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Best Drones for Motorcycles in 2021

Complete Guide
best drones for motorcycles

If you're looking for a drone to be used while you're riding your motorcycle, this article will guide you through the whole process, step by step.

So if you’re an up-and-coming vlogger, a cinematographer, or simply want to use drones for personal leisure, this article is going to show you: 

  • the best follow-me drones for motorcycle riders 
  • the most portable, convenient, user-friendly drone 
  • the best model depending on your lifestyle, priorities, budget 
  • what specs are present for a price difference in every model 

Top 2 Drones for motoryclists 

If you're in a hurry chose one of the 3 presented down below, and prioritise the first one, as it's the best camera drone in this price range.

1.Best Camera drone 

air-2s-small

DJI Air 2S

  • 3 axis gimbal
  • 5k camera
  • 1 inch sensor
  • 31 min battery
  • 12 km
Check The Price

2.Best Compact Drone

dji-mini-2-table-img

DJI Mini 2

  • 31 min battery
  • 4k camera
  • under 250g
  • 3 axis gimbal
  • 10 km range
Check The Price

2.Best Follow Drone

skydio-2-drone-review.jpg

Skydio 2

  • 23 min battery
  • 3 axis gimbal
  • 4k footage
  • Advanced follow me
  • 3.5 km range
Check The Price

Table comparison of the top drones

DroneImagePriceFootage ScoreBattery lifeFPV RangeVideo ResPhoto ResGimbalMPBitrateRAW photoHDR PhotoHDR VidApertureSensor SizeD-logLive FeedGPSReturn HomeObstacle avoidanceFollow meWeightMax SpeedMax WindMax AltitudeTemperatureOptical flow sensorsUnder 250 g
Kaione Pro maxCheck Price625 min1 km4k8k3 axisGPSyesoptionalyes280gyesno
Visuo K1 pro
SG906 pro 2Check Price628 min0.8 km2k4k3 axisGPS GLONASSyesnoyes552gyesno
SG907 MAXCheck Price425 min0.8 km2k4k3 axisGPSyesnoyes309gyesno
Eachine Ex4 ProCheck Price725 min3 km2k4k3 axisGPSyesnoyes435g10 m/syesno
ZLL SG908Check Price426 min0.8 km2k4k3 axisGPSyesnoyes534gyesno
JJRC X17Check Price630 min0.8 km2.7k5k2 axisGPSyesnoyes500g7 m/syesno
mjx bugs 16 proCheck Price828 min0.5 km4k4k3 axisGPSyesnoyes612g10 m/syesno
mjx bugs 19Check Price422 min0.3 km4k4kNoneGPSyesnono245gyesyes
kf101Check Price730 min1.2 km2k2k3 axisGPSyesnoyes578g8 m/syesno
ZLL SG108 PROCheck Price625 min0.8 km2k4k2 axisGPSyesnoyes278g3m/syesno
LYZRC L106 PROCheck Price425 mins0.8 km2k4k2 axisGPS GLONASSyesnoyes329gyesno
KF102Check Price525 min1.2 km2k4k3 axisGPSyesnoyes332gyesno
DJI Mini 2Check Price931 min10 km4k4k3 axis12mp100 Mbpsyesnonof/2.81/2.3”no720pGPS GLONASS GALILEOyesnoyes242g16 m/s10.5 m/s (Level 5)4km0° to 40°Cyesyesmoto
Mavic Air 2Check Price934 min10 km4k 60p8k3 axis48mp120 Mbpsyesyesnof/2.81/2"yes1080pGPS GLONASSyesyesyes570g19 m/s10.5 m/s (Level 5)5km-10° to 40°Cyesnomoto
DJI Air 2sCheck Price1031 min12 km5.4k/ 4k 60p8k3 axis20mp150 Mbpsyesyesnof/2.81”yes1080pGPS GLONASS GALILEOyesyesyes595g19 m/s10.7 m/s (Level 5)5km0° to 40°C yesnomoto
Skydio 2Check Price923 min3.5 km4k 60p4k3 axis12MP100 Mbpsyesyesyesf/2.81/2.3”no720pGPS GLONASSyesyesyes775g16 m/s11.1 m/s (Level 5)-5°C to 40°Cyesnomoto
Zino Mini proCheck Price940 min10 km4k8k3 axis200Mbpsyesyesnof/1.851/1.3”1080pGPS GLONASSyesyesyes249g16 m/s10.5 m/s (Level 5)4km-10° to 60°Cyesyesdji alter
Autel Evo 2Check Price1040 min9 km6k/8k8k3 axis120Mbpsyesyesnof/1.81”yes1080pGPS GLONASSyesyesyes1150g20 m/s17m/s (Level 8)7km-10° to 40°Cyesnodji alter
Powervision power egg XCheck Price930 min6 km4k 60p4k3 axis12MP76 mbpsyesnonof/1.801/2.8”1080pGPS GLONASSyesnoyes861g18 m/s10.5 m/s (Level 5)4km0° to 40°C yesnodji alter
Parrot AnafiCheck Price925 min4 km4k5k2 axis21MP100 Mbpsyesyesyesf/2.41/2.4’’720pGPS GLONASSyesnoyes320g14 m/s4.5km-10° to 40°Cyesnodji alter
Xiaomi Fimi X8Check Price933 min5 km4k4k3 axis12MP100 Mbpsf/2.21/2.3”720pGPS GLONASSyesnoyes790g18 m/s4km0° to 40°C yesnodji alter
TelloCheck Price612 min0.1km720p4k5MP720pnono80g8 m/s0.1kmyesyesdji alter
SJRC F11 4k ProCheck Price826 min1.2 km4k4k3 axis12MPnonono720pGPS GLONASSyesnoyes565gyesno
Autel Evo NanoCheck Price1028 min10 km4k4k3 axis48MP100mbpsyesyesyesf/2.81/1.28"2.7kGPS GLONASS GALILEOyesyesyes249g15 m/s10.5 m/s (Level 5)4km0° to 40°C yesyes
SwellPro Spry+Check Price8.517 min1 km4k4kno12MP64mbpsnononof/2.651/2.3”GPS GLONASSyesnoyes480g18 m/s10.5 m/s (Level 5)0.2km-10° to 40°Cnono
Hubsan Zino 2 +Check Price935 min9km4k 60 fps4k3 axis12MP100mbpsnononoF/2.21/2.3"720pGPS GLONASSyesnoyes929g20 m/s13.5 m/s (Level 6)4km0° to 40°C yesno

