[38500]

Good luck! I own a Nighhawk 750, which is definitely NOT a sportbike, and I have gone nuts trying to set up the mirrors so I can see *behind* me! I can see some, but there is way too much I can't see. On another bike I had the mirros like most right-side mirrors on car. They let you see better, but it is true that your depth perception gets skewed a bit. Still, you get a much better range.

Giulio

 

[john]

throw some washers in between mirrors and fairing. you would be amazed how much of an effect moving the mirrors out half an inch can have.



short of that, buy a mirror assembly off of a bandit or other standard, they usually have longer stems, and MOST of the japanese bikes have the same bolt spacing.



measure distance between your bolts, and find something longer that fits. bandit mirrors can be had on ebay for 10 bucks a pair. washers cost maybe a buck

 

[dogs1]

trade it in on a new Bandit

 

[3833]

VFR mirrors...

The mirrors on my VFR work well, fairly long stalk and easily ajustable.

Suprisingly enough, one of the best mirrors I've used are on the Ninja 250/EX250. Those funky pivot-stalks are nice, as you can raise them up and down by about 3-4 inches in addition to the other ajustments.

 

[torrnado]

I have a '03 Kawasaki Z1000 and the mirrors are useless above 60 mph due to severe vibration, let alone speeds below that due to my elbows blocking 70% of rearward visibility. I would think if a manufacturer/third party parts producer put their minds to it, we might actually see functional mirrors some day!

Idea: How about a wide-angle camera (with electronic image stabilization) mounted in the rear of your bike with a helmet-mounted, see-through (or handle-bar mounted) LCD display...that would be trick!

 

[bobo30]

Why do sportbike riders always suggest they wish to see the soccer moms and tractor trailers coming up behind them. The key to success with your mirrors is proper shoulder checks. You can't ride with your mirrors alone (or drive for that matter). I can't remember the last time I had someone come up behind be in a tractor trailer. If you have this problem then I suggest you twist your right wrist a little further.

 

[obandoj]

Really.

 

[4940]

Try a set of Bar end mirrors. I've used them for over 10 years now and find their field of veiw surpasses that of other types of mirrors. They kind of look cool too. VWW

 

[40746]

Aaaaaah!

So that's why the mirrors on Ducatis always afford me such a perfect view of my shoulders. It's meant as a reminder to turn and look behind them. Got it!

BTW, it's not the Mom's I'm checking for coming up behind me, it's Da' Man. Not that I speed or anything, but sometimes I get so absorbed in my riding, I look down in shock at the speedo to find myself doing 66, 67, even 68 mph! I just get a little carried away from time to time.



Law abidingly yours,

EBass

 

[Nickoc]

I have a 2002 R1, and I think the mirrors are the best I have had on the out of the four bikes I have owned previously. Still need to move elbows sometimes, but otherwise they are vibe free and have generous adjustment. But I am with some of the other readers here - if you have ANYTHING coming up behind you, you are driving like a girl... you do know your bike has more than one gear, right?

 

[EbonFlame]

Yeah, I just hate in when you realize what's coming up behind you is another motorcycle. Normally, I have no problem with KZ-1000s, but when they have red and blue lights...

 

[charuhas]

Ride faster? Tell the cops.

Listen up, you chuckleheads who are telling me to stop riding like a girl:

I'll ride faster if you can get cops out of the revenue-generation and rider-harassment games.

Last year a riding buddy and I got busted for doing 67 mph on a long, flat, straight, deserted four-lane highway in rural VA. The backward-ass county we were crossing got $120 fine of my money, and I got four points on my license. I'd use a radar-detector, but the Capital of the Confederacy in its Stalinist wisdom has made them illegal to use in VA.

A month ago I was riding through a battlefield park around Richmond. Out of habit, I parked on the sidewalk beside the closed-for-the-season Visitor's Center. Out of nowhere, in this deserted park, comes a park ranger, who, instead of telling me to move the bike or writing me a parking ticket, charges me with "Travel off of Designated Roads." Min penalty? You guessed it: $120 fine and four points on my license. Max penalty: 3 months in jail.

I'm escaping VA in a couple of months, but this sort of crap happens everywhere. If you can make it disappear, I'll stop trying to fix my mirrors.

 

[Haird]

Re: Ride faster? Tell the cops.

Yes, and then there's all those inconvenient stop lights and railroad crossings, which is where I usually get overtaken, if not rear-ended. Not to mention the nuts swooping all the way from the far right lane to the far left lane playing tag at 80 mph during rush hour. It's always nice to be able to see what's going on back there.

 

[seruzawa]

Re: Aaaaaah!

Where did I last put my shovel?

On second thought a backhoe would be more in order.

 

[seruzawa]

Get one of those mirrors that the bicyclists clip to their helmets.

 

[33809]

To quote a famous Italian...... (spoken in a heavy Italian accent)......."Whatsa behind me doesn't matter."

 

[30874]

So... you never had to stop at a traffic light? Or gotten caught in a sudden slow down in heavy traffic where everyone goes crazy changing lanes at once? Guess you don't live in the same world as the rest of us.

 

[Kildagin]

I am not sure what they are called, but the small round stick on mirrors that people with trailers/pickups sometimes use work fairly well for me. They show a distorted wide angle view, so you may not know how close things are behind you, but you will know that they are behind you.

 

[KPaulCook]

Good idea

Yep I think I saw a new product in Motorcyclist or Sport Rider like that. The LCD display could be mounted a variety of places. I like you helmet mounted heads up display idea. The display could also show speed, rpm etc. Suprised Shoei hasn't teamed up with someone on that already. i..e have a wireless transmitter between the bike and helmet no wires etc. Heck you could have tunes piped in the helmet as well.

 

[BRIAN_1]

I ride a VFR with supposedly decent mirrors, but it is still disturbing to me not to be able to see what is directly behind me. I guess I'm used to checking the rear view mirror in my car every 10 seconds and I try to do the same on my bike.



Gen Mar sells a 1/2" black plastic spacer that mounts between the stock mirror and the fairing on the VFR that helps you see around your elbows better. I'd get a set myself, but it would make it even more difficult to squeeze into my 1 car garage next to my car.