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.

[Pound]

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

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.........

[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.........

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.

[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.

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