What are the best drones for motorcyclists?(ranked)

Let's rank and go into more detail about the best drones for motorcyclists to see which one fits you best (as they're all pretty damn good).

This list is in order of what I consider to be better overall AND what value for money that drone has. 
You might have heard or read a thing or two about the following models, but on this list you’ll be able to carefully compare what makes it the go-to companion in your motorcycle adventures.

All these quadcopters are super high quality and you can’t really go wrong. It’s up to you to decide!

1.DJI Air 2s (The Best Camera drone for moto)

camera-icon-spec
4k 60fps
battery-icon-spec
31 min
range-icon-spec
12 km
drone-icon-spec
follow me
PROS
  • Best camera quality on the list
  • 4k 60p or 5k footage
  • 1 inch sensor
  • great for low light
  • Amazing Tracking capability
  • 12 km range
CONS
  • Can be expensive if you're not a professional

The DJI Air 2s is one of the latest drones on the market and comes with an outstanding camera with a large 1 inch sensor, state of the art obstacle avoidance technology and sensors, and it's also foldable and compact so you can travel with it on the bike easily.

As a motorcyclist, having a good auto follow system is very useful, and the Active track 4.0 of the DJI Air 2 is one of the best on the market. What's more, with it's new system APAS 4.0 it can avoid obstacles with incredible precision, even while flying backwards.

The 12 km range is quite outstanding and gives you more than enough room and signal even in difficult situations.

Check the Price and Specs

2.DJI Mini 2 (Best drone under 250g for moto)

camera-icon-spec
4k 30fps
battery-icon-spec
31 min
range-icon-spec
10 km
drone-icon-spec
no Follow me
PROS
  • 4k stable camera
  • under 250g (no need for registration)
  • 31 min battery
  • super small
  • can withstand strong wind
  • very good photos
CONS
  • No tracking

I know I bragged about how important it is for some drones to have active track, but this one is a new addition and it's simply too good not to put it high on the list!

It's so good for the simple reason that it weighs under 250g which makes it a breeze to film anywhere without needing registration or dealing with legal stuff.

As a side note, check my list with the drone laws in each country to make sure you can fly.

The Mini 2 is a drone released almost in 2021 and comes with a stunning 31 min flight time, a super sharp 4k camera that's also very well stabilized and it's about as small as a phone (smaller in fact).

And it is also upgraded to withstand Level 5 winds!

It's a best travel drone overall, as well as a super compact 4k drone to have for any motorcyclist (that doesn't prioritize follow me).

