you weren’t "doing a wheelie at 70 miles per hour" like she claimed.Overall, I'm really thrilled with this new camera system. It's pretty much everything I've ever wanted in a motorcycle camera system, works consistently without having to even think about it, produces high quality HD video, and gives you the surreal new dimension of watching your riding as if you were seated backwards on the rear seat. I love it!

UPDATE: I Contacted the seller and replaced it by warranty, The new unit has not presented any issues at all. Works great. I changed my rating from 2 stars to 5I bought these 3 month ago since I had a good experience with the K1 previous model and have already traveled 3000 miles on my BMW GSA with it. it is located under the seat. the unit works great on short trips but after a 1hr+ trip it overheats and stops recording. I am not sure if it's a defective item or a system issue. I have already contacted the reseller's customer service telling my experience, waiting for and answer. I will update this post once I recieve answer from the reseller.

The media could not be loaded.  Bought this system to add safety feature to my bike. Was tired of always running out of battery mid-way thru commute on helmet cam (Sony HDR-AS100V, great alternative to gopro ). Install was fairly simple to add to bike, since my bike already came with "accessory cable" to turn on when bike is running, i didn't have to figure out how to activate trigger wire for smart pack. (DO NOT CONNECT TRIGGER WIRE TO BATTERY as it will stay on and drain battery) Instructions are fairly simple. I've added video clip and shows how great it works. Only issue I've had is after firmware update view from cameras changed and are now sideways. I can fix it by simply rotating camera.

I wasn't able to really use this as designed for several months, due to acknowledged issues with the manufacturer's iOS app. I borrowed an Android device just to get it set up and basically functional. The app has since been updated. Overall, it's OK. The image quality is a little less than my Garmin dashcams in my Jeep, but they'll do the job. There's a very annoying rattle in the GPS antenna module - something other users have reported - and after numerous promises/excuses from the manufacturer to replace the module, I finally gave up, so zero stars on customer service. Installation wasn't too difficult, but using a GoPro mount on the rear fender was a much better mounting alternative. I also bought Dashcam Viewer software from Earthshine Software to process videos - it handles the front/rear picture-in-picture functionality very well.Not *highly* recommended, but it'll do. If you want awesome videos, go with something like a GoPro, but if you just want documentation in case you get run over, this is better than nothing.

Bottom line is this is a good unit that so far has worked as advertised. Install takes a bit, no problem if you are a bit handy with tools and know your bike, there are a few online vids and the Innovv forum that will be helpful. The video quality is the best of a dashcam I have found, not GoPro quality by any means but about what you would expect at 1080. App works well ... wifi transfer of files is a bit slow altho just fine for looking at one or two clips ... however if you want to download your 3 hour ride you can really only either use the USB port off the DVR to your laptop or remove the SD card ... so, make sure you mount the DVR in a location that is easily accessible if you are going to be harvesting video off the unit for editing.One issue ... Innovv says the unit will work with 256 gig sd cards ... I can tell you that while it will initially seem to work you will have problems retrieving video ... I have tried two different 256g cards (Samsung and SanDisk) and both would not read on a Windows 10 machine ... I then dropped back to a 128g card and all works fine (you get about 10 hrs of vid on a 128g card) ... hopefully a future firmware update will fix this issue.Customer service is of marginal use ... response is pretty good but basically after emailing back and forth about my 256g card dilemma it was "so sorry, just use the 128g card" ... not helpful.

After several emails, and being given links to updates of firmware, my iphone still cannot see the INNOVV network. Support has been terrible. Four times they have said, here, try this updated firmware. No one has a fix, no one has suggested a return.i'd steer clear until they get their support working. After requesting a return label i finally got someone to call me and it was an easy fix. the instructions are wrong: don't test with power from a usb port. Many computer USB ports do not have the juice to run the DVR and camera. LIghts blink but network is not present. Some excuses about they work in China. Whatever. You want to have a charger output of 2 amps or more.Support said there may be problems downloading video clips to iphone due to security devices or something or other. But me, i am happy the damn thing works with my laptop. i can load to laptop and watch/save videos. very clear. I can watch on my iphone in the car with about a one second delay. Finally!

Summary:Easy to install.All the right parts to install to any machine.Easy to operate.Good imagery.Context: Installed on my 2015 R1200GS.Youtube helped me lots with tips & tricks to install, so watch those prior to starting.Hooking up the system took me 1/2hour.Positioning the cameras correctly took me 1 hour. -Expect this if you want perfect positioning and the best line of sight. Be ready to re-adjust multiple times, trying different mounting points on your motorcycle/all terrain vehicle.It is really a no-brainer, it starts when the bike starts, and turns off automatically 30 seconds/ 1 minute once the bike is turned off (saving formatted video).I was apprehensive about where I should install the yellow contact wire, but that was much much much easier than I believed- I just connected it to a fuse inlet and voilà!Built in GPS to know where you are, app works fantastically and is easy to use.A 256GB SD card gives me anywhere from 8-9 hours of videos.I have been using it for 2 weeks now and I have sold all my other cameras. I won't have to hassle with swapping SD cards every 2 hours or so...Note, I am not motovlogging, I am simply keeping the recording for daily commute and some off road video.Don't hesitate, GET IT!!!!

My last dash cam was stolen. This one goes under the seat so not easily stolen. Easy to set up and the phone app works well. Has two cameras. The metal bracket broke due to the vibration on my bike. Make sure you put an expensive camera SD card in it. Video quality is good. I installed the front one on my crash bar on my V-strom and on the back rack. I run 2 dashcams in all my cars, but this one is the way to go. Mount the phone and watch the back camera.

I thought a lot about buying one of these systems because of the cost.It went in easily, but it took me a while to be happy with the camera placement. The mic is mounted under the seat and as a result does tend to provide an echolike sound.Overall I'm quite happy with this unit.