People ask me the same things constantly: "What's the sound setup in your videos?" "What helmet is that?" "What camera are you running?" Rather than type out the same answer every single time, I figured I'd put it all in one place. Everything below has a story behind it — some pieces I researched for months and came back for a second one because the first fit so perfectly I couldn't walk away; others I'd confidently point a first-time rider toward when budget matters. I'll be straight about which things I've lived with personally and which ones I'm recommending based on careful research and comparison.
What I wear: AGV Pista GP RR
The most-asked question first — I'm currently wearing the AGV Pista GP RR, and I'm already on my second one. The first got broken in so perfectly over time that I couldn't bring myself to retire it. The cheek pads shaped themselves to my face exactly, the liner absorbed the sweat of enough track days to feel like an extension of me. Eventually a new colorway caught my eye and I added a fresh one alongside it. A helmet that makes you do that is telling you something.
What hooked me is a feeling I can only describe as "the helmet disappears." The 100% carbon fiber shell is light enough that the first time I picked one up in a store I genuinely thought something was missing. Tucked in on the R6, the aerodynamics hold it in place without any fight — no lift, no unwanted movement at speed. That stability is something I only really understood after going through a few different helmets. This is MotoGP-homologated hardware; taking it to a track day feels completely natural, not like overkill.
It's not without real trade-offs. The price is genuinely painful — every time I click buy I take a deep breath first. The shell geometry is aggressive, designed for a tucked riding position: if you mostly sit upright and commute, the sight line and comfort aren't optimized for your posture. The fit profile also runs long-oval, which works very well for my head shape; I've watched friends with rounder heads get pressure points across their foreheads after an extended wear. None of that changes my verdict — for my style of riding (good-weather outings and track days on the R6), this is the one I keep buying.
One thing I always tell people: don't choose this helmet on colorway alone. Measure your head accurately first, and if at all possible try it in a physical store before ordering. The AGV long-oval fit works for me, but it's not universal. On the liner: my first Pista I matched the cheek pad thickness to my measured head size exactly. Foam compresses over time and use, so on the second one I deliberately went one size thicker — a snug new fit that breaks in beats a comfortable new fit that goes loose at speed.
My old commute helmet: Shoei Z-8
Back when I was riding the R7 every day for commuting, I wore the Shoei Z-8 — the same helmet sold as the RF-1400 in North America and the NXR2 in Japan. My requirements back then were simple: quiet, comfortable for extended wear, not exhausting after a long day. The Z-8 delivered on all three. The liner is plush, wind noise suppression is genuinely effective, and I could get through a full commute without arriving at my destination with a headache.
I owned the R6 and R7 at the same time back then; once I let the R7 go and kept just the R6 — which handles my short commutes too — the Z-8 moved to the back. That's not a knock on it — I'd describe it as the helmet that best understands the everyday rider. Comfortable, quiet, well-built, just with a softer temperament than the Pista. If someone asks me what to wear for daily commuting, the Z-8 is still my first recommendation.
For beginners: a properly certified full-face
Not everyone needs to start at the top. I certainly didn't — I upgraded one helmet at a time, incrementally. If you're new to riding and budget is genuinely tight, my advice is simple: skip the half-shell, get a properly certified full-face in matte black. The budget card below is the direction I'd point a friend: DOT certified, clean matte finish that works with everything. It won't give you the lightness or silence of the Pista, but it does the single most important thing — protecting your head to a standard that counts. Ride, get comfortable, and upgrade when you know you're genuinely committed. This recommendation is based on research and helmet-selection experience, not extended personal wear of this specific model — but the selection logic I'm confident in.
The reason I'm so firm about full-face first: I've seen what happens when people cut corners on chin protection. The chin bar is the structural difference between a full-face and an open-face helmet, and it covers one of the most common impact zones in a low-speed fall. Entry-level helmets will be heavier than premium ones, ventilation will be basic, long rides will feel a little more tiring — all acceptable trade-offs. What isn't negotiable is the protection level. When you find yourself caring about wind noise, weight, and precise fit — that's the sign you're ready to step up. A good entry-level helmet's job is to keep you safe through the most inexperienced stretch of your riding life.
On track: Dainese Laguna Seca 5 two-piece leather suit
With the head covered, here's what covers the rest of me. At track days I wear the Dainese Laguna Seca 5 — a two-piece leather suit: jacket and pants are separate, joined at the waist by a rear zipper. Zipped together they give the same full-body coverage as a one-piece. I chose two-piece for a purely practical reason: it's livable off the bike. I can unzip at the waist to walk around the paddock, get food, cool down between sessions — without having to strip an entire one-piece over my head. Over a full track day that flexibility adds up.
What matters most is the protection where it counts. Shoulders, elbows, and knees all have hard armor inserts; a back protector can be inserted in the dedicated pocket. The outer leather is thick cowhide with tight stitching — this is gear that was engineered to take a high-speed slide and come out the other side, not something you wear for the look. The stretch panels and pre-curved cut make the tucked-in position on the R6 feel natural: arms bent, upper body flat, no binding at the shoulders or restriction at the neck. Ventilation openings at the armpits and across the back provide real airflow; it still gets warm at a summer track day, but meaningfully more breathable than I expected going in.
The honest trade-offs: it's genuinely hot to stand around in before a session, and it isn't light kit. For slow city riding it's complete overkill. But that was never the point — this suit's job is to minimize the consequences when you're pushing hard and something goes wrong. Every time I pull that rear zipper closed, I feel like I've done my part before dropping into the first corner.
