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real distance mirror glass change out

3K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  BAK04GT 
#1 ·
thinking of trying to change one of my mirrors to reg. mirror glass....has anyone done this and or maybe add on....hard to make out whats coming until its right on top of me....like maybe a black n white...so many times i have the chance to open it up but there is always that car way in the background that i cant make out what it is....i only do this when no other one is in front of me or close enough in the rear to tell what im doing.....but there is always that one car...the troopers here run 80 -85 and there ok with you if your following but not leading....there good about that....thanks for any "insight" k1200gt with mickey ears
 
#2 ·
I'm thinking rear camera with bar mounted electronic zoom control and lcd. The security stuff is pretty cheap now. B&W would give better light sensitivity. That's what they use to 'look ahead' so it puts you on equals! Then you can also try picking up the local oscillators for their comms. I doubt they run stealth. If you got a top box there's potential to be discretely creative.



 
#3 ·
that would be kool but im just looking for a simple idea......didnt know if having one mirror set up for real distance would be safe...so then i thought to add maybe a small peep mirror to get an realistic view...thinking maybe the vibrations would make it non useable but i dont know....i guess ill just try something to see how it looks dont want to make it look like crap...but just thinking last night about it...so i posted...but your idea would be a great add on...if i had the $$$...thanks and have a great day!
 
#4 · (Edited)
changing out the glass

Absolutely, I just bought my first bike, this here 98 K1200RS, rode it from Detroit to Denver, can't tell you how I almost ate my lunch 4 or 5 times, pulling out to pass after convincing myself the guy in the fast lane behind me was far enough behind to do so safely, only to discover he was right there! I figure now, when I see a vehicle which appears to be about 20 feet back, he is actually immediately off my stern, I mean just even with my rear tire, I surprised many a driver and myself pulling out RIGHT in front of them. I finally pulled over and put some rocks on the ground, looked at them in the rear view, and scared myself at the conclusion. One of the first things I am going to do is go down to my glass man and ask him if he can cut me some flat glass in a circle for my 98 mirrors, and in an oval if I decide to get the newer mirrors, so, to paraphrase, 'What is see is what it get'.
Jack
 
#5 · (Edited)
BAK04GT said:
hard to make out whats coming until its right on top of me....
Question: Are you having difficulty seeing approaching vehicles period, or do you just want to be able to make out what kind of vehicle is coming?

Seems to me that if you changed the glass to regular flat mirror glass, you'd have even more of a problem as the flat glass would make any vibration even more pronounced. That's why the mirrors have a slightly convex shape - a little bit of distance clarity is traded for less fuzz from vibration. What's more, the angle of the field of view rearward is decreased with a flatter glass.

Now if it wasn't flat glass you wanted to change to and were talking about something entirely different, then I'm a dumbass. :banghead

frisco99 said:
I surprised many a driver and myself pulling out RIGHT in front of them. I finally pulled over and put some rocks on the ground, looked at them in the rear view, and scared myself at the conclusion.
I always keep one thing in mind when looking through any motorcycle mirror: "OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR"
 
#6 ·
yes the vibs can be a problem.......and i just want to see what is there in real distance....like 99 said they are right there even thou they look farther back....i havent tested an add on but when i get off my lazy ass im going to try something like an add on...just so if i need it it there....another thing is speed is a big factor.....car looks like its far away enough but......if there speed is high it wont show that......
 
#8 ·
frisco99 said:
Absolutely, I just bought my first bike, this here 98 K1200RS, rode it from Detroit to Denver, can't tell you how I almost ate my lunch 4 or 5 times, pulling out to pass after convincing myself the guy in the fast lane behind me was far enough behind to do so safely, only to discover he was right there! I figure now, when I see a vehicle which appears to be about 20 feet back, he is actually immediately off my stern, I mean just even with my rear tire, I surprised many a driver and myself pulling out RIGHT in front of them. I finally pulled over and put some rocks on the ground, looked at them in the rear view, and scared myself at the conclusion. One of the first things I am going to do is go down to my glass man and ask him if he can cut me some flat glass in a circle for my 98 mirrors, and in an oval if I decide to get the newer mirrors, so, to paraphrase, 'What is see is what it get'.
Jack
Maybe I missed something. Don't you ALWAYS turn your head to look before changing lanes? You don't really just look in the mirror, do you?
 
