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review

Innovv K6 Dual Lens Camera

7
£229.95

VERDICT:

7
10
Well-made fit-and-forget front and rear dashcam for your bike, with huge run-times available
Front and rear view
Decent footage
Prodigious run-times
Well made
Battery pouch is poor
Difficult to swap between bikes
Accident detection is too sensitive for bikes
Weight: 
152g
Contact: 

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Innovv's K6 Dual Lens camera system has a lot going for it: front and rear view, decent footage, run-times basically as long as you want. If you want to fit a system to one bike to make sure you have a record of anything that happens to you, it's well worth considering.

> Buy now: Innovv K6 Dual Lens camera for £229.95 from Innovv

Fitting the Innovv K6

The first thing you'll think when you open the box, if you're anything like me, is 'well, this is going to make my bike look pretty untidy'. There are a lot of wires and bits of metal. But actually, once it's fitted it's pretty unobtrusive depending on what you've done with the battery.

The front and rear camera mounts are well made and simple to fit – although you'll need to relocate your tools if you use a saddle pack – and the only obvious wire is along the top tube.

Best cycling cameras

Fitting it to my Kinesis Tripster ATR, I managed to hide the rear camera connector under the saddle, which makes the whole thing pretty neat. I set my camera under the handlebar as I had more space there, but because the camera rotates in the mount that's simple enough.

2023 Innovv K6 dual camera system - kinesis rear.jpg

Swapped to my Tern GSD cargo bike I needed the (supplied) rear extension to run the lead down the step-through and back up the frame; it wasn't quite as neat, but it's still very fit-and-forget.

2023 Innovv K6 dual camera system - tern wiring 1.jpg

Both camera bodies and mounts are alloy, and the cables and connectors are nice and sturdy. The whole system is IP67 rated, which is chuck-it-in-a-pond waterproof. The only bit you'll need to be careful with from a weather point of view is the battery.

2023 Innovv K6 dual camera system - camera connector.jpg
2023 Innovv K6 dual camera system - connector.jpg

It's not the kind of camera system you're going to move between bikes too often; it's designed to be fitted and left in place, so if you swap bikes a lot and want footage of them all it's probably not the one for you.

Innovv K6 battery life

The K6 doesn't have an internal battery at all, and relies on an external pack which will give you some quite prodigious recording times depending on what size you pick. Innovv claims that a 10,000mAh battery will give you 13 hours of recording time, or 15 hours with the WiFi turned off. I managed 11 hours from a full battery pack that size; the actual run-time you get will depend on the pack's size and quality. But 11 hours is impressive.

Many camera systems will manage your commute or a club ride depending on its length. Not many will let you ride all day knowing that you can rely on continuous footage for the whole thing. You can add a 10,000mAh battery pack for £22.95 when you buy the camera, which is a decent enough price, although you can have one for a fair bit less than that if you shop around.

It's a similar story for SD cards: a card is not included, but you can have a 128GB micro SD card (256GB is the maximum supported) for less than a tenner these days, and that's enough for around 8 hours of front and rear footage. It's not really worth adding it on at the point of purchase.

But what to do with the battery pack? Easy if (like me) you have a bag on your bike already: just sling it in there. On the Kinesis I used the frame bag, and on the Tern the battery was originally in the front shopping bag.

2023 Innovv K6 dual camera system - kinesis battery in frame bag.jpg

If you don't have anywhere to put the battery already then Innovv includes a strap-on bag for the battery pack but this is a bit of a weak point in the system. When I first unpacked it I thought you'd be able to hang it from the top tube and I worried it would swing about, but actually the straps are on the side so you have to mount it laterally, which is a bit weird.

2023 Innovv K6 dual camera system - bag.jpg

Innovv's own picture on the site (below) shows it on the bottom of the down tube, where it'll get absolutely soaked from tyre spray, and also the wire looks like it'd interfere with the tyre. Not ideal, but if you fit it on the top tube you'll probably hit your knees on it because it's quite wide.

2023 Innovv K6 battery on down tube.jpg

It's not really an issue on the Tern where there are any number of places to put it (I mounted it behind the front rack), but on a road bike, If you don't already have one, budget £15 or so for either a top tube bag or a small frame bag for the battery. You can lob some sweets in there too.

