November 5, 2025
Description
Givi tank bag mount to dove tail camera mount
This model allows mounting your camera equipment on a motorcycle tank, having it in reach for immediate use! During my motorcycle trip in North America, I saw some bears on the road! It was a big mother bear with two small cubs. We stopped our motorcycles at a safe distance and let them cross the road. During this time I was evaluating my safety and the option to grab my camera from the rear motorcycle suitecase, but when I got the camera, the bears were already out of sight! The next time this happens, I'd like to get a photo of them, so I designed a 3D print that allows you to mount your camera right on your Givi tank mount!
The “dovetail mount” has two SmallRig 2144B attached to it, so you can use two dove tail locks to ensure that the camera is safely locked in place. On the bottom a Givi ZT480R Tank Backpack Mounting Flange is used, which allows it to be mounted on a standard Givi tank bag ring. Because I don't trust the 4 tiny bolts that hold it in place, I also added a “bolt” 3D model, which screws in the bottom of the “dovetail mount” for extra strength. The “tpu damper” is optional, I made it to dampen the free play of the tank bag lock. The damper is likely too long and should be cut shorter depending on the motorcycle you mount this on. I used double sided tape to stick the damper to the bottom of the “bolt”. I use washers between all screws to spread the load over the 3D printed areas.
Strength tested
I used Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber for printing this model and it held up just fine! I did a strength test with this filament using a 10x10x100mm box model, printed with 40% infill gyroid with 6 perimeters. I clamped one end in a workbench and attached a rope 1cm from the end with a weight on it. It it broke when I attached an 18Kg dumbell to it. Well, it bend with the 18Kg dumbell, it broke when I started bouncing it up and down.
Test ride
Initially I planned to only ride this setup at low speeds, but one time I accidentally ended up riding this setup at 75Mh/120Km and it worked without issues. I had the mount installed on my tank during a two week motorcycle trip and we rode through hot, cold, rainy and windy weather, which did not seem to affect the mount. The camera was only installed in areas with a high chance of wildlife.
Printing instructions
My print started pausing with 'nozzle jams" half way the print, after 3 resumes, I disabled the stuck filament detection. It was a long print, so I used stealth mode during the night so I could get some sleep.
The TPU damper:
TPU is tricky to print on the Prusa XL! I think I had to include experimental profiles to select the “Ultrafuse TPU-95A” template and I used a Prusa XL mod to bypass the bowden tube for feeding the TPU. TPU needs to be dry and printing will take forever, because it's slow.
Part list
Disclaimer
Use at your own risk! Yes, failure is an option! And cameras are expensive. So you may want to think twice and test your copy prior to mounting your expensive gear on top of it! Even if the mount won't break, keep in mind that motorcycle vibrations may not be good for your optical stabilizer! Also, keep safety a priority! Riding a motorcycle is dangerous enough as it is, don't hurt yourself, your loved ones and others! Only operate your camera when you are parked at a safe place.
License:
Creative Commons — Attribution — Noncommercial — Share Alike
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