Mirrors!? What - Where - How?

[jelo]

Are there any general rules about positioning and setting up your mirrors? There must be about a million ways to position the attachments, arms and mirrors, and get them to work - But aren't there some guidlines or something to help you make the most of them? - set the attachements, align the arms, position the mirrors - Anybody got anything?

 

[rhody987]

Good question, I'm listening for the answer!

 

[Old Can Ride]

The answer is there are a lot of answers to this questions. What you want is to be able to see as much as you can. Sounds like you just adjust them, and it is done. Everyone has a different body with different abilities. Every time you add or subtract something in the bike's formula we start from scratch again. Add bags, you need mirror extenders. Add windshield, mirrors hit the windshield. Add risers for mirrors to clear windshield, and the adjustment changes again. Can't see the car on you side, add fisheyes to mirrors. And the list goes on, and on, and on. And guess what, even when you think you got it close to perfect, you still got to keep adjusting.

The answer is the mirror just has to work for you and your current situation now.

 

[jelo]

I tried differnet combinations, and well, they just seem different. When I worked at bike shops (the pedal kind) there were some general rules about where you position the shifters, brake levers, seat - a starting point, then adjust for the client from there. Haven't heard anything here - start with motorcyle mirror arms parallel to grips, parallel to center bar, ahead of center bar - anybody have any general ideas on this?

 

[Cyclerosis]

The right mirror on my bike is adjusted to see what's behind me. I try to keep the left mirror adjusted to see what's in the left lane. Nothing beats a quick turn of the head to look though.

 

[CMGuy]

Somewhere around 100 years ago I read a Click & Clack newspaper column about adjusting your car mirrors. What they described took some getting used to but I use it to this day (taught my daughter and her daughter) and can't imagine doing it differently. What the column said was adjust your side mirrors to eliminate the blind spot on the side of the car. The mirror in the middle of the windshield is for seeing what is behind. There is no point in having your side mirrors looking at the same thing, i.e., too far inward.

So, with that, the bike has no center mirror. And the two side mirrors are a bit convex, much like the right side mirror on most cars. I like to have the arms adjusted so they are as far out as possible. That gives me more in and out adjustment range for the mirror itself and, the further out they are, the more they can "see" around me. For the mirrors, I want them adjusted to look just far enough to each side so I lose a car in the mirror just as my peripheral vision picks up the front bumper as they start to go past. With these mirrors that means I see just the smallest bit of my upper arm. And because they are a bit convex I also see what is coming up directly behind me, even fairly close up. (My basic rider course instructor told us to be watching behind as we sit at a light - and always in 1st - in case the yahoo coming up behind decides to not see you an tries to occupy your space.)

The thing I have trouble with is, because they are convex, judging just how far someone is behind for purposes of pulling in after passing or when changing lanes. In the car I use the (flat) center mirror to determine when I'm far enough past to pull in. Right now, working on this bit.

 

[davidc83]

Somewhere around 100 years ago I read a Click & Clack newspaper column about adjusting your car mirrors. What they described took some getting used to but I use it to this day (taught my daughter and her daughter) and can't imagine doing it differently. What the column said was adjust your side mirrors to eliminate the blind spot on the side of the car. The mirror in the middle of the windshield is for seeing what is behind. There is no point in having your side mirrors looking at the same thing, i.e., too far inward.

So, with that, the bike has no center mirror. And the two side mirrors are a bit convex, much like the right side mirror on most cars. I like to have the arms adjusted so they are as far out as possible. That gives me more in and out adjustment range for the mirror itself and, the further out they are, the more they can "see" around me. For the mirrors, I want them adjusted to look just far enough to each side so I lose a car in the mirror just as my peripheral vision picks up the front bumper as they start to go past. With these mirrors that means I see just the smallest bit of my upper arm. And because they are a bit convex I also see what is coming up directly behind me, even fairly close up. (My basic rider course instructor told us to be watching behind as we sit at a light - and always in 1st - in case the yahoo coming up behind decides to not see you an tries to occupy your space.)

The thing I have trouble with is, because they are convex, judging just how far someone is behind for purposes of pulling in after passing or when changing lanes. In the car I use the (flat) center mirror to determine when I'm far enough past to pull in. Right now, working on this bit.

Yes, I read the same article by Click and Clack back in the 80s and to this day use the same regiment for my car side mirrors. The point is, if you are sitting behind the steering wheel and look at either side mirror and see the rear of your car-it is wrong; where is the rear of your car going that the front isnt???? You dont need to see the rear of your car in the side mirror, that is what the inside mirror is for. Both side mirrors should be adjusted out to where you see what is completely in the next lane-this removes most blind spots in the mirrors. if you need the side mirror to back up- lean about an inch in either side direction and you can see the rear of the car; absolutely no reason to have the mirrors adjust for the 0.00000001% of your driving instead of the 99.9999999% of your driving.
Back to the motorcycle mirrors-I dont have a wide chest or broad shoulders (blame my genetics) and I see behind me fairly well no matter what bike I use. I adjust the right mirror to see most of what is directly behind me and a little to the right lane. The left mirror I adjust to see the most if not all of the left lane and a little farther left if the mirror allows it. I dont even think about the position of the stalks, as long as the mirros adjust to what I want to see.

