Frequently Asked Questions about the SportVue® MC1 and SportVue® MC2
How does SportVue® work?
Why should I buy a SportVue®?
What will SportVue® display? Will SportVue® include navigational systems and/or radar detection?
How does the display mounting clip work?
Will amber, tinted or mirrored shades affect the ability to view SportVue® data?
Will SportVue® work with my motorcycle and/or helmet?
Can I adapt the motorcycle version of SportVue® to fit my needs in other sports, i.e. mount it to the dash of my car?
Will SportVue® work outside the United States?
Will SportVue® affect the operation of my motorcycle?
Do I still need to use my own radar detector? (MC2 only)
General Product FAQs
What other products do you offer?
What does HMD mean?
Can I be a distributor for SportVue®?
I do not live in the United States. Can I purchase SportVue® locally?
Technical FAQs
I am having trouble seeing the HMD display when I try and mount it on the helmet?
I cannot get the HMD to turn on.
I can get the HMD to turn on, but cannot get the HMD to show “O” and “N” in the display. It just shows “NO SIG”
The HMD unit displays “O” and “N” when I am stopped, but will not show speed or gear position when I ride.
Why doesn't my RPM show up or only shows a few bars?
When I ride, the HMD seems to be working OK, but the faster I go, the harder the display is to read.
The image seems to block my forward vision when I ride.
When I ride I lose the signal intermittently, and see “NO SIG” in the display
Why does the orange backlighting on the HMD pulse?
The MSU doesn't stay in gear learning mode when I start the motorcycle.
How does SportVue® work?
SportVue® is a very lightweight, wireless system consisting of two small components: a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) and a Motorcycle Sending Unit (MSU). The HMD mounts on the front of your helmet visor using a patented “break-away” clip. The rider sees a “virtual image”, just above the horizon, which shows real-time speed, RPM and gear position. The image is within your normal field of view and is focused out near infinity, requiring little or no focal adjustment. The HMD is designed to allow natural ambient backlighting, however two levels of battery-powered LED backlighting can be added at the touch of a button.
The MSU is conveniently mounted on your motorcycle, typically under the seat or inside the front fairing. The MSU receives speed from a speed sensor mounted near the wheel, and RPM signals from a wired RPM lead. The MSU processes the data, calculates gear position and sends it to the HMD via a custom 2.4 GHz wireless link.
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Why should I buy a SportVue®?
Riders who look down at their gauges are taking the risk of missing an important visual message on the road. SportVue® allows you to keep your eyes on the road, while still acquiring the critical data. Simply stated, SportVue™ allows the rider to focus on the road instead of the gauges. This will make for increased performance and a more enjoyable experience.
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What will SportVue® display? Will SportVue® include navigational systems and/or radar detection?
Currently the SportVue™ MC1 displays speed, RPM and gear selection in real-time. Our new
SportVue™ MC2 adds integration with many popular radar detectors. We will continue to offer new features that provide value to our customers. Potential OEM relationships are also being developed. If you are an OEM and would like more information about integrating SportVue into your system, please contact us.
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How does the display mounting clip work?
SportVue is shipped with a display mounting clip designed to fit most fullface helmet visors and is designed to allow normal visor operation. After performing a simple test to determine your dominant eye, the customer can properly mount the display clip in minutes. The clip will be mounted on either the left or right side of the visor depending on your dominant eye.
The HMD can slide up and down in the clip to suit any rider and the visor can be cracked opened for anti-fogging and opened fully on a full-face or convertible helmet with the display attached. The clip is designed to break away in the event of an accident and cause no further injury to the rider.
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Will amber, tinted or mirrored shades affect the ability to view SportVue® data?
SportVue™ can be used with any visor. Occasionally darkly-tinted visors may make the display harder to see. Therefore we recommend using the LED backlight feature on darker days, with dark visors and always at night.
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Will SportVue™ work with my motorcycle and/or helmet?
We have tested SportVue® on numerous combinations of motorcycles and helmets and have found it will work on nearly all of them. However, there are applications where some of the MC1/MC2 features may not be available:
- Scooters with variable speed transmissions – Speed only
- Any motorcycle with an automatic transmission – Speed only
If you have
questions about whether SportVue™ will work on your motorcycle, contact us.
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Can I adapt the motorcycle version of SportVue® to fit my needs in other sports, i.e. mount it to the dashboard of my car?