Check the Price and Specs

3.DJI Mavic Air 2 (Long Battery Life Drone for moto)

camera-icon-spec
4k 60fps
battery-icon-spec
34min
range-icon-spec
10km
drone-icon-spec
follow me
PROS
  • 4K60 camera
  • Pretty compact
  • Great Controller
  • 10km Range
  • 34 min battery
  • Very Good tracking
CONS
  • None

The DJI Mavic Air 2 is in my opinion the best all around drone for motorcyclists (and my personal serious camera drone), yet it's cheaper than most.

It's actually great for anything but excels at so much stuff that I simply can't put it first on this list (although the second is very close).

We're looking at a drone with an exceptional follow me capability with obstacle avoidance thanks to the front and back sensors and a lot more!

The Air 2 also has a Zoom in feature and the ability to do 240fps slow motion in 1080p.

In terms of battery life, it's a monster, flying up to 34 minutes and 10km away in perfect conditions ( that is for USA, in EU it flies 6km).

What's really great about this drone is also that it's super compact compared to most others and can fit in a pretty small backpack with controller and all.

Check the Price and Specs

4.Skydio R2 (the ultimate follow me drone)

camera-icon-spec
4k 60fps
battery-icon-spec
23 min
range-icon-spec
3.5 km
drone-icon-spec
follow me
PROS
  • 4K60 camera
  • Crash-proof
  • Improved follow-me mode
  • Can be controlled by body signals
  • GPS locator
CONS
  • slow startup time
  • not foldable

When the Skydio R1 was released, it promised of an autonomous, follow-me drone. And it did deliver. 

However, with the release of Skydio 2, this upgrade doesn’t fail to live up to expectations. Some of its main selling points include a 4K60 HDR camera  that could capture sharp photos even while moving in midair, it is crash-proof, and it has an improved follow-me mode.

 It also allows you to control it in the most convenient way with the help of an app, a remote control, and a beacon--a pill-shaped remote that lets you control the camera through your body signals. 

Check the Price and Specs

Frequently asked questions

Let's see some more specific details about the best drones for motorcyclists and how to choose a drone in general.

At what speed can these drones follow a motorcycle?

highway-motorcycle-speed-drone.jpg

There’s nothing more adrenaline-filled than a shot of you while doing all the action while running, cycling, maneuvering a boat, or getting a bumpy ride in a 4x4 rover. But that wouldn’t be possible without a stable, drone that could hover and follow you. Good thing, there have been recent releases in the market of these drones. Some of them, like the DJI Mavic series, have modes like trace and spotlight, where the former tracks the subject at a constant distance while the latter keeps its camera pointed at the subject during flight. 

It should also be noted that speeds of flights vary during sports modeascent, and descent. For the DJI Mavic Air, it offers the fastest sports mode at 68.4 km/h in its maximum speed while also maintaining close to sea level with no wind. It also has a 4 m/s ascent and 3 m/s descent speed, all using remote controller. This speed makes it also great for tracking subjects in all kinds of sports like kite surfing, including over water.

The Skydio 2 comes in at a close 2nd place with a 58 km/h maximum speed and a maximum ceiling service of 15,000 ft, giving you a wider panorama of the shot. 

Meanwhile, the DJI Mavic Mini might be smaller in comparison but it could perform on a 46 km/h maximum speed. It has a 13.12 ft/s ascent and 9.84 descent speed, respectively. 

Can these drones return to home when low battery or signal loss?

5-things-to-know-about-drone-RTH-image.jpg

As a drone owner, you should also ready yourself for external factors that could lead you into peril. Since operating this gadget is highly dependent on weather conditions, it pays to choose something that could go against the wind. 

But even if your drone has all the abilities to withstand harsh weather conditions, one of the biggest nightmares you’d face is losing your drone after it runs out of battery. Now you ask, do you have an option to prevent this? 

Thankfully, there is. DJI Mavic Mini, DJI Mavic Air, and Skydio 2 have the ability to return in the incident of low battery and loss of signal, and when we mean return, they actually go to where you set your home location. As for the landing precision, they could perform a maximum of 2m from the point they were launched. 

Can these drones avoid any kind of obstacle?

Enduring weather disturbance like strong winds is one thing, but overcoming physical obstructions is another story. With all the creative angles and shots we see in different contents, the quality of cinematography has been raised to risky levels—like letting their drones fly between narrow gaps of trees, rocks, tangled cable wires, or even almost within reach of anyone’s head. If achieved, these shots could turn out really epic, otherwise, nose-diving into a building a limestone, a house, or worse, another person, is not only costly but troublesome too. But thanks to technology, manufacturers have included adding obstacle avoidance sensors in some drones.

