Best kind of mirror

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Kool_Biker

Kool_Biker

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I am used to heavily rely on quality handlebar mirrors when riding. Ah these Hondas ...

Continuing with the sorting of my otherwise brilliant 72 750 Roadster, what would be the best mirror arrangement to get, which would not make the bike ultra wide (handlebars are already quite wide!) and provide an acceptable icon of the world unfolding at the back, in our vibey environment?

Cheers, Aris
 
Motorcycle superstore and JP motorcycles sell shit loads of different kinds of mirrors.
 
Like you my bars were quite wide so I cut two inches off each side and installed black Napoleon bar end mirrors

They look great and offer perfect backwards optics, fully adjustable, about $35 each I think
 
Snorton74 said:
Motorcycle superstore and JP motorcycles sell shit loads of different kinds of mirrors.
Click to expand...
I agree that this, the unheard message above, is a personal thing.

I have Napoleon bar end mirrors and really really like them, a quality item. However after running them for a season or two and the constant growing awareness of dangers on the road, I realized that these mirrors required a glance (head turn) rather than a simple eye shift.

I made a couple adaptors and mounted them up on the lever bracket. I enjoy the nice vibration free image I get from the Napoleon and a constant peripheral image of what is behind me with their new location.

Texting doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon and with this behavior it doesn't matter if you are a bicycle, a motorcycle, a car, or a semi truck. A texting related rearender is non discriminatory.
 
I prefer the generic oval tear drop mirrors on short stems and under slung on bars so clear wide view is under your arms w/o much head or eye motion instead of viewing through your arms with more head motion, unless on rather tall stalks. Bar ends are popular but I don't like the wide-ness and proneness to injury on just a drop on the grass. Ughliest mirrors in all of motorcycle-doom are the factor Norton square sails on long stalks. Perfect to cluster em for the Mod's fashion though.
 
Good responses all. Thanks.

So I will shorten my embarrassingly wide Roadster bars and go for the Napoleons.
Now where was it I spot them Napoleons for sale in England ???

Cheers, Aris
 
actually the napoleons are a bit on the cheepo side (though some people like them, i've had them and ultimately got rid of them as they show there age after a bit w/ their cheap paint ) - if you want real quality mirrors these are by far better (stainless ) and they are UK based - the 830 model is real nice

http://classicpartsltd.com/820-halcyon- ... irror.html

on my bike
Best kind of mirror
/a>

Kool_Biker said:
Good responses all. Thanks.

So I will shorten my embarrassingly wide Roadster bars and go for the Napoleons.
Now where was it I spot them Napoleons for sale in England ???

Cheers, Aris
Click to expand...
 
I go to the MC junkyard and buy a $3 - $5 cheap used stalk mirror, one that is flat glass, not convex, and hacksaw it off so it has a stub of 6" and then I grind a point or bevel on the cut off end,. Then I hammer a piece of wooden dowell into the end of the handlebar. Then I drill the dowel lout for a very tight fit to the diameter of the mirror stalk. Then I douse the inside of the dowel and the stalk with contact cement (or Gorilla Glue) and tap the stalk into the hole. The mirror itself winds up being about 1" away from my left hand' that is, maybe 4" of the stalk is driven deep into the dowell so it gets a real good purchase in there.

Works very well and more compact than any of the Napolean style mirrors, also far less vibration (even with the non-convex mirror) in the stalk because it is so short, and, good rearward vision too because, like the Napolean style, the line of sight is not infringed by my arm, shoulder, or jacket.
 
xbacksideslider said:
I go to the MC junkyard and buy a $3 - $5 cheap used stalk mirror, one that is flat glass, not convex, and hacksaw it off so it has a stub of 6" and then I grind a point or bevel on the cut off end,. Then I hammer a piece of wooden dowell into the end of the handlebar. Then I drill the dowel lout for a very tight fit to the diameter of the mirror stalk. Then I douse the inside of the dowel and the stalk with contact cement (or Gorilla Glue) and tap the stalk into the hole. The mirror itself winds up being about 1" away from my left hand' that is, maybe 4" of the stalk is driven deep into the dowell so it gets a real good purchase in there.

Works very well and more compact than any of the Napolean style mirrors, also far less vibration (even with the non-convex mirror) in the stalk because it is so short, and, good rearward vision too because, like the Napolean style, the line of sight is not infringed by my arm, shoulder, or jacket.
Click to expand...

Whoop... whoop whoop whoop whoop, whoop em Hobot style.
 
mikegray660 said:
actually the napoleons are a bit on the cheepo side (though some people like them, i've had them and ultimately got rid of them as they show there age after a bit w/ their cheap paint ) - if you want real quality mirrors these are by far better (stainless ) and they are UK based - the 830 model is real nice

http://classicpartsltd.com/820-halcyon- ... irror.html

on my bike
Best kind of mirror
/a>

Kool_Biker said:
Good responses all. Thanks.

So I will shorten my embarrassingly wide Roadster bars and go for the Napoleons.
Now where was it I spot them Napoleons for sale in England ???

Cheers, Aris
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

The real Napoleans aren't cheap. About $40/per. You can tell the good ones by the rubber bung which helps quell the vibrations.

But there are a ton of the Emgo knockoffs at about $15/ea.
 
The real Napoleans aren't cheap. About $40/per. You can tell the good ones by the rubber bung which helps quell the vibrations.
Click to expand...

correct

the real ones are very high quality and are rock solid clear visually, I have had mind for 12 years now, perfect
 
I used to have tall mirrors that would see over my shoulders. On each side. That was OK, but now I like just a single one mounted under the bars, looking left by my gut and belt. If you keep it short to the bar, it won't hit the tank, not sure about an interstate though. They're just cheap universal mirrors, at least they have the plastic gizmo that keeps from scratching the bars. Don't seem to have any issues with vibration.

Best kind of mirror


Dave
69S
 
DogT said:
I used to have tall mirrors that would see over my shoulders. On each side. That was OK, but now I like just a single one mounted under the bars, looking left by my gut and belt. If you keep it short to the bar, it won't hit the tank, not sure about an interstate though. They're just cheap universal mirrors, at least they have the plastic gizmo that keeps from scratching the bars. Don't seem to have any issues with vibration.

Best kind of mirror


Dave
69S
Click to expand...

I did that too, but clearances can be a real issue. But looking under your arm works really well.
 
I like the black Napoleons. As I recall they were about 35 bucks each. They've taken quite a pounding on cobblestones/dirt roads and the ubiquitous Mexican speed bumps (Topes) here and never go out of adjustment.

Best kind of mirror
 
The NOC Tech digest I have shows it should go between the muffler plates under the passenger peg spacer. Is this correct?
 
bwolfie said:
The NOC Tech digest I have shows it should go between the muffler plates under the passenger peg spacer. Is this correct?
Click to expand...

Maybe? But I don't remember ever seeing that arrangement in any period factory photo or brochure picture-as the cable is always shown going over and then down behind the Z-plate.
 
Yes, it's a recent photo. To be honest, I never looked up any reference re the routing of that cable - it was routed that way when I bought the bike in '06 and despite all the work I've done, I just ASSUMED that the routing was normal and just kept duplicating it. I'll re-route it over the Z-plate. Thanks!
 
swooshdave said:
I did that too, but clearances can be a real issue. But looking under your arm works really well.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the clearance with the tank is real close, but the view is like the drivers side mirror on a car only better because the mirror is closer. I can see everything behind me including both sides of the road. I'm glad I discovered it.

I don't care for the ones that stick out past the bars, but I know everyone has their preferences. I'm comfortable with single one.

Dave
69S
 
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