2023 Innovv K6 dual camera system - tern battery.jpg

Innovv K6 picture quality

When I first started testing the K6 camera system the rear image was mirrored, which was odd, but a firmware update has fixed that, and given you an option in the app settings to un-fix it if for whatever reason that's what you want. You get a 2K (2560x1440) picture from the front camera and an FHD (1920x1080) rear image, both recording at 30 frames per second.

Bike cameras vary hugely in their resolution and picture quality. This system isn't going to rival something like the new DJI Osmo Action 4 or the latest GoPro, and it's not really supposed to: this is a camera for filming your rides, not making films of your rides. What you want it to do is capture everything that's going on. And, should you have an incident that you need evidence of, you want that evidence to be of sufficient quality to be usable. In reality that means: you can make out the number plate on the car that close passed you. Or drove into you, or pulled out in front of you, or whatever.

Here's a quick reel of some passes filmed on the K6. I've used it in a wide range of conditions, from bright sunlight to nighttime in the pouring rain. I'll point out first that these passes aren't especially bad (although the Disco and the recycling truck could certainly have done better), but at those passing distances, and in all these conditions, I can get the vehicle registration from the original footage.

Given that a proper close pass would put the number plate even closer to the lenses, I'm pretty confident that this system would allow you to identify a close passing car more or less every time in daytime conditions, and probably nine times out of ten at night.

Having front and rear views helps to show the nature of the pass, and of course it gives you two stabs at getting the number plate. The resolution of the front camera is better, and the picture quality as a result is the pick of the two, but they're both very usable.

> What to do if you capture a near miss, close pass or collision on camera while cycling

For the next iteration of the camera I'd like to see Innovv upgrade to 60fps capture, which I generally find is better for picking out number plates just because you've got twice as many frames to work with.

There are times in the rain (like with the taxi footage) when water will obscure the picture; it's a small lens and a couple of drops will do it. And you'll want to make sure that the rear unit is protected from spray too: if you have mudguards then that won't be an issue, but if not you can use something like an Ass Saver below the camera to keep the lens clean. The rear is much less likely to clear on its own if it gets dirty.

2023 Innovv K6 dual camera system - tern rear.jpg

If you do have a close shave then pressing the button on the front camera will move that footage to a separate folder on the SD card so that it's not deleted if the card fills up – once the card is full the camera system rotates the files, deleting the oldest to make space for the newest.

There's also an automated accident mode based on sensors in the camera, but it doesn't really work for bikes. Innovv sells the K6 as a solution both for bikes and for motorcycles, and the detection is really set up for motorbikes, with their efficient suspension and big tyres. On a road bike on British tarmac pretty much everything except cafe stops ends up in the accident folder, even on the least sensitive setting. Assuming the sensors in the system can cope with the magnitude of the shocks from skinny-tyred rides, this seems a pretty easy fix down the line.

Innovv K6 app

The K6 camera is Wi-Fi enabled and you can connect it to the Innovv app on your smartphone. This gives you access to all the settings in the camera, and you can have a live feed of either camera, or both, on your screen. In theory you could have the phone on your bars and use it as a rear-view camera; I don't think I'd ever do that, but your mileage may vary there.

You can also view footage on your phone and download the files to it, which might come in handy from time to time.

Mostly, though, I expect I'd be pulling the card out if I ever needed any of the footage.

The app has links to an FAQ and the Innovv forum, where you might get answers if you're a bit stuck. The app is pretty basic but entirely functional, so no issues there.

Should you buy the Innovv K6?

If you're committed to filming your riding for your own peace of mind, and to bring errant driving to the notice of your local constabulary, then the K6 system has a lot going for it. It's well made, you get all your front and rear footage in one place, the battery life can basically be whatever you want, and the footage is good enough to pick out vehicle registrations. The camera system has come over from motorcycling and there are some issues associated with that: the accident detection sensors need to be calibrated differently for cycles, and the battery bag isn't really that useful for a road bike. Overall, though, it's pretty good.

