moshe_levy Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Oh how I hate the New Jersey Turnpike on which I commute 103 miles per day! A truck kicked something up on the way home today, which hit my right side mirror. The mirror assembly detached, and the force of the blow was too much for the little stainless steel tether which was there was such incidences. The whole thing broke clear off! So now, I've got no mirror. The boneyard doesn't have anything. So, if anyone sees a mirror assembly, lens and all, for an '04 Titan Grey RT, you know who to notify! Link to comment
ShovelStrokeEd Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 That happened to me once in San Francisco. Wound up trading in my LT on a GS Adventure so the $330 mirror cost me $11,000. Link to comment
tobyzusa Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Happened to me too! Mirror went rolling down the freeway, ultimately being crunched into teeny tint bits. Link to comment
Godfather Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 e-bay had some mirrors...not sure of the year though. "BMW RT" is what I search. Link to comment
tomk99r11 Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Good shopping Ed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment
Green RT Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 If it it the mirror hard enough to break the tether, sounds like you were lucky it didn't hit you. Link to comment
Plasterman Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 How can you tether the mirror to the Bike? Tom Link to comment
Redbrick Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 How can you tether the mirror to the Bike? Tom Bob's BMW has "Rescue Wires"...Look in "Gadgets and Goodies".......Or make them out of stainless steel fishing leaders yourself........ http://store.bobsbmw.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=141 Phil........Redbrick Link to comment
g_nuse Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 After reading the various threads on this site and looking at the wire teathers, I decided to replace my wire teathers and go with the nylon tie wrap version. Made a lot of sense, the price was right, but I have tested them yet either, thankfully. Link to comment
Bill Dennes Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 The stainless tethers that are like fishing leader will NOT do any good at highway speeds. They will break just from the wind drag on the dangling mirror. DAMHIK Link to comment
HRminneapolis Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 aren't the stainless steel fishing leaders good for at least 60 lbs of tensile strength? how much strength do you estimate is enough? I just got two mirrors and am not looking forward to replacing them. Advice wanted. Link to comment
Bill Dennes Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 When my (right side) mirror came off at about 70 mph, it flopped for about two seconds on the fishing leader then disappeared. The tether was too short for me to grab the mirror, and of course it was the throttle side so I couldn't just let go to grab for the mirror. When I looked at the remains, it was like a fatigue break right where the leader was crimped into the loop. I'm now using 1/8" nylon line. It's long enough to let the mirror swing back so I can grab it at speed, but short enough to keep it off the ground at low speed. To allow for removel the tether is two pieces, each one ending in a loop. The side that's attached to the bike has a loop that's big enough to go over the whole mirror. The side attached to the mirror has a small loop. Put the end of the big loop through the small loop then over the mirror. Now you have a square knot between the two pieces. Enjoy! Link to comment
Big_Gray Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Bill, I believe a 50 pound steel fishing leader will withstand the wind blast on a RT mirror at well past the speed any RT motorcycle can generate. I don't know what type of steel tethers you may have had fail on you but I suspect it was probably improperly manufactured or damaged prior to the detachment of the mirror. The next time you go out for a ride make a fist with your left hand (about the size of an RT mirror)and place it firmly out in the wind stream above the windshield. The force on your fist will be noticable but most certainly a small fraction of 50 pounds. If something pulls on my detached mirror with a force greater than 50 pounds, I believe I'm in far more distress than replacing a mirror. My $0.02 Cdn. Link to comment
Huzband Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 I've been fortunate to have only one mirror eject itself from a bike. It was an RT I was test riding. I bought a different RT. Link to comment
SWB Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 aren't the stainless steel fishing leaders good for at least 60 lbs of tensile strength? how much strength do you estimate is enough? I just got two mirrors and am not looking forward to replacing them. Advice wanted. I made my own out of braided steel wire. I don't know what the tinsel strength, but for about $5 I made wires that I am certain will last longer than the plastic to which they are attached. If they fail, it'll be because there's nothing salvagable attached to them any more. Link to comment
