Setting the mirrors

[jhelm]

Hye...got a question about how you folks set your mirrors. I recently purchased an 07 rt....I like the mirrors in the fairing, but I'm trying to figure out the best position for them. My big fat hand is always in the picture.

Whats the best view you guys use for seeing behind, left, right, and down the road???

[Albert]

This is generally a size dependent thing. Some love the mirrors and others don't. At 5'10" the "best" way to see what's behind me to the left and right is to turn my head. I love my 06 RT but the mirrors almost suck. I have found that adjusting the mirrors to the most useable position means that I will see a lot of my hand in both mirrors. Good luck.

[John Bentall]

have a look at this thread

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/sh...true#Post747589

[wsearl]

This is generally a size dependent thing. Some love the mirrors and others don't.

I am 6'1" and found the mirrors to be disappointing (too much hand and grip visible), until I installed Suburban Machinery bar risers - now the mirrors are almost perfect. If you are tall enough to warrant bar risers, you fix two problems at once.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

I just set mine for as wide a view as possible, primary focus is left and right lanes. I could care less what is behind me as, chances are, I just passed them. I still do a head check before changing lanes cause there are some blind spots. For the most part, I don't use my mirrors. I'm pretty much always running about 10 mph or more faster than traffic and I know when I have cleared someones front bumper. Indicate, head check, gone.

[Walter]

Not sure that I agree with this advice. I always do a rear view check when braking at a stoplight, freeway exit, basically anything that isn't a panic stop (in which case I'm concentrating on my escape route). Never know when a cage isn't paying attention. Last year I was rear ended as I was sitting at a red light (probably a full minute after I had come to a complete hault).

 

For this reason, the RT mirrors are absolutely hopeless. It is the one extremely disappointing aspect of the bike.

 

Walter

[Jon_M]

...until I installed Suburban Machinery bar risers - now the mirrors are almost perfect. If you are tall enough to warrant bar risers, you fix two problems at once.

 

My experience exactly. I just rode 800 miles in two days and cannot recall a time when the mirrors gave me a problem. My head does turn on my neck, so I never rely only on the mirrors, but at this point I have no complaints. (I don't have a top case; if I did, I might be singing different tune.)

[Tommy_Boy]

I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but try adjusting the mirrors DOWN - press of the bottom of the mirror. I had the same problem (nice view of my knuckles) until I tweaked and played with the positioning.

[black99S]

.... the RT mirrors are absolutely hopeless. It is the one extremely disappointing aspect of the bike.

I find the mirrors are perfect. Adjusted both out enough to see the lanes beside me with the left tweaked inside a little more so I can check my 6 during stops. I've purposefully slowly passed cars on either side to check and know my blind spot and find when the car moves forward enough so I don't see it in the mirror I see it in peripheral vision. Between shoulder checks and mirror checks all areas are covered. I do see a bit of my lower knuckles but this interferes with the sky and not the road.

[jhelm]

Great advice guys thank you! I swing my head all the time, just having a hard time getting a good picture in the mirrors. I like to check my six when I'm stopping as well.

 

Great idea about the bar risers, I'm 6 foot on the money so I might try that.

 

Thanks!!!

J

[jackflash]

Hye...got a question about how you folks set your mirrors. I recently purchased an 07 rt....I like the mirrors in the fairing, but I'm trying to figure out the best position for them. My big fat hand is always in the picture.

Whats the best view you guys use for seeing behind, left, right, and down the road???

 

I just don't understand the mirror complaints and questions. For me, it's like all other bikes I've owned...just adjust the mirrors so you can see back from them. I can see perfectly well using my mirrors and always use the "head check" on any bike I ride.

 

Must be the "change" issue.

[St0nkingByte]

These people are spoiled, they've been riding insanely great bikes for far too long. My last bike was a cruiser with mirrors that I could see...

 

a) what was next to me and in my peripheral vision anyway

 

or

 

b) my shoulders

 

Depending on how I adjusted them. I think the mirrors on the RT are great, if a car is right behind me I can usually see one headlight in each mirror, perfect in my opinion. I always head check when changing lanes because even if I think I've kept track of all the cars around me they still manage to sneak up on me sometimes.

[kcallstate]

I love the mirrors on both my 1150RT and the 1200RT. Adjusted accordingly, they give excellent vision to the side and rear all with just a quick glance with my eyes. I don't even have to move my head. In heavy traffic where I am constantly monitoring the car that is *always* too damned close behind me, the ability to view with just a shift of my eyes is invaluable. Grip mounted mirrors like the GS require much more movement to see.

[Survived-til-now]

I set my mirrors so I can see what is behind me from either mirror.

As I cannot tune out my hands from that view I utilise the space taken up by them in the mirrors to mount two small (2"x 1")self-adhesive convex "blind spot" mirrors from the local motorists shop

They cover my blind spot perfectly and before I manouevre I check them - if there is any car/bike at all visible in them then it is right in my blind spot and therefore close by. Saves doing more than a slight twist of the head to spot trouble. have to be just a bit careful at night but during the day they work well