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Mirrors below are safer

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Old 02-22-2013, 09:31 AM
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Thumbs up Mirrors below are safer

Low Bars - I personally feel the flipped or underneath Mirrors not only make the appearance of the bike look cleaner but they allow the rider to see much better as well.

There is little difference than looking up to see in a mirror than looking down, either takes only a split second and one shouldn't need to move the head but just the eyes to achieve this, however above bar mirrors have one major problem - half of the view is blocked by the riders shoulders and to correct this the rider must lean the opposite way to get a clear view or they can install longer/wider mirror steams which then they must move the head to accommodate for the shoulder block. with mirror's under the bar the view of passage is below the arms more in the mid body area therefore giving the rider a clear view of the entire mirror surface. Bar-end mirrors makes the rider slightly turn their heads to see the Mirror therefore taking away from peripheral vision on the opposite side of where the mirror is located.

Whatever your choice in Mirror placement the number one objective should be safety and needing to lean the body and/or twist the body or to move the head to see into a mirror is not the best placement of the mirror.


I'm sure someone will say "well you need to move your head to see through the right mirror in a car" and that would be correct but by doing so one still has a cage around them in the event of a blow from the left unlike a motorcycle.

 
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Old 02-22-2013, 10:00 AM
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Yeah I have the stock mirrors flipped and even with my drag bars I can see so much better. The only issue I have is if I go full lock on eaither side they do touch the tank, but nothing bad.
 
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Old 02-22-2013, 10:23 AM
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Originally Posted by XL50#674
The only issue I have is if I go full lock on either side they do touch the tank, but nothing bad.
That's the only thing keeping me from putting my mirrors back on. Looking over my shoulder is a PITA when I'm in 4 lane traffic.....
 
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Old 02-22-2013, 10:26 AM
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OP..the above is your opinion but anyone who relies on their mirrors is a fool. One of the first things you are taught when you ride a bike is "the lifesaver" quite frankly that means looking over your shoulder.
MY opinion is that under mirrors are as useless as any stock HD mirror the right way up, What you really need are mirrors with extra long stems but of course they look crap..
 
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Old 02-22-2013, 10:28 AM
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Originally Posted by hogdiver96
One of the first things you are taught when you ride a bike is "the lifesaver" quite frankly that means looking over your shoulder.
True too. I prefer not to entrust my life to a little piece of glass.
 
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Old 02-22-2013, 10:29 AM
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Whether you're in a car or on a bike you need to check your blind spots anyway.
 
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Old 02-22-2013, 12:05 PM
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I've got these and love em.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/g...bmLocale=en_US

But as stated, no substitute for the head check.
 
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Old 02-22-2013, 12:21 PM
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Originally Posted by nc883
True too. I prefer not to entrust my life to a little piece of glass.
The first thing you learn here, and it is engrained into you for life is, always and continuely check your mirrors. Wether I drive a car or be on my bike I always know what is behind me, how close and if it is fast approaching. It becomes automatic and you give a quick glance every few seconds or so. You don't even notice you do it.....until something is not right. Then you go into alert mode and act if needed.
Head check is neccersary in busy traffic but I would refuse to ride or drive if the mirrors are either broken, gone or not set correctly.
 
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Old 02-22-2013, 12:41 PM
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Originally Posted by ib5150
Low Bars - I personally feel the flipped or underneath Mirrors not only make the appearance of the bike look cleaner but they allow the rider to see much better as well.

There is little difference than looking up to see in a mirror than looking down, either takes only a split second and one shouldn't need to move the head but just the eyes to achieve this, however above bar mirrors have one major problem - half of the view is blocked by the riders shoulders and to correct this the rider must lean the opposite way to get a clear view or they can install longer/wider mirror steams which then they must move the head to accommodate for the shoulder block. with mirror's under the bar the view of passage is below the arms more in the mid body area therefore giving the rider a clear view of the entire mirror surface. Bar-end mirrors makes the rider slightly turn their heads to see the Mirror therefore taking away from peripheral vision on the opposite side of where the mirror is located.

Whatever your choice in Mirror placement the number one objective should be safety and needing to lean the body and/or twist the body or to move the head to see into a mirror is not the best placement of the mirror.


I'm sure someone will say "well you need to move your head to see through the right mirror in a car" and that would be correct but by doing so one still has a cage around them in the event of a blow from the left unlike a motorcycle.

Thumbs up on your observation! Especially if one happens to be broad shouldered. Of course you are not saying we should not look over our shoulder once in a while, when changing lanes, turning left, etc.. I thought flipping mirrors was just a fad until I tried it.
 
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Old 02-22-2013, 01:07 PM
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I agree, but depends on what exhaust you have. Once I added short shots my stock flipped mirrors vibrate like a **** and I can't really tell what stuff is behind me since its all fuzzy/blurry
 


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