Mirror: stock arms too short

[foxiecharles]

The mirrors on my 2010 NT700 are just too short. I have searched for a longer arm, and have actually ordered a pair (with mirror and male thread), but the fit is going to be a modification, and not as strong as the OEM.

Does anyone have an issue with the short arms, thus elbows are always in the mirror and the cars and what is behind you is NOT!

Maybe the better question is, " Does anyone have a solution?"

I am 5'11", 200 lbs, seems like about average for a 60 year old.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Twisted Throttle has mirror extenders that fit under the mirrors and move 'em out maybe an inch. I'm 5'9" and 235 and the NT mirrors are a big improvement for me over the mirrors on the Concours I had before. The Twisted Throttle pieces are the only solutions I've seen to a problem I don't really have, but they might work for you.

 

[RedLdr1]

I just saw these mirror extenders on eBay last night... If you haven't removed your mirrors before they use a Torx T-40 bolt. That is one of those tools not everyone has lying around their garage. You can find one at Sears or other hardware stores.... I recommend using a 3/8 inch drive T-40 socket version as the mirrors can be on pretty darn tight from the factory!

 

[Phil Tarman]

Since Twisted Throttle's mirror extenders are $65, these look like a bargain. I hadn't even thought I needed any, but I just bought a set. I think that leaves 5 of them "in stock." This guy makes lots of stuff for lots of other bikes, but this was his only product for the NT.

 

[elizilla]

I had extenders like that for the mirrors on my VFR. They worked fine. (Actually, the mirror extenders I had for the VFR, were a stack of four ovals cut from quarter inch thick black plastic, Lexan or something. So you could choose how far to extend the mirrors by just picking how many to put in. They came with the bike; perhaps the previous owner made them. It wouldn't be hard to make such items.)

I will be curious, though, whether they will turn out to be incompatible with the Honda accessory hand guards. Don't some of you have those?

 

[Bear]

The mirrors on my Kawasaki Ninja were useless. There is a company in CA that makes telescoping mirrors of very high quality---$150 a pair. Check them out. Slikdesigns.com
I bought a set for the Ninja and it made all the difference. They are a great company to deal with. The mirrors are high quality billet aluminum anodized Black. The mirror is glass.

 

[RedLdr1]

I will be curious, though, whether they will turn out to be incompatible with the Honda accessory hand guards. Don't some of you have those?

Good question, I have had the Wind Deflectors installed for quite a while...but I haven't ordered the mirror extenders. If you look at the pictures in my How-To Install post for the Wind Deflectors it appears the mirror extenders should just "sit" on top of the Wind Deflectors where the mirror now sits. But to keep the mirror level and tight you will have to continue to use the spacers that came with the Wind Deflector kit... Those spacers might make the bolts that come with the mirror extenders too short... Until someone who has the deflectors installs these we won't be sure. Looks like Phil and Rick can be our "Alpha" testers for this "Mod on a Mod"...

 

[karl]

Rode the bike today and thought about this post. I am six feet tall and wore a 48 jacket when still on active duty weigh in at about 265 now. Yep a wide body. My mirrors are set so there is some "color" from my sleeves in there but no more.
The arms as well as the pods adjust, have you tried that yet?

 

[Bear]

Karl,
One of the many features that sold me on the NT was the design and function of the mirrors. I weigh in at 200 and only see a trace of my arms in the mirrors. I did see a pretty slick setup on a Valkyrie. The guy had a miniscule camera mounted in lieu of his top right license plate bolt. He had a 4" colour screen mounted behind his windshield. It gave him a perfect view straight back. He said he got it at Auto Zone and that it was not expensive or difficult to mount. It is not exactly what I would want. I would prefer a mini radar that would trigger a super bright light when a tailgater gets into a pre set range. Actually, my fantasy would be that it would launch a LAW Rocket and blow the car to pieces--only a fantasy. I think the bright directed Xenon Strobe would do the trick. Of course after this clever trick was implemented, what does one do with a super POd driver? I guess we all daydream.

 

[Chucksklrst]

If anybody has mirror extender for sale for the NT, let me know.

 

[RedLdr1]

Has anyone who ordered the set off eBay installed them over the Wind Deflectors yet? If so any issues? C'mon guys let us know if / how it worked. I'm holding off ordering until I hear the "rest of the story"...

 

[Phil Tarman]

Thanks for the reminder, Wayne. Mine came Monday and I installed them yesterday. They don't fit quite as precisely as I had hoped -- the extender "sticks out" just about 1/16th of an inch around the mirror base. The screws (or are they bolts?) that hold them on are stainless and stick up out of the recessed holes in the mirrors. But after riding around the block, they make a huge diffference in the mirrors ability to see more closely behind me. I'll look for some black metric bolts like come with the knuckle deflectors, only 2.5mm longer.

Oh, no issues at all installing them with the wind deflectors in place.

 

[Lorien]

Just as a note. I am around 6 foot tall and one of the things I like about the NT over my former ST is the mirror placement and image. I have no problems whatsoever with the rear view catching only a sliver of my arm in the rear view. I have overlapping rear mirror images and almost no blindspots. Play with the mirror stems a little and I think you may solve your concern.

 

[Digger23]

I was reading in a book called proficient motorcycling (really good book on technique) and it makes the point that the mirrors are more useful positioned to provide full view of lanes to left and right of bike. This unfortunately doesn't allow for directly behind view unless I move my head a teeny bit. I find I like that more and it keeps cagers to my left and right in FULL view with NO blind spots. I worry more about cagers around me rather than directly behind (while in motion) I can see behind while stopped. That being said, if you try it this way and like it then the mirror arms aren't too short for any size rider. It does take some getting used to though.

 

[Bear]

That's how mine are set up. I would just as soon see what is going on on either side. My cage mirrors are the same way--centre mirror on the windshield takes care of the back.