Tips on mirrors please!

Oliver Rowley · L Plate Warrior Joined: 06 Jun 2012 Karma :

Hi

I Have recently bought a honda cbf 125. To get it in to my back yard I have to pull the mirrors in but this is causing them to come loose regularly.

Anybody got any tips or ideas?

Thanks Smile

angryjonny · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Karma :

Carry a spanner with you?

The nature of mirrors on naked bikes (+ some semi-faired ones like the CBF) is that they just have a thread on the stem that twists into a bracket. Move the mirrors and you basically unwind them unless you tighten the nut.

How sturdy is the fairing? Can you look at fitting something to the fairing without stuffing it up? Have a look at a CBR or a Fazer or something and look at how their mirrors are fixed by 2 bolts and designed to be folded in and out. Bear in mind that unless the fairing is pretty rigid, any mirrors fixed to it will vibrate and flap about and basically be unusable at real-world speeds.

Oliver Rowley · L Plate Warrior Joined: 06 Jun 2012 Karma :

I am currently carrying a spanner with me its just getting kinda annoying having to tighten them all the time!

Just wondering if there was a simpler solution that I am missing as im a newbie Very Happy

anthony_r6 · World Chat Champion Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Karma :

They're not really designed to be constantly altered in that way. Unfortunately the only real method is to do what you're doing, or use your hand to tighten 'em, but the wind may push them out of position mid-ride.
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angryjonny · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Karma :

You could try something like this: https://bit.ly/KOgjtt

With these you can fold the mirrors up and down rather than twisting them at the brackets. Not sure how well they'd stay in position though.

Oliver Rowley · L Plate Warrior Joined: 06 Jun 2012 Karma :

Thats great, thanks for the help Very Happy

angryjonny · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Karma :

Disclaimer: I've never used the mirrors or owned a CBF so don't come crying to me when it turns out they're unusable. But it's an idea anyway.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dUCcSmVx1Do/ST4m5KJl-TI/AAAAAAAAAA0/zy0DsONygjk/s400/honda-cbf-stunner-fi-front.jpg

The mirrors are only barely wider than the bars. if you rotate just the heads (not the stalks) they should end up pointing inwards or upwards. Does that make them narrow enough?

Failing that, mirrors are just generic items. Find the thread diameter and you can replace them with anything else - see if you can find mirrors that go more up than out.

Of course, you might end up looking at your elbows or shoulders, you'll have to suck it and see.
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Oliver Rowley · L Plate Warrior Joined: 06 Jun 2012 Karma :

Thats great, thanks for the help Very Happy

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

Mirrors are not required to be fitted on a motorcycle under C&U or MOT rules.

Only a suggestion, but I presume you are a 'learner'....

Take'em OFF.

Learn to look over your shoulder.

Get in the habbit of making proper shoulder checks. Can really help come tests time, as well as in your general hazard perception.

No mirrors to give you constant 'clues' as what might be behind, you WILL become paranoid and shift your head to see whats going on, and in those conciouse glances you'll take in a lot more than you would in the mirrors!
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Oliver Rowley · L Plate Warrior Joined: 06 Jun 2012 Karma :

Thats great, thanks for the help Very Happy

Nexus Icon · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 Aug 2010 Karma :

Is that your catchphrase?

Anyway, I've fitted smaller mirrors, on shorter stems, to my bike. They look far tidier but I can't actually see cock all behind me. My elbows look great though.

You might find you have the same problem if you move away from the stock items.
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Oliver Rowley · L Plate Warrior Joined: 06 Jun 2012 Karma :

Didnt mean to post the same thing 3 times, although ive always wanted a catchphrase Smile

problem of trying to post on my phone.

appreciate all the replies its good to get a few different opinions. Ill stick with my spanner for now and see how it goes, dont think i fancy riding without any at all just yet and i dont really want to fork out for new mirrors that i cant see out of Smile

bikertomm · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Jul 2010 Karma :

How tight is the gap? Where I put my bike if I went straight on both my mirrors would hit, I know this might sound stupid but have you tried turning the bike quite a bit and just leaning it through the narrow bit?

Works a treat for me Razz

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Cunnington · Spanner Monkey Joined: 01 Jun 2011 Karma :

I have the same problem.

I have to ride up to the gate just left of centre, lean the bike to the right, push the bars forward on the left and thread it past the gate, lean the bike back upright and ride it forward whilst straightening the bars as I get through the gap.

Works for me, but I wasn't precious about scratches or dents when I first tried it.
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