Bar-end mirrors?

[trufflebutter]

Personally I don't like the look people are going for when fitting these things, what are the main advantages of bar ends.. if any?
The mirror itself always seem smaller than any stock mirror. Some have said they get better vision with them with no elbow/shoulder obscuring the rear view. I am not convinced of this, having sat on a bike with bar ends I found that I had to turn my head to use them properly as opposed to just an eye glance with stock mirrors. I see them as an aesthetic mod (at best) in the minds eye of those who have them.

Your views?

[HondaLad]

Personally I find them one of the best mods I've made to the bike. I couldn't see anything in the factory mirrors without having to make an exaggerated tuck in of my elbow to my side. Now it's a simple flick of the eyes to the mirror, the smaller size is no issue at all.

My mirrors are on a small stalk that raises them up above bar / grip height, not ones that either hang down below or are mounted directly to the bar end. The only downside I've found so far is that they make the bike a bit wider when filtering through traffic.

[Pound]

what are the main advantages of bar ends.. if any?


Actually being able to see things around and behind you is always nice.

Not that you can't do that with most stock "piece of shit cosmetic vanity mirrors" that most sport bikes come with these days............

[trufflebutter]

Actually being able to see things around and behind you is always nice.

Not that you can't do that with most stock "piece of shit cosmetic vanity mirrors" that most sport bikes come with these days............

Re read what you just stated and you may conclude (as I did) how ridiculous it really sounds. :rolleyes:

[Pound]

Re read what you just stated and you may conclude (as I did) how ridiculous it really sounds. :rolleyes:


I can see that i'm going to have to add a sarcasm disclaimer in my posts from now on.

I thought the................... Would have been enough....

Obviously not.........:brick:

[trufflebutter]

I can see that i'm going to have to add a sarcasm disclaimer in my posts from now on.

I thought the................... Would have been enough....

Obviously not.........:rolleyes:

No disclaimer needed, just NB: ''May require a certain amount of interpretation'' at the end should be suffice.

HondaLad gave a very intelligent and personal explanation in favour of bar ends that needed no interpretation what so ever.

This bit in particular,
''My mirrors are on a small stalk that raises them up above bar / grip height, not ones that either hang down below or are mounted directly to the bar end''

[Gremlin]

As always, it depends on your requirements.

As said, often on sportsbikes you can't see anything but your elbows out of stock mirrors. Adventure / naked bikes are often a little better, usually coupling mirror placement with wider bars. You can also get mirror extenders to push the mirrors further sideways.

For me, both bikes I regularly ride have wide bars and I'm very pedantic about mirror adjustment. They're well placed giving a good view both sides, and with the wide bars if I ran bar end mirrors, a, they'd be in the wrong place, b, they'd make the bike even wider which is no good for motorway work...

Aside from all that, you have aesthetics. Some don't like the look of the mirrors in the stock location and prefer bar end. Each to their own.

[trufflebutter]

Thanks Gremlin, to be fair, the bike I sat on that had them was a Ducati Monster and lets face it, the stock mirrors on those bikes are crap/disgusting and stick out further than the bar ends. So adding them can only be of help where this is concerned.

[george formby]

I ended up putting bar end mirrors on my TDM after smashing one of the OE stalky mirrors. It was a budget decision. A pair of bar end mirrors was a lot less than one OE.
Never looked back, heh. Great vision in all conditions, no vibes and a bit of extra width is always well received. Bugger all blind spot, too. Looks? Well, that's in the eye of the beholder.. sorry. I just look in them not at them. Mind you, if my bike went to a fancy dress party it would be as Mickey Mouse.

I don't regard having to drop my eyes for the bar end mirrors to be any different to focusing on stalky ones, particularly as I can see more at a glance not having elbows in the way.

So, yeah. I like them.

[awa355]

The biggest problem I had with them on the GB500 was whacking the mirrors as I moved around the bike in the shed. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Kickaha]

Personally I don't like the look people are going for when fitting these things, what are the main advantages of bar ends.. if any?
Because you can actually see shit behind you much easier than the crap stock mirrors on every bike I've ever ridden, I don't fit them for looks I fit them because they're better


The biggest problem I had with them on the GB500 was whacking the mirrors as I moved around the bike in the shed. :rolleyes::rolleyes:
Well the bar ends I get from Halcyon fold in so you don't have to worry about that happening

[Maha]

The ones that stick out from the grip are naff. Adjustable bar ends yes. Would I have them? Haven't as yet so I probably don't care that much.

[Bassmatt]

Its a bit of both for me.
I find it easier to adjust them to the field of view I want and I just get a generally better view behind me.
Aesthetically I really don't like naked bikes with 'antennae', so that was probably 50% of the motivation to change on this bike.

[AllanB]

I run bar end mirrors on bikes I have and currently own.

I like the uncluttered look - stupid stock rabbit ears on most bikes.

And they offer very good rear vision once set-up correctly.