There are other ways of getting front and rear views. A 360-degree camera like the Insta360 X3 gives you both views in one camera, but it'll cost you about twice what the K6 will set you back, and for the best footage you'll probably want to mount it on your helmet, which isn't something I particularly like to do.

The Techalogic DC-2 that George reviewed last month also does front and rear from your helmet, with two separate cameras capturing 2K/60fps footage. It's similarly priced to the K6, although a separate battery for extra run-time costs more.

Or you could get two action cameras. Two Akaso EK7000 cameras, for example, will set you back less than a hundred quid and you'll get 4K footage from each; plenty of aftermarket mounts are available to fit them to your bike. It's nowhere near as neat as this system, though, and the battery life will be a limiting factor for rides over an hour.

Cycliq's front and rear camera lights have longer run-times and the footage is good, but you're looking at over £500 for a set. Although that includes lights as well as cameras, of course.

At £230 I'd say this system is a good investment for anyone who wants to record all their rides. It's not perfect – the footage could be better, as could the battery bag – but it's offering a fit-and-forget solution that's pretty well thought out.

Verdict

Well-made fit-and-forget front and rear dashcam for your bike, with huge run-times available

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Innovv K6 Dual Lens Camera

Size tested: One size

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

From Innovv:

Life is like a journey, and we are always on our way chasing dreams. The INNOVV K6 dual lens camera is designed to protect you from the front & rear while on the road.

Product Features:

Dual Camera. Front 2K QHD@30fps & Rear 1080FHD@30fps.

F2.0 aperture and QHD lens offering a good footage quality with less distortion.

Supports up to 256GB TF card.

The camera will be powered by an external power supply from the USB cable, which makes you less anxious about recording time.

Easy installation thanks to its small and light body.

IP67 rate, superior performance against water, dust and also excellent performance in high & low-temperature environments.

One-button design, easy to operate.

K6 Dual Lens Camera

What's in the box k6 cycle version

Items in Package

1 x K6 DVR+front camera

1 x Rear Camera

1 x 1M Lens extension cable

2 x Accessories package for Cycle

1 x User Manual

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

LOOP RECORDING

AUTO ON/OFF

Internal Microphone

Front (QHD) and Rear(FHD) Recording

Fully Featured Innovv App

Stylish Appearance & IP67 Waterproof

No Battery Life Concerns. USB/Powerbank

WIFI SUPPORTED

Max 256GB Card

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Pretty well. The cameras are good, the app okay, the battery pouch not great for a road bike.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Front and rear view, decent footage, prodigious run-times, well made.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Battery pouch is poor, can't swap between bikes, accident detection is too sensitive for bikes.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

£230 is about the same as the Techalogic DC-2 which is the most directly comparable camera. You can spend a lot less on a couple of cheap action cams, or twice as much on a good 360° camera.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

It's good overall, and with a few tweaks to make it more cycle-specific it can be better.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 50  Height: 189cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Merida Scultura, Dward Design fixed

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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21 comments

Avatar
MattKelland | 2 months ago
0 likes

I'm currently running a £15 Aliexpress light/camera combo at the rear and the quality looks about as good as this one. It's permanently attached to the bike, and if it does get nicked while I'm shopping then it's only £15 to get another one.

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dave atkinson replied to MattKelland | 2 months ago
0 likes

be good to see some footage from this!

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Sriracha replied to dave atkinson | 2 months ago
0 likes

Can we post footage here?

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dave atkinson replied to Sriracha | 2 months ago
0 likes

no, sorry!

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Creakingcrank | 2 months ago
2 likes

I have been running a 2 camera motorcycle dashcam on my e-bike for about a year. It is a cheap one from Amazon, but the same configuration as this. I wired it into the lighting circuit of the bike so it runs from the main battery. I've really enjoyed the "fit and forget" nature of the thing and it has been good enough to pick up number plates for a few close pass submissions.

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Oldfatgit replied to Creakingcrank | 2 months ago
0 likes

As this is for motorbikes as well as pushbike, I wonder if it could be wired in to my ebike harness?