AviP Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 How can you tether the mirror to the Bike? Tom Bob's BMW has "Rescue Wires"...Look in "Gadgets and Goodies".......Or make them out of stainless steel fishing leaders yourself........ http://store.bobsbmw.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=141 Phil........Redbrick I will make something like this over the weekend. I have the professional crimper for this job. I will price it at cost (+shipping) and post it in the classifieds. I think it should work out to be about $3-4 for a pair + shipping. Link to comment
strat Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 I think I'll just use a low E guitar string and make a couple for myself....I'm sure that will hold. Cheers strat Link to comment
Green RT Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 I made my own out of braided steel wire. I don't know what the tinsel strength, but for about $5 I made wires that I am certain will last longer than the plastic to which they are attached. If they fail, it'll be because there's nothing salvagable attached to them any more. Ditto. I made mine out of multi-stranded 16 gauge electrical wire. I have lots of scraps of it around so it had the advantage that the cost was $0 and I didn't have to go get anything. Link to comment
Rob L Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 +1 on the nylon tie straps. I drill a small hole in the back of the mirror and the atachment bracket to thread the strap thru. I use long straps (14"?) I KNOW that they will not break AND they are cheap.......as am I Link to comment
4wheeldog Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I originally made 1/16" cables, but soon switched to cable ties. It is much easier to just cut the cable ties when you want the mirror off. (I have one looped on the mirror, one looped on the bike and one in between). And I had some concern about what those cables could entangle/tear off in an accident. JMHO. Link to comment
Lineareagle Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I have taken the cables off my mirrors. I had one come off in my hands while I was removing tupperware. I now use a cord called Spectra that is used to pull up gliders, very, very strong and abrasive resistant. I believe it is a much better option than those dinky cables. At least haven't lost a mirror yet! Link to comment
moshe_levy Posted March 4, 2007 Author Share Posted March 4, 2007 My cable didn't break - the lug that was crimped onto it did, and hence the old adage about the chain strength's relation to its weakest link... The whole idea of these steel tethers is, IMO, a total waste of money. My bike (used) came with them. In really looking at it now, I see I can simply use a nice, thick nylon zip-tie of ~14" between the body and the mirror housing, and call it a day for under $1. And I KNOW a zip tie will not break, leaving me with a $250 mirror bill to pay! Link to comment
AviP Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 http://store.bobsbmw.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=141 Phil........Redbrick I will make something like this over the weekend. I have the professional crimper for this job. I will price it at cost (+shipping) and post it in the classifieds. I think it should work out to be about $3-4 for a pair + shipping. So I made it and was damn pleased with the result. I used 1/16" uncoated wire rope and swaged ferrules onto the ends to form loops. The distance between the ferrules is 14" and the cable can either be routed as in the photos (my preference) or left open for lots of slack. It worked out to just under $3 for a pair. If anyone wants a pair, I'll post it in the classifieds as Mirror Tethers ($3 + USPS first class shipping). Excuse the oversize images for clarity. Link to comment
Redbrick Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 QUOTE So I made it and was damn pleased with the result. I used 1/16" uncoated wire rope and swaged ferrules onto the ends to form loops. QUOTE Moshe.......Really nicely done ...I'd imagine you will get a lot of requests for a set........ Phil............Redbrick Link to comment
moshe_levy Posted March 6, 2007 Author Share Posted March 6, 2007 The saga continues. I found a titan grey mirror ass'y on Ebay and just won the bid, for $66. Not bad. The pics are not clear and descriptions says "very small scratches" so I don't have high hopes, but for $66 who can complain? As soon as it arrives, I will throw it on with the new Z-technic shield and we'll see how it all goes together.... -MKL Link to comment
SWB Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 The saga continues. I found a titan grey mirror ass'y on Ebay and just won the bid, for $66. Not bad. The pics are not clear and descriptions says "very small scratches" so I don't have high hopes, but for $66 who can complain? As soon as it arrives, I will throw it on with the new Z-technic shield and we'll see how it all goes together.... -MKL Does the seller live somewhere near the New Jersey Turnpike? Just had to ask. Link to comment
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