#9 ·
Well I told you all how to fix the mirror vibes and vibes in the bar risers all at the same time. I'm happy!

I doubt you'll be able to get the glass out of the newer ovals I've got. It all looks pressed in with the seal. You risk damaging the seal and the water will get round the edges quickly.

I had the same problem of a cage in my blind spot before I changed to ovals. Ovals give slightly more all round vision as they are wider. You also have a bit more room on the end of the glass to add a small blind spot mirror. It's scary when you pull out and have to pull that heavy K back in lane isn't it? On long rides I've switched from spectacles to contacts to improve side vision on look rounds.

A clever idea I saw on a new Audi cage is ultrasonic detectors side mounted and linked to warning leds around the outside of the mirror housing. Cage gets in your blind spot, you hit the turn signal and the mirror lights up with a warning.

I might try that with a cheap reversing sensor kit on the sides of my top box. I've got the older K with the pods and a nice flat black surfaces to fit an array of warning leds like !!!!



 
#10 · (Edited)
turn the head

allikanbe was asking if I turn my head, well my first day on the bike, having not been on one for 40 years, I was overwhelmed by the controls, I knew if I could just get it on the freeway and let it roll I could figure out how it worked, same way I learned to fly a helicopter, trial by fire, but yeah, in the beginning I was fumbling with the turn indicator switches and the one that turns them off, so I trusted the mirrors and didn't turn my head, but once I scared the bejesus out of myself and the guy who thought he was about to pass me by trusting the mirrors, I changed my technique in a heartbeat and started looking over my shoulder. Of course now I can't stop, it was snowing last night, so I had to take the Suburban, and found myself twisting around in my seat to look over my shoulder before I made a lane change!
So, since April 6th, the beginning of my motorcycle career, I have evolved, and of course it's a great stretching exercise.
 
#11 ·
My first bad experience was on a freeway where drivers in all lanes were locked into the speed limits monitored by automatic 'safety' speed cameras. You also get this happening when the speed limits are temporarily dropped or there is congestion. We have a system here for reducing congestion where automatic signs reduce speed limits to increase traffic volumes. You're bike might as well be on a railway line pulled by cages!

Well I don't think they're safe when a cage has been sitting in your mirror blind spot for a while you didn't notice, and he's scared to pass at 5mph over the speed limit - so he's doing 2mph to avoid a ticket, just as you're ready to move out.

My lane changing habits have changed a bit now and I sometimes want a bigger speed difference between me and the cage pack I'm in. I slow a little to allow more space up to the cages I'm following, whilst doing the mirror look round, that should allow any pacing cage to be seen moving - but some idiots sitting in your blind spot slow as well! I then hit the throttle repeating the look rounds so I'm accelerating much faster than most cages that are cruising close. I think it's healthier on the slab to regularly change your speed and acceleration so you can take in better what's changed, and them more likely to notice you.

For me now, I worry most about other riders sneaking up and many do it nearside. There's a limit to how fast you can take in changes behind and in front as you get older. If I come up on a slower rider I keep a distance and move my position in lane first, giving them a chance to see me, often riders move their head to get you in their mirrors and once seen I pass.

I think the 'distant' view of the stock mirrors is OK, I can make out whether following cages have a passenger, type of vehicle, whether they are wearing any hi viz and if they're lights are flashing. I think the distant view is safer 'cos on long slab cruise you may not see the far detail but you do notice more when vehicles are changing position and coming up relatively faster. But I'd agree close to has to be the look round and not rely on mirror views. The KRS has plenty of top acceleration without downshifting and I use it to ride safe. If you are both a cage driver and KRS rider you can learn to do things differently to stay alive.



 
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