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Creakingcrank replied to Oldfatgit | 2 months ago
1 like

I can't see why not. Mine runs on 5v and comes with a 12v to 5v dc/dc converter for motorbikes, which I used to to connect to the 12v lighting circuit on my Bosch motor. Looking at Amazon, I think this one comes with the same thing. You have to be a bit careful not to overload the lighting circuit. I think Bosch offers 17.4W to the front light, so it depends how much power your front light is drawing already.

A scarier alternative is to get a 36 to 5V converter and tap into the feed between the battery and the motor. I haven't tried that yet, but it's on my list of tampering tasks...

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Oldfatgit replied to Creakingcrank | 2 months ago
0 likes

There *should* be a spare output in the harness somewhere...
I don't think I'd want the power switched through the user panel ... I'd want it permanently on, and controlled by the camera on/off.
Easier to remember to turn the camera on at the camera 😁

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to Oldfatgit | 2 months ago
1 like

whatever power feeds you have in your ebike system you should be able to find a USB converter. innov do one for a 12V feed: https://innovv.co.uk/shop/accessories/c5-accessories/12v-5v-usb-port-con...

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Oldfatgit | 2 months ago
0 likes

When the front camera is turned on ... does that automatically turn on the rear camera?
Also ... is there issues with frame syncing / de-syncronisation that can occur when you have two individual units and even after frame alignment?

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dave atkinson replied to Oldfatgit | 2 months ago
2 likes

yeah it's just one button for the whole system. the front camera controls the rear so they've always been in sync during testing

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Oldfatgit replied to dave atkinson | 2 months ago
0 likes

Cheers @Dave ... and especially for your quick response

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Oldfatgit | 2 months ago
2 likes

Real world video too ... none of this 'all shot in bright sunlight here' ... so thanks for doing that @Dave Atkinson.

Finally...
A potential rival to knock the Cycliq off the top spot - as long as you can live with the cables.

60fps is much better than 30fps, both for image quality and stability.. also means that you can slow the video down better.

Down side is you cant swap this system easily like you can the Cycliq, but if the cable harness and mounts are available as an add-on, looks like you could swap cameras easily enough by just undoing 2 screws.

And would still be half the price of the Fly6/ Fly12 combo.

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dave atkinson replied to Oldfatgit | 2 months ago
1 like

I mean, i have swapped the cameras between bikes a few times, it's not like it can't be done. takes about 10 minutes and costs you some cable ties (or insulating tape if you're lazy).

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Oldfatgit replied to dave atkinson | 2 months ago
1 like

I think it's definitely a system to look into the next time my Fly6 exceeds it's IPV rating by just *thinking* about getting moist, let alone wet ...

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Sriracha | 2 months ago
0 likes

Looks good, if a bit of a homebrew look to it. The official pic does nothing to dispel that thought.

I wonder if they can apply some kind of water repellent coating on the lens, like Specsavers do.

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Capt Sisko replied to Sriracha | 2 months ago
1 like

For motorcycle screens & visors you can buy varios repellants that make the water bead up and run off. That's what I used on the lens of my motorbike K3 system.

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Secret_squirrel | 2 months ago
0 likes

Looks like a good product as a fit and forget and since it's going to be permanent you can afford to take time to get it right, and play hide the wire til you're hearts content. 
 

I would criticise it more for not having a seatpost mount for the rear however, the product is also not very easy to find on their website.

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dave atkinson replied to Secret_squirrel | 2 months ago
1 like

the camera mounts are standard action cam ones so you could probably find a seatpost mount that'll work if you really wanted one

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Capt Sisko | 2 months ago
5 likes

I've got a K3 system hard wired on my motorcycle and it's been rock solid. Obviously a different method of powering and I can hide the wires & connectors inside the bodywork of the bike, (which I'll admit looks a bit cr*p on bicycle, though maybe the fitter could have tried harder). but lenses, wiring & control box are quality and it's endured 3yrs of all the British weather can throw at it, (multiplied by the speed of a motorbike) without a hitch.

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dave atkinson replied to Capt Sisko | 2 months ago
0 likes

i mean i could have tried a bit harder on the Tern, for sure, but that bike's covered in things anyway. on the kinesis it was a neater system than i imagined it would be

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