However, only one of the three drones in comparison here have these sensors, and that’s the DJI Mavic Air. Although DJI Mavic Mini and Xiaomi Fimi X8 also have built-in sensors at the bottom, it won’t come close to Mavic Air as its obstacle avoidance sensors are three-dimensional—front, bottom, and back. These sensors allow Mavic Air to stop before hitting objects, especially when the operator is looking down or when the drones is flying backwards. 

With the Skydio 2, it has a Skydio Autonomy Engine which could visualize and predict what could happen next based on the trajectory of its path. Boasting of its 6x4 camera and the ability to build a 3D map of its surroundings, it is capable of making its own decision in a split second, thereby avoiding any impending obstacle. 

But keep in mind, although using obstacle avoidance mode could really save you, your drone, and all your efforts, it could be limiting to use it too when it comes to flying, due to the sensitivity of its three-dimensional sensor compound. 

All points taken, obstacle avoidance should be a priority if you’re a beginner and you’re still half-hearted about operating a drone. But if you don’t want to spend an extra fortune for added caution, the least you could probably do is to stick to safe shotlists and operate in open areas. 

Can you fly a drone on the highway?

harley-davidson-moto-drone-follow-me.jpg

With the advent of drones, it has become a common sight these days to see these modern, miniscule aircrafts hovering above--or in more technical term, an unmanned aerial vehicle. In the US alone, it is predicted to have about 7 million drones, mostly due to hobby flying. 

If used for recreational purposes, flying a drone still isn’t banned in general. However, it isn’t rocket-science to realize too that these aircrafts could be dangerous and be used to take advantage of both private and public space, domains, and properties.

To paint a clearer picture, one lost drone could endanger lives of birds and may even interfere with the trajectory of planes, so yes, it is a serious issue. But that isn’t the end of drone technology though, we still get to enjoy the benefits of this wonderful invention. And if you want these benefits to last, isn’t really restricting and oppressing to follow a couple of universal regulations. 

In general, it is prohibited to fly a drone in a public area and over a moving vehicle, especially as dense and crowded as a highway. In most parts of the world, you’re going to need a permit to fly publicly.

In the US and in the Europe, they impose stricter restrictions, especially in areas designated as “no-fly zones.” However, it is allowed to fly a drone if it is above a stationary vehicle, or within a covered structure an is hovering above a person. If you may ask, why above a person? Well simply because they are entertaining the possibility that that drone could be used to save that person’s life, especially if it protects him from a falling debris or any untoward incident. 

Do you have to use a controller?

When it comes to using a controller, there are drones that still require one. But recent innovations have also paved way to operating without any need for controller. Here we’ll break down what drones are suitable for you, depending on your preference for using a controller. 

For both the DJI Mavic Air and Mini, they come with foldable, detachable remote controller making it more comfortable to pack. You also have have to charge it manually link with the drone. But if you’re leaning more on the autonomous, self-operating drones, you could go for the Skydio 2. Unlike its predecessor, the Skydio R1, it gives you an option to control it with or without a remote. But if you try to test its legitimacy if it really is self-controlling, try purposely crashing it to a solid object and you’ll be surprised how it manages to get off on its own--thanks to its multi-angled sensors that detect any forthcoming hindrance. 

Now if you want to test Skydio 2’s self-operating features, you could just go on and walk and you’d be surprised how obedient it could be to its owner--just wave a little to it, and it follows you like a loyal dog, only that it’s hovering around you. Using its 3-axis motion sensors, you could just direct the Skydio 2 with your hands where you want it to go. If you’re up for some selfie, you could also switch to selfie-engagement mode, connect it with your phone, and do your best pose. And in case you went by too fast, say you ran too quickly and you it nearly got lost track of you, do not fret, its built-in GPS locators could find you too.

Conclusion

Part of the privilege in buying a drone is knowing that with every penny spent, you’ve made a wise decision that will last a lifetime of phenomenal shots. So if before reading this article you were one of those meticulous yet undecided customers, you probably now have one less problem to think of. And if you are planning to travel internationally, I'd suggest you to checkout my list of best travel drones so far. 

If you’re a traveler or simply an adventure-seeker with two wheels, one thing that could complete your journey is a drone that would immortalize your memories. But the question is, which of these drones fit your preference? You’ll be the judge.

author-paul-posea-picture
Hi, I'm Paul.
A big drone enthusiast, reviewing, comparing and writing about drones since 2015. I'm all about helping people enjoy and even monetize their hobby.
paul posea
Paul Posea
Hi, I'm a long-time drone reviewer and I hope my articles and comparisons on this site as well as Dronesgator's youtube channel are of as much help as possible.
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