The SportVue® MC1 and MC2 is designed and supported for motorcycle use only. There may be other applications that it can be used for, such as ATV’s, Karts and Snowmobiles, but if the customer modifies the product in any way, it will void the warranty. Motion Research continues to develop SportVue for other applications and details can be found on www.sportvue.com
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Will SportVue® work outside the United States?
When properly installed on a supported motorcycle, the MC1 and MC2 will work anywhere. To find a dealer or distributor, click here.
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Will SportVue® affect the operation of my motorcycle?
When properly installed, SportVue™ will not affect the normal operation of your motorcycle.
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Do I still need to use my own radar detector? (MC2 only)
Yes. A radar detector is required for the MC2 to work. SportVue™ MC2 is designed to pick up the signal from a radar detector's audio output such as Escort®, Passsport®, Valentine® etc.
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What other products do you offer?
There are many applications for this technology that we are currently developing. We are working with partners to develop and market such products. You can check our website at www.motionresearch.com for future product announcements.
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What does HMD mean?
HMD is the acronym for Head Mounted Display. HMD refers to the display components of the SportVue™ system.
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Can I be a distributor for SportVue®?
If you are interested in distributing or reselling our products, please contact us.
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I do not live in the United States. Can I purchase SportVue® locally?
SportVue™ is available from our website for US and Canadian customers. You may contact one of our International Distributors here.
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I am having trouble seeing the HMD display when I try and mount it on the helmet.
Often this is caused by one of several things:
1) The lens being improperly adjusted within the HMD unit. Try turning the small Allen screw at the bottom of the display with the Allen wrench provided. Be careful not to use too much force…once it stops moving, you have reached the limit of the range of adjustment.
2) The HMD unit not being adjusted to the correct vertical placement within the sliding clip mount. Try sliding it up and down, while using the adjustment screw above to “fine tune” the image.
3) The HMD unit being too far off the recommended 1.4 inches from centerline placement. If you are too far towards either the center of the visor or the outside edge of the visor, it will be difficult to see the entire image. Try sliding the clip one way or the other, in addition to the adjustments above.
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I cannot get the HMD to turn on.
This can be caused by one of the following:
1) The on/off button is in the “off” position. Push the button located on the top of the HMD down firmly.
2) The batteries are improperly installed. Refer to the installation manual to confirm the batteries are installed correctly.
3) The batteries are weak. It is possible that the batteries have lost their charge while on the shelf. Try a new set of AAA batteries.
4) The switch is in the “ambient light” setting. Push the switch button once or twice to get the LED backlights to turn on. This will allow you to better see the display in all but the brightest outdoor conditions.
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I can get the HMD to turn on, but cannot get the HMD to show “O” and “N” in the display. It just shows “NO SIG”.
1) Check for power to the MSU. There should be a bright blue LED light on top that is lit when power is present. If there is NO light, try the following:
a) Check to make sure the motorcycle ignition is in the “on” position.
b) Check power and ground positions to make sure you have properly connected the PosiTap® connectors properly. The PosiTap connectors may not fully contact very thin wires, Please insure they have penetrated the insulation and are making contact. A voltmeter may be required to test a positive connection.
c) Check to make sure the MSU connector plug is inserted properly into the Loom connector socket. There is a clip that MUST be latched in order to make a positive connection.
2) If there is a blue light, but the “NO SIG” light is still on, try the following procedure:
a) Turn off the HMD unit by holding the on/off button down for 3 seconds.
b) Turn the MSU off by switching off the ignition on the motorcycle.
c) Wait for 10 seconds, then turn the motorcycle ignition on first, then turn on the HMD unit.
3) If there is still a “NO SIG”, then the HMD unit has possibly become “unbound” from the MSU. These are “bound” as a matched pair at the factory and normally will stay bound for the lifetime of the pair. To “re-bind” the pair, follow the re-bind procedure.
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The HMD unit displays “O” and “N” when I am stopped, but will not show speed or gear position when I ride.
1) Check to make sure the wheel speed sensor magnet is installed correctly and has not come loose. The yellow dot MUST be visible.
2) Check to make sure the wheel speed sensor is intact and secured within .200” (less than ¼ “) of the magnet. Make sure the orientation of the speed sensor is correct.
3) Check the wire to the wheel speed sensor to make sure it has not come into contact with the exhaust or been cut or damaged in any way.