 

[anglachel]

I set them up like I had the bicycle mirrors setup.... right mirror is for seeing what is behind me, left is for seeing what is to the left of me, so long as I ride mostly in the right lane, I see what is around me.

Of course the right mirror shows some of the right lane, and the left mirror shows some of what is behind me as well...
with the motorcycle and bicycle the instant point the handle bars any direction other than straight, everything goes to crap. Your right mirror starts showing was is actually to your right, and your left mirror starts showing the lane behind you and into the right lane, god help you if you lean into a corner then one mirror is show the sky and the other mirror is pointed back at your chest, or both mirrors are pointed firmly at the ground (so long as both mirrors aren't on the ground you are still doing ok)

I see the mirrors on my bikes (pedal and motor) as more of an assistance for my awareness then any actual factual information on what might be around me, anytime I'm on two wheels I turn my head and look.

 

[OriginalRocket]

Ha! I wasn't alive in the 80's for this click clack magazine. But I setup my car mirrors the same way. Pretty much as far outward as they will go. I read an article in another car magazine, the author interviewed a couple of mechanics and drivers to figure this mirror thing out. Same consensus.

As for the motorcycle mirrors, First I had to make sure the mirror stalks cleared my large windshield at full lock. Then from their I adjusted the mirrors. Just a hint of my arm is in the reflection, the rest is behind and outward. Works for me to see the most. I still check over my shoulder with the turn of my head before initiating any lane change or turns.

 

[dduelin]

I adjust motorcycle mirrors to see my 5 and 7 o'clock. By shifting my head a little to either side I can see what is in my 6 o'clock if it is closer than 150 feet or so. Out past that the convex mirror images converge and the 6 is visible but very small.

I always clear the lane to either side with a quick head swivel BEFORE CHANGING LANES. I have a blind spot from about 3 o'clock to 4:30 and 7:30 to 9 where the drivers out to kill me hide.

 

[Spaceteach]

I don't remember where I read it, but a while back I found a bike mirror adjustment method that I've been using with good results. It was for mirrors that use a ball and socket attachment between the head of the mirror and the stalk (like the ones that come on the NC), and said to first set the mirror heads so that the ball was centered in the socket of the mirror head to stalk attachment. Then adjust the handlebar mounts so that the desired view from left to right was obtained. Finally rotate the mirror head to get the correct up and down adjustment. This leaves an equal amount of movement in all directions for fine tuning the mirror head adjustment on the road.

Bob

 

[bamamate]

I did what spaceteach said. Adjust the handlebar mount so that It is close to correct on the left/right view and is basically centered on the ball joint which gives plenty of room for fine adjustment. I set both mirrors so that my arm is barely clipping the edge. I find having a little arm gives me perspective on the distance of objects in the mirror while eliminating most of the blind spot. For seeing what is behind me, I move my head a little and/or move the bike around in the lane.

 

[Jguarfn28]

I have a question involving the actual adjustment of the mirror nuts..... I guess I need 2 14mm wrenches to adjust the nuts. I put my Qxford muffs on the handlebars but the mirrors are being contrary and when I think they are good, they won't stay where they are supposed to. Any suggestions as to the best way to get the base stem immobile in the socket at the right angle? I am stumped...and my shop manual is hiding.

 

[MO Cycle]

Fonzie on the series 'Happy Days' had his own take on this question...

Fonzie: Hey, Cunningham, which is cooler? The mirrors up like this at an angle or down like this, straight?
Richie: Well, I think you can see better with them down at an angle.
Fonzie: Hey, I don't wanna see where I've been. I wanna see how cool I look getting there!

As always, wise words from the Fonz

 

[Fuzzy]

If the stem is moving using 2 wrenches loosen the top nut holding bottom still and turning top. IT IS LEFT HAND THREAD. Turn the stem to correct position and with 2 wrenches tighten top nut.

 

[Jguarfn28]

Thanks for the info. The top nut seems to be locked in place should I risk placing the stem in a vise to loosen it? Wrapped up tightly of course.

 

[Fuzzy]

Again just to be sure.... The top nut has left hand threads. Turn it in the opposite direction you usually do to loosen a nut. It is righty loosee not righty tighty.

That said it is pretty tough. If putting in a vice I assume you have the mirror off the bike. Bottom nut in a vice will be OK.

 

[Spaceteach]

I don't think the top nut is supposed to turn. IIRC its just there to allow you to hold the mirror stem in the correct position and keep it from turning while you tighten the bottom nut against the mount. Just screw the bottom nut up against the top one, screw the mirror stem into the handlebar mount as far as it will go then unscrew the stem until it's rotated where you want it, then lock it in place by tightening the bottom nut against the mount.

Hope this makes sense,
Bob

 

[Jguarfn28]

I went with the vise and it did get off the top nut. I had two cone wrench 14mm open ends that I used to tighten the top while the other 14 held the bottom in place. Success. Thanks for the help, especially since mirrors aren't mentioned in the shop manual...