I hate these mirrors: Difference between revisions

Not being able to see behind you is a common complaint, especially from those new to the Ninjette. Some long-time riders will say that the stock mirrors are better than on other bikes. Unfortunately, due to the fact that many people don't hang onto this bike for long, there isn't a great deal of aftermarket availability. There really isn't a decent-fitting mirror that has more visibility than the stock ones.  

In reality, the simplest fix is to tuck in your elbows and turn your head. This is not a car; you'll never see as well behind you on your Kawasaki as you can in your Toyota. That's why you have a neck. Motorcycle mirrors should never be completely trusted.  

You can improve rearward visibility with the standard Ninja mirrors with some tweaking. Options are listed below.  

 

 

Mirror extensions/brackets can be made, but if you are good at fabricating you've probably already thought of this. There is no standard mod yet in this direction. One problem is that it is conceivable that the extra torque (from the extra length and extra wind) could tweak your upper fairing stay, so go carefully.

 

You can definitely widen the mirror positioning with extensions and get a better view behind you, without wasting huge amounts of mirror 'real estate' on your elbows. If you do any lane splitting though, widened positioning may be noticeable. Also, the unique nature of the body-mounted mirrors makes widening hardware less simple than tweaking standard mirrors or exploring alternatives.

Some of our members recommend bar-end mirrors as a way to get more visibility to the rear. [http://www.emgo.com/main_layout.html Emgo mirrors] (available at nearly any bike shop) are ridiculously cheap and are very reliable. If you prefer the curved glass type, go with the [http://www.parkeryamaha.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=24966 Ken Sean] or the even pricier [http://www.bikebandit.com/partsbandit/product~pf_id~4760659~section_dept_id~1170244~terrain_dept_id~1185730~cat_dept_id~1426257~product_dept_id~1426257~mfr_name~Napoleon~selection_Path~4.asp  Napoleon mirrors]. (Search online or see a dealer.) [http://www.classicpartsltd.com/classicmotorcyclemirrors.htm  Halcyon] also makes a pricey bar-end mirror for the cafe racer crowd. All of these mirrors fold up for easy maneuvering in tight spaces.  

There is a bit more vibration in these mirrors than with the stock rubber-mounted ones, but nothing most people can't live with. The main advantage is that you do not need to move your body or your head to glance at them, and even with flat glass they give an unobstructed view of what is behind and to the side of you. Another advantage is that you can turn your bars while you're stopped and get a better view of what's coming up from behind.  

Other mirrors fit differently. Some replace the stock bar ends, some are designed to fit around bar ends, and some use the bolt used to hold bar ends onto non-hollow bars (meaning, they don't work for aftermarket bars). Try to get a mirror that will preserve your bar-ends, as they are there to reduce handlebar vibration.