Motorcycle Dash Cam Installation Part 7 – Installing the Front Camera

＜Parts to Be Installed＞

The following parts will be used (from left to right):

• Front camera
• Well nut for securing the front camera bracket
• Double-sided tape
• Front camera bracket
• Screw for securing the front camera bracket

For details on how the bracket was made, refer to “Motorcycle Dash Cam Installation 3 – Crafting the Camera Brackets”.

あわせて読みたい

Motorcycle Dash Cam Installation Part 3 – Crafting the Camera Brackets In this third installment, I’ll be fabricating brackets for the dashcam cameras. To mount them at the locations decided in the maintenance record “Motorcycle…

To proceed with installation, I’ll:

• Drill a hole in the front cowl
• Bundle the wiring with existing cables

So first, I remove the front cowl.

For instructions, see “How to remove the front cowl and panels etc.”

あわせて読みたい

How to remove front cowl and panels etc. Following the side and rear, this section summaries the maintenance record ‘How to remove and install front cowl and panels etc.’. If the front cowl panel ca…

＜Front Cowl with Headlight Removed＞

Since the drill point is close to the headlight, I also remove the right-side headlight.
(Instructions for removing the right headlight will be covered in a future post.)

Then, I temporarily mount the front cowl to the bike.

Let’s prep for mounting the front camera.

＜Drilling the Hole＞

Using a pin vise and drill, I make an 8mm hole in the lower right section of the front cowl.
To prevent cracking, I gradually enlarge the hole in the following order:
1mm (pin vise) → 2.5mm → 5mm → 8mm (power drill)

The cowl is thin, so without holding it firmly, the drill torque could easily crack it.
Also, I’m a bit worried the drilled area might break later from stress.

＜Modifying the Double-Sided Tape＞

Cut the included double-sided tape to 29×19mm and use a compass cutter to punch an 11mm hole.

＜Mounting the Front Camera Bracket 1＞

1. Insert the well nut into the hole in the front cowl
2. Apply the double-sided tape around the well nut, avoiding direct contact

＜Mounting the Front Camera Bracket 2＞

1. Peel off the tape backing and stick the bracket onto the front cowl
2. Tighten the screw using a 2.5mm hex wrench

The tape alone might hold, but I added the screw for extra security and theft prevention.

＜Inside the Front Cowl＞

Here’s how the well nut is secured.

No interference with other components, and it tightened up nicely.
Now I reinstall the right-side headlight.

After removing the camera stay, I secure the front camera to the bracket base.

＜Mounting the Front Camera＞

Use a 2.5mm hex wrench to tighten the screw that secures both the camera and the stay.

Make sure the camera’s rotation mark (△) faces upward.
Vertical angle adjustments will be done later.

No new cable mounts are used.
Instead, I bundle the front camera cable with the headlight wiring using two existing edge-clip cable ties.

＜Securing the Wiring 1＞

To mark the cable tie location, I placed white tape 150mm from the front camera.

＜Securing the Wiring 2＞

Route the cable through the connector cover along with the headlight wiring, and pull it toward the bike frame.

＜Securing the Wiring 3＞

Following the headlight wiring:

1. Place the front camera cable, headlight wiring, and meter wiring in order onto the frame hooks
2. Secure them at two points using reusable cable ties

I used reusable ties to avoid cutting them every time I remove the cowl.

＜Installed Front Camera＞

Here’s how it looks when mounted.

From now on, I’ll need to be careful not to bump the camera when placing the cowl on the ground.
Also, like the rear, the cable is a bit long and slightly annoying.

Next, to route wiring around the engine, I remove the fuel tank cover and the tank itself.

How to remove the fuel tank cover:

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How to remove fuel tank cover After some work, I repeated the removal and installation of the fuel tank cover, and I will summarize how I did it and what I noticed. Actually, it was more …

How to remove the fuel tank:

あわせて読みたい

How to remove and install fuel tank After some work, I repeated the removal and installation of the fuel tank, and I will summarize how I did it and what I noticed. Removing the fuel tank, Clea…

＜Fuel Tank Removed＞

With the tank out of the way, it’s easier to organize the wiring around the engine.

Since the front cowl will be removed occasionally, the intermediate connector needs to be placed where it can be easily disconnected and reconnected.

＜Intermediate Connector Position＞

Based on cable routing and length, the triangular section of the right frame (red box) looks ideal.
I’ll route the wiring to match this location.

＜Securing the Wiring 4＞

This photo shows the right frame from front to rear.

To allow cable routing without removing the tank, we guide the cable from the cable tie location in STEP 12 along the inside of the frame.
It almost touches the coolant hose, but since there’s minimal slack, I didn’t secure it further.

Meanwhile, the cable from the main unit is also routed to the triangular frame section.

＜Securing the Wiring 5＞

The intermediate connector is routed along the side of the air cleaner case.

At first, I thought I’d need to remove the case, but I managed to squeeze it through.
Also routed the switch connector at the same time.

＜Securing the Wiring 6＞

1. Lift the battery drain hose and route the front camera and switch cables from the main unit
2. Bundle the vehicle wiring, theft alarm wiring, front camera, and switch cables with cable ties

＜Securing the Wiring 7＞

Bundle the front camera cable at the triangular frame section and secure it with two cable ties.

＜Connecting the Intermediate Connector＞

Connect the intermediate connector.
The method is the same as for the power cable.

Use a sponge sheet to position and secure the intermediate connector.

＜Modifying the Sponge Sheet＞

Cut the sponge sheet to 50×15mm and punch a 15×10mm hole using a cutter

＜Securing the Wiring 8＞

Stick the sponge sheet to the underside of the frame.

Then secure the intermediate connector with a reusable cable tie.

＜Bundled Cables 1＞

Here’s how the cables are bundled.

This location offers good accessibility and makes installation/removal less of a hassle.

＜Bundled Cables 2＞

The bundled section can be pulled forward as-is.
So when reinstalling the front cowl, there’s no need to re-route the bundled wiring each time.

To be continued in “Motorcycle Dash Cam Installation Part 7 – Installing the Switch.”