SportVue’s innovative design has two small, lightweight components: A Wireless Head-Mounted Display (HMD) mounts to your helmet visor and a Motorcycle Sending Unit (MSU) that mounts to your motorcycle.

The HMD viewing angle can be rotated in the housing and the entire unit slides up and down in the mount. This design allows the visor to be opened on any full-face or convertible helmet with the display attached. In the event of an accident, a specially designed clip will allow the wireless HMD to separate before causing any injury to the rider. The wireless HMD is powered by readily available AAA batteries.

The MSU receives your speed signal from a hall effect sensor mounted near either the front or rear wheel. In addition, other inputs include an RPM pulse, power and ground. The MSU processes the data, calculates gear position and transmits the data to the wireless HMD via 2.4 GHz wireless link. The HMD presents the data in real-time within your normal field of view. It is focused well in front of you, requiring little or no focal time. You see and instantly grasp speed, RPM and gear information. All data is continually updated at 5 Hz.

OK, you spent a ton on money on your bike, it came with a speedometer, so why the SportVue?  In a nut shell, it's not for Some, but perfect for others.

Installation

Do you need a degree in Rocket Science to install a SportVue?  Not hardly, but knowing your way around your bike is a huge plus.  Cycleworld described the process as involved, but within the reach of most competent home mechanics.  We would agree.  You will be tapping into your bikes electrical, and no two jobs are identical. or will be done exactly the same.  We decided to look at our watch, and double the time we "thought" it would take.  Having worked on our bikes during other projects, we honestly didn't run across anything that threw  us for a loop.  The hardest part of the whole process was choosing where "we" wanted everything to end up after we finished.  SportVue gives you some OK directions, but we never seem to agree with the  manufacturers suggestions on placement, or anywhere else for that matter.  Once we figured it out, it went in without a hassle.

The viewer wasn't hard to install, but it's not as easy as sliding the HUD onto you visor.  The instructions state that once you decide on a location, the visor must be roughed to allow the display to to be viewed correctly.  SportVue gives you a template, but placement is up to you.  We chose an area off to the side, so it would be out of the way.  Just off center appears to work best.

Overall, the installation process isn't hard, and SportVue does above average explaining the process in the instructions.  They do an excellent job of providing everything you need, so there shouldn't be any runs to your local home repair store.  Like anything else, take your time and do it right the first time.

Once the HMD is mounted, it looks "different".  Anything hanging off a slick helmet is going to attract looks, and questions.  You won't know it's there, but everyone else will.

Special Note:  You need to know what eye is dominant.  Simple, put out you arm in front of you, raise your thumb, while leaving both eyes open, put your thumb on a target.  Now close each eye at a time.  When your thumb doesn't move, that's your dominant eye.  This it the side of your visor you will place the HMD.

On-bike

Since the unit clips onto your helmets visor, it does create a slight gap between the top of the visor and your helmet.  The helmets eye port gasket does a good job of keeping this gap small, but there is still a slight gap none the less.  However, it never appeared to bother any of our evaluators, and didn't alter the helmets performance.

While riding in town the SportVue worked great.  As mentioned on the SportVue website, and in TV trailers (above), in only a few minutes we grew accustomed to seeing the information on the visor.  The shift indicator was a little slow when riffling through the gears, but overall the SportVue performed well.  However, seeing our speed in aggressive corners was slightly odd.  Many of our test riders had no idea how fast they were traveling through these corners in the past, and it was an eye opening experience.  The number one response was, "I found myself slowing down at first, because I thought I was going way to fast!"  Over time, the SportVue becomes secondary, and we found ourselves falling back on our other senses.  By the end of the day, knowing our speed only lead to more exciting talks after the ride.

It didn't take long for us to understand why you could become reliant on SportVue.  During our rides, we never had the need to look down at our bikes instrument cluster.  Everything we needed to know was plastered right there in front of us.

The radar detector option is also a plus.  While we never managed to use it, we did get our fair share of false readings.  The HUD flashes bright, and you won't miss an activation.  As one of our testers pointed out, "A great warning light that you've been busted.."