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Why doesn't my RPM show up or only shows a few bars?
1) Check the RPM signal wire to make sure the PosiTap® connector is correctly installed. It should be connected to the proper wire from a cam or crank sensor as described in your motorcycle service manual or our website support page.
2) It is possible that your bike has sent an errant RPM “spike” to the MSU. This is rare, but if the RPM bar graph only registers a few bars, yet the speed and gear are correct, use the following procedure to reset the RPM learning mode:
a) Turn the HMD unit ON and place the helmet on your head.
b) Turn off the motorcycle ignition
c) While holding down the “B” button on the MSU, turn the motorcycle ignition ON, the display will show “SETUP”, release the button, it will now show “GEAR”.
d) Push the “A” button repeatedly, until you see “RSTRPM”.
e) Push the “B” button once, firmly. You will see “DONE” to verify that the RPM has been reset.
f) Push the “A” button to go to “EXIT”
g) Push the “B” once again to return to normal operation.
h) Turn the ignition off and then start the engine.
The display should now show a higher RPM reading until it “learns” your bikes RPM again. Each time you rev the bike, the top of the bar graph will represent the highest RPM seen to date. Each time you rev the bike higher, the bar graph will learn the higher limit and show that as the max RPM until you manually reset it, using the above procedure.
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When I ride, the HMD seems to be working OK, but the faster I go, the harder the display is to read.
When the HMD is properly installed, it is unlikely to become loose. Check the following:
1) Make sure the HMD mounting clip is firmly attached to the helmet visor. The VHB pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) is very strong, but requires 24 hours for the best “cure”. If the visor was not sanded and/or cleaned properly, the clip may be loosing adhesion and coming loose from the visor. If this is the case:
a) Remove the clip from the visor and order a new “HMD Installation Kit” from our online store. The kit will provide new clips and VHB adhesive, along with sandpaper and a sanding mask.
b) Follow the directions in your owner’s SportVue™ Owners Manual to properly install the visor clips. Certain Arai helmet visors require the “Arai Visor Mounting Clip" also available from our store.
c) Wait 24 hours to allow the VHB to bond to the visor before riding.
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The image seems to block my forward vision when I ride.
1) Stop riding immediately and slide the HMD up in the mounting clip. The image should NOT appear in your direct line of site, but ABOVE, in the periphery.
2) You may have an eye problem that precludes you from seeing the display properly. Retake the “Eye Dominance Test”. If you have installed the clip on the wrong side of the visor, re-install the HMD on the other side, using the alternate mounting clip provided.
3) If the unit is installed on the visor above your dominant eye and you still have problems with the image blocking all or part of your vision, discontinue use and contact your eye doctor and/or contact us for a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number.
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When I ride I lose the signal intermittently, and see “NO SIG” in the display
1) Make sure the MSU is aligned as shown in the SportVue™ Owners Manual. The MSU should be mounted so that the wire exits from the front OR back, but not the side. The orientation of the MSU is very important and when installed as recommended, will provide a more reliable signal.
2) Try moving the MSU to a different location on the motorcycle, giving it a more direct line to the display. If you have the MSU under the seat, try the saddle bag or inside the fairing. Make sure it is a relatively dry area protected from direct rain.
3) Confirm that you have tapped into a constant power source and a good ground. The PosiTaps® make a very good connection to the correct size wire. Make sure the pin on the tap has fully penetrated the wires. Do not substitute a different wire tap.
4) Confirm that the power source is NOT a brake light lead, or any other intermittent power source. The power must be ON whenever the ignition is ON, or the MSU cannot send signal to the display.
5) Make sure the MSU is securely fastened using the provided Velcro™ or tie-wraps.
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Why does the orange backlighting on the HMD pulse?
When the backlighting on the HMD pulses or slowly blinks, it is a sign that the batteries in the HMD need to be replaced. Replace with 2 alkaline AAA batteries. Generally, battery life estimates are 20+ hours with the backlighting on the highest setting and continuous use.
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The MSU doesn't stay in gear learning mode when I start the motorcycle.
On some bikes, the power to the MSU is temporarily lost when the engine is started. To solve this problem, simply unplug the MSU before starting the engine. With the bike in neutral and the engine running, connect the MSU to the loom while holding down the “B” button. The display will now show the word “SETUP”: release the “B” button, the display will now show the word “GEAR”. You should now be able to continue with the gear learning procedure as described in the manual.
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