The only disadvantage I have found is decent brand ones have ever so slightly convex mirrors - larger viewing area however objects appear further back that they are. Only a bitch when pulling out into traffic but a over the shoulder look fixes this and should be the norm anyway.

If you don't like em - don't fit them. Sorted.

[mulletman]

Ive had them on 3 bikes , ive found alot of wind noise and turbulance/buffeting has gone :clap:

[trufflebutter]

Ive had them on 3 bikes , ive found alot of wind noise and turbulance/buffeting has gone :clap:

Interesting point of view, rather than stating the obvious 'visual enhancement' which I pointed out in the first post as being the most generally accepted argument for bar ends.

[Big Dog]

I have never owned any but I have used a few.
For my current steed I wouldn't waste the money unless I already had a broken mirror. The standard ones I have work great.

On the clip ons type bikes I have ridden with them the stock mirrors would have had me looking at the keg rather than the road but the bar end mirrors were less prone to vibes and less obstructed.

On the more upright and wide bars bikes I have ridden they would be more an affectation than benefit but I do think they are less prone to buffeting and wind noise.

I have also ridden an in between upright er6 but with standard narrow bars within an hour of a stock one... they were a real revelation in lack of visibility, Tbh at my size I'd buy wider bars to resolve the problem rather than the mirrors then see how it was.

It really comes back to pros and cons for your installation.

Cons:
Some models make your bike wider.
Some models will clash with a fairing.
Some people almost automatically assume your bike had been dropped when trying to buy it unless you have the stock mirrors handy. Some people will also assume you have been cheap with your maintenance if you were cheap with your farkles.


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[nzspokes]

I wouldnt mind some on the VTR as the stock ones you cant see much out of.

But want ones that last, stay in the position they are put in and fit my Renthal bars. This I have not found yet. But not looked hard either.

[AllanB]

I wouldnt mind some on the VTR as the stock ones you cant see much out of.

But want ones that last, stay in the position they are put in and fit my Renthal bars. This I have not found yet. But not looked hard either.

Hmmm I had bar ends on Renthals on my Hornet - got them from Fast Bike Gear. The ones on my Ducati (ordered before I collected the bike!) came from FBG too and they came with two collars to fit steel 22 mm internal bars and alloy (smaller internal hole) bars.

One tip for these is the pivot point is a small plastic type of sphere - i have found that stock the mirrors tend to fold back with wind pressure at high (illegal) speeds. disassemble the mirror and rough up the plastic sphere with some 80 grit sand paper cures this tenancy.

Also if you have a bike with significant factory bar weights (Hornet) the lighter bar end mirror) may induce extra vibration compared to stock. I cured this on the Hornet with some customer stainless steel bar end weights. No issue on the Ducati as it only had plastic plugs in the end of the bars.

[nzspokes]

Hmmm I had bar ends on Renthals on my Hornet - got them from Fast Bike Gear. The ones on my Ducati (ordered before I collected the bike!) came from FBG too and they came with two collars to fit steel 22 mm internal bars and alloy (smaller internal hole) bars.

One tip for these is the pivot point is a small plastic type of sphere - i have found that stock the mirrors tend to fold back with wind pressure at high (illegal) speeds. disassemble the mirror and rough up the plastic sphere with some 80 grit sand paper cures this tenancy.

Also if you have a bike with significant factory bar weights (Hornet) the lighter bar end mirror) may induce extra vibration compared to stock. I cured this on the Hornet with some customer stainless steel bar end weights. No issue on the Ducati as it only had plastic plugs in the end of the bars.

I wouldnt buy from him for a start, but even worse if you have to mod the mirrors to make them work.

[nzspokes]

Ive had them on 3 bikes , ive found alot of wind noise and turbulance/buffeting has gone :clap:

Did a longer ride today. I get a bit of buffeting at speed. Worked out its coming from the mirrors so will look at some bar end ones.

[OddDuck]

I had some bar end mirrors on the GB400. Aesthetically they really changed the profile of the bike, got rid of the rabbit ears look. Functionally there were some problems with them coming loose. The collet (for inside the handlebars) was a separate piece from the bit that sat outside the bars and clamped the mirror's arm. The two bits were anodised and had a low-friction interface surface. It was also machined with a very generous fitting tolerance, so it never tightened up properly. It had a nasty habit of coming unscrewed while riding. I fixed it by doing some custom machining and making up my own collet components, but then again if you're dropping coin then you shouldn't have to.

Oberon do some high-quality bar end mirrors with the collet integral with the bar end, if you're going to buy then look for that sort of design.

[AllanB]

I wouldnt buy from him for a start, but even worse if you have to mod the mirrors to make them work.

He's a good bugger to purchase from. Knows what he is selling and quick delivery. Purchased a few goodies over the years.

Folding is more a personal thing - I've had the same with very expensive CRG mirrors FBG ones are just as good in quality. I don't fold them back and forth so one set I like them to stay there.

Ebay is full of them - bit of hit and miss for quality though.