MyChron and Race Ninja work together
MyChron is the default live kart dash for a reason: RPM, temps and timing feel while you're in the seat. Race Ninja is the post-session video layer from a normal GoPro or DJI. Keep the AiM unit. Skip paying four figures for a brand-name race camera when a used GPS GoPro already feeds a deeper analysis pack.
Dash yes. Thousand-pound camera optional.
Keep MyChron for live RPM, water temp and the glance on the wheel. AiM's own cameras (SmartyCam and friends) can clear a thousand pounds new. Race Ninja does more with the film for driver work: sectors, line, coaching and analysis packs from a second-hand GoPro or DJI around two hundred. Logger data still imports to enrich that pack.
How the stack works
Keep the dash and the camera
MyChron for live RPM and temps. GoPro with GPS on for the session film. Same weekend kit, different jobs.
Upload after the run
Browser or Windows uploader for the footage. Add the logger file when you want engine channels on the debrief.
Debrief with proof on film
Sectors, lines and coaching notes locked to the video. One clear job for next session, with the analysis pack as evidence.
What each tool owns
MyChron in the seat
Live dash, engine channels, the glanceable number when traffic closes. That job stays on the wheel.
Race Ninja after the run
Lap and sector truth with video attached. Analysis packs put the evidence next to your hands and feet on film.
Together when it matters
Import AiM session data so RPM and temps enrich the same timeline as the GoPro. Complementary, not competitive.
Camera budget that makes sense
Brand race cameras from logger makers often start past £1000. A used Hero 11 or 13 with GPS on does the Race Ninja job for roughly £200 second-hand, and you still get more out of the analysis pack than a pretty clip alone.
MyChron and Race Ninja side by side
Same race weekend. Different questions. Stack them when you can.
| Need | MyChron / Race Studio / SmartyCam path | Race Ninja + normal camera |
|---|---|---|
| Live dash + RPM/temps | Primary job | Import enriches the pack |
| In-kart timing feel | Primary job | Post-session lap list |
| Video locked to every sector | Often needs their camera stack | Built in from GoPro/DJI GPS film |
| AI coaching on the footage | Human coach / export chain | Built into analysis packs |
| Onboard camera spend | SmartyCam-class: often £1000+ | Used GPS GoPro/DJI: ~£200 |
| Best used as | Live engine and dash | Post-session precision layer |
Spend metal on the dash, not on a luxury camera
If the budget is tight, put it where only AiM (or Alfano) can win: live RPM, temps and a proper display. For film and debrief, a second-hand GoPro or DJI with GPS already records the session. Race Ninja turns that into analysis packs that beat "watch the video again and guess." That's the complement story, not a scrap with the dash.
Common questions about MyChron and Race Ninja
Is Race Ninja a MyChron alternative?
People search that phrase, so here's the straight answer: no, not as a full replacement. MyChron is the live dash for RPM, water temp and an in-kart sense of timing. Race Ninja is post-session video analysis from the GoPro or DJI you already run. They complement each other. Searchers who want "instead of" usually mean "I need lap honesty from footage" or "I want both."
What is MyChron better at?
Live feedback while you drive. Engine health. A number on the wheel you can glance at mid-corner. Race Studio depth if your team already lives there. Don't force a camera to fake those jobs.
What is Race Ninja better at next to a MyChron?
Video-locked sectors, racing line, coaching notes and analysis packs. The evidence is the footage plus the telemetry, not a chart you have to rebuild from memory. That post-session precision is the layer a dash alone doesn't deliver.
Can I use MyChron data with Race Ninja?
Yes. Keep the AiM unit on the wheel. Upload your GoPro session as usual, then bring the logger file in so RPM and temps sit on the same timeline as the video. The dash stays for the race. The analysis pack gets richer.
What if I only have a camera for now?
Start there. Film with GPS on, upload, learn where you're slow. Add a MyChron when live engine data becomes the open question. You're not wasting either purchase if the jobs stay clear.
What about AiM SmartyCam and other logger-brand cameras?
AiM sells onboard cameras too, and they're proper motorsport kit. They're also eye-watering: SmartyCam-class cameras often sit over a thousand pounds new. A second-hand GoPro or DJI with GPS that works for Race Ninja can be around two hundred. Keep MyChron for the live dash. Spend the camera budget where the analysis pack actually lives: footage Race Ninja can read, sectors, coaching and proof on film.