Paired with the suit I wear Dainese boots at the track. Your ankle and foot are constantly working on track — shifting, trail-braking, hanging off the pegs — and they're among the most exposed points in a crash. The Dainese boots lock my ankle in place, limiting the lateral rotation that tears ligaments. Hard shells cover the toe box, heel, and front of the shin. The sole is stiff, which gives clean and precise shift feedback; the toe slider takes the abrasion when the lean angle gets serious. They feel stiff off the bike — by design. The moment you swing a leg over and put your boot on a peg, you understand exactly why they need to be that way. Helmet, suit, boots: those three together are what I mean when I say properly geared up for a track day.
How I record the exhaust sound: Zoom H2n
Most people assume the audio in my videos comes from the camera. It doesn't. Camera microphones were never built for high-SPL sources like motorcycle exhausts — the instant you open the throttle hard they clip, turning every loud moment into digital distortion. What I use is a Zoom H2n: a dedicated handheld recorder mounted separately from the camera, synced in post with the Action 4 footage. The difference is not subtle. The H2n handles the pressure wave from the exhaust without breaking down, captures the low-end body even at low revs, and lets the inline-four's scream above 10,000 rpm come through clean.
The H2n's microphone array gives me flexibility — I can switch recording patterns depending on the capture angle I want that day. It's compact, runs on batteries, and disappears into a jacket pocket. The interface is dated; certain settings require navigating a few button presses to reach. And it's not a real-time monitoring setup — you set it, mount it, ride, and review later. But for the specific purpose of recording a motorcycle exhaust accurately, it's the tool I've kept trusting session after session.
Here's what it took me some wasted recordings to learn. First, set input gain low. Exhaust transients are far louder than you expect — I started with gain set too high, and every hard acceleration turned the waveform into a red mess. Pull the gain down, leave plenty of headroom, bring levels up in post: the result is much cleaner. Second, mounting position matters enormously. Too close to the exhaust tip and you capture mostly low-end rumble with no definition; I give the mic real distance from the pipe to let the sound field open up, and the shift in character is significant. Third, wind noise is the enemy above all else. I always use a foam windscreen — without it, wind rush swamps everything, especially at speed. Every one of those lessons cost me a session I couldn't use.
How I shoot the video: DJI Osmo Action 4
For video I use the DJI Osmo Action 4. Most of my ride content is short — a good-weather loop on familiar roads, anywhere from a few minutes to about fifteen, with the occasional longer trip. For that style of shooting the Action 4 fits well: the larger sensor versus the previous generation holds up as light fades in the evening without dissolving into noise, and the stabilization is smooth enough across rough pavement sections that the footage stays watchable.
The magnetic quick-release mount is something I've come to appreciate more than I anticipated. At a red light I can pull the camera free, change angle, and snap it back in seconds with no tools. Battery life and thermal headroom are both fine for short-form content. The limitation shows up on sustained long-distance shooting: if you're planning a multi-hour uninterrupted ride, bring extra batteries and plan around heat — that's not what this camera was optimized for. Within my actual use case, though, it has been consistently reliable.
Giving the R6 a voice: Akrapovic full system
Last, and most central to the whole channel: the exhaust. My R6 runs an Akrapovic full system — headers, mid-pipe, and silencer, replacing everything from the engine ports back. That distinction matters. A slip-on only swaps out the muffler; a full system changes the exhaust flow from the cylinder head forward, altering fuelling behavior and requiring a professional ECU remap to run correctly. I had mine remapped by a technician after the install, because fitting a full system and leaving the stock fuel map in place means lean running, flat spots, and rough behavior that makes the whole exercise feel half-done.
The result is the sound this entire channel is built around. The stock R6 exhaust is over-damped for regulatory reasons — there's nothing wrong with it functionally, but it flattens the character of the engine on a recording. The Akrapovic lets the inline-four breathe and speak freely. The high-rpm scream from 10,000 rpm to the redline, the sharp crackle on deceleration, the way the note rises and shifts with each gear change — all of that comes through because the system is no longer suppressing it. I also value the weight reduction and the quality of the construction; it looks exactly like what it is. The price is real, and noise regulations vary significantly by region, so do your local research before committing.
FAQ
How do you record the exhaust sound in your videos?
I use a Zoom H2n as a dedicated audio recorder mounted separately from the camera, then sync the audio with the DJI Osmo Action 4 footage in post. Camera microphones clip immediately on high-SPL exhaust sound, so I never rely on them for primary audio. Everything you hear is captured live — no post-production enhancement.
What helmet are you wearing in your videos?
AGV Pista GP RR — I'm already on my second one. It's a 100% carbon fiber, MotoGP-homologated track helmet: light, aerodynamically stable at high speed. Back when I owned the R6 and R7 at the same time and commuted daily on the R7, I wore a Shoei Z-8; I've since let the R7 go — the R6 is my only bike now and handles my short commutes too — so the Z-8 has been retired to the back shelf.
Does a beginner need an expensive helmet?
No. I upgraded one helmet at a time myself. When budget is tight I'd say: skip the half-shell, get a properly certified full-face in matte black first. Cover the most important job — protecting your head — and upgrade once you know you're genuinely into riding.
What exhaust is on your R6?
Akrapovic full system. Stock is too muted — it has no soul on a recording. Once the Akrapovic went on, the inline-four's high-rpm scream and the off-throttle pops finally came through. That sound is the whole reason this channel exists.
What leathers and boots do you wear on track?
Dainese Laguna Seca 5 two-piece leather suit — jacket and pants connect via a rear zipper, giving the same full coverage as a one-piece when zipped together. Shoulders, elbows, and knees all have hard armor; a back protector can be added. Boots are Dainese too — they lock the ankle solid, with hard shells covering the toe box, heel, and shin, which are exactly the most vulnerable spots in a crash. With the Pista on top, those three pieces together are what I mean by being properly geared up for track.