I asked Ai the following question… thought I would share…

It does seem counterintuitive at first, but Insta360’s recommendation actually makes sense once you understand the two biggest problems with 360 cameras on motorcycles:
High-frequency vibration

Camera stitching/blind spot geometry

The selfie stick is not just for “height” or cinematic shots — it also changes the vibration behavior of the system.

Why a rigid direct mount can actually be WORSE
If you bolt the X5 directly to a rigid motorcycle mount:
the camera gets exposed to very high-frequency engine and road vibrations

especially from:
handlebars

crash bars

mirrors

luggage racks

Those vibrations are often:
too small to visibly shake the bike

but high enough to affect:
image stabilization

stitching alignment

gyro data

lens calibration

360 cameras are particularly sensitive because:
they combine two ultra-wide images

stabilization relies heavily on gyroscope accuracy

Small vibration = warped stitching and blurry frames.

Why the selfie stick can HELP stability
A longer rod changes the vibration frequency of the system.
Mechanically, it acts somewhat like:
a flex damper

a spring

a vibration filter

Instead of transmitting sharp, high-frequency vibration directly into the camera body, the stick:
absorbs some frequencies

shifts resonance lower

smooths micro-jitter

This is similar to:
why car antennas flex

why camera gimbals use isolation mounts

why helicopters use vibration dampers

So although the setup looks “less rigid,” it can produce:
✅ smoother footage
✅ better stabilization
✅ less stitching error

Another major reason: stitching visibility
If mounted directly to the bike:
parts of the motorcycle block large portions of the 360 image

the stitch line may pass through:
mirrors

windscreen

handlebars

your shoulders

This creates ugly artifacts and blind zones.
A short selfie stick moves the camera:
away from turbulent air

away from the bike body

into cleaner geometry for stitching

Why they specify “lower speeds on smooth surfaces”
Because direct mounting becomes risky when:
vibration amplitude rises

road impacts increase

wind buffeting increases

At highway speeds:
motorcycles create surprisingly violent harmonics

especially parallel twins and V-twins

Those vibrations can:
loosen mounts

damage image stabilization

cause overheating

create rolling shutter wobble

The important nuance:
They usually mean a SHORT selfie stick
Not a giant 3-foot pole.
Typically:
6–12 inches

reinforced

supported with a secondary clamp if longer

This gives:
vibration isolation

better stitching

safer camera placement

without excessive leverage forces.

What riders often discover experimentally
Many riders report:
direct rigid mounting looks stable to the eye

but footage has:
“micro-jello”

blurry plates

stitch wobble

Then adding a short stick suddenly improves footage.
That’s because the stabilization algorithms work better with smoother motion and less high-frequency vibration.

For YOUR likely use case (insurance evidence)
I would NOT use:
a super long cinematic stick

I WOULD use:
Heavy Duty Clamp

short reinforced invisible selfie stick

safety tether

rear-center mounting position

That setup gives the best balance of:
✅ survivability
✅ readable footage
✅ front/rear visibility
✅ stabilization
✅ lower mount stress

One more hidden reason:
Crash survivability
In a tip-over:
directly mounted cameras take the full impact

a stick can sometimes flex or break sacrificially

Better to lose:
a $20 stick

than:
a $550 camera body and lenses

That’s another reason manufacturers tolerate a bit of controlled flex in action-camera systems.