Happy new year everybody.
Here's one for those with blades on their 1300 and who need somewhere low down for dramatic shots with their Gopro cam. Take out the blade hinge bolt. Drill the head out to 9mm and deburr the edges of the hole. Make sure the drilling process hasn't scarred the conical surface. The M8 thread section will have fallen away by this stage. Now grease it up and slip the cone back into the top of the blade on whichever side of the bike you want to mount the Gopro cam on. Take a 1" ram type ball topped BMW satnav mount off ebay with an M8x1.25 thread and 50mm thread length. Stick a well greased up SS slick washer on top of the cone making sure it is small enough so it doesn't foul on the blade itself and screw the satnav mount down (with some kind of lock washer on) so it just neatly pinches the washer above the cone a little.
The cone can please itself as to whether it turns with the blade or just sits there as long as it and the slick washer are well greased up and are held down tightly enough so there is no more than acceptable play in the blade when it's extended. On mine there is no more than normal play anyway and the blade still 'locks' both in and out.
Put the nyloc nut back on the bottom and fit your ram arm and Gopro.
Make sure you have caught and then replaced the spring and ball as they fall out of the blade from above the big lower washer.
Mine works a treat and means I can choose any of four different mounts or the Gopro. Ram on the left handlebar, suction mount on the nose, fixed plate under the top box for rear views and this one low down on the left side - makes for great engine sounds down there too.
Hope it helps anyone who is interested.
Regards and hope also that no-one has been badly affected by the bush fires down there - not a good start to 2013 for some folks.
PJ
