El Toro
Innocent Bystander
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Split: Off-topic about Mirrors and HUDs
- Thread starter El Toro
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AdamK
Well-known member
I pretty much see my hands in the mirrors of the ST, so I'm used to poorly placed mirrors. I was looking at the FJR oil filter placement the other day when I visited my dealer. On the ST I have to put foil over the headers to keep the oil off of them. It looks like there's some fairing under the FJR filter. Do you typically pull that to change the filter or cover it with something?
El Toro
Innocent Bystander
This is a really common complaint for just about all ST style bikes.
I know we're all different, but I have NEVER had a bike where I could not adjust the mirrors so that they gave me a pretty good look on either side.
People say they see their hands, or their elbows, or their arms ... I must be blessed with the average build that the bike designers are trying to accommodate.
I've thought about using a go-pro camera to show how easy it is to adjust the mirrors to give a good look behind, on Rocket III Touring, on Gen II FJR, on K1300S, on K1600, on Bonneville, on G650 Xmoto, on Norge, on ST, on V-Strom, etc. etc. etc.
But I know that just because they ALL work for me doesn't mean that they work for other folks too.
I am thankful that the designers are using my geometry as the model for the rider.
And one last thought ... my only peeve about mirrors is that many bikes tie them to the handlebars, and so they rotate when you're trying to back up in a tight space, and become totally useless. The ST1300 and the FJR do not suffer from this affliction, and this is a point for their praise.
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wheatonFJR
...
Get acquainted with FJRTech easy peasy maintenance walk throughs....linked directly from this website in the typical questions section...
DiggerDr.
Well-known member
As far as mirrors: I can see my elbows in 1/2 of the mirror. I can pull it in for a better look or I can slide an elbow out if followed by some *** with those damn bright blue headlights. Works for me. I can see a benefit with better mirrors but to me it is not a big deal..... Yet.
Uncle Hud
Just another blob of protoplasm using up your oxyg
Old Forum joke:
How can you tell if an FJR pilot is looking in his mirrors? His elbows are moving like he's doing the Funky Chicken.
How can you tell if an FJR pilot is looking in his mirrors? His elbows are moving like he's doing the Funky Chicken.
Bill Lumberg
Merica
It's true...
DocFJR
Well-known member
Until bikes get HUDs with rear-facing cameras, the effectiveness of any set of mirrors depends in part on the width of the rider.
Compared to many other bikes, I find the mirrors of the FJR to be quite good. Mounting them further out would cause other problems; goofy looks, knocking joggers off the road, etc.
Compared to many other bikes, I find the mirrors of the FJR to be quite good. Mounting them further out would cause other problems; goofy looks, knocking joggers off the road, etc.
SLK50
Well-known member
"The first rule of Italian driving, whats'a behind me, is'a not important" - Franco.
Those who like the OEM FJR mirrors really don't know what
they're missing. I'd compare it riding at night without a headlight.
I'll never go back. I can't actually. I sold the originals.
Those who like the OEM FJR mirrors really don't know what
they're missing. I'd compare it riding at night without a headlight.
I'll never go back. I can't actually. I sold the originals.
Uncle Hud
Just another blob of protoplasm using up your oxyg
My bike already has a Hud.
wheatonFJR
...
El Toro
Innocent Bystander
I love the Franco quote.
As for the mirrors, I don't know what I'm missing. I can see completely behind me. More than 90 degrees on both sides is more than 180 degrees. There's really nothing more to see.
I don't get the whining about the mirrors, but this is a common complaint, so it must be legitimate.
I've never had a bike that I couldn't adjust the mirrors to suit me, and I've owned something more than 25 bikes over the last 48 years. And yet some folks need to change the mirrors right from the get go. Different strokes for different folks.
Goofy looks? Personally I find the "erector set" mirror stalks and over-sized mirror heads of the stock mirrors to be far "goofier" looking than the svelte, albeit long, "bug antenna" like looks of the FZ1 mirrors. But appearances are 100% subjective.Compared to many other bikes, I find the mirrors of the FJR to be quite good. Mounting them further out would cause other problems; goofy looks, knocking joggers off the road, etc.
Have you ever sat on an FJR with the FZ1 mirrors? Rear view mirrors are one area where functionality trumps appearances in spades.. The FZ1 mirrors give you a much better rearward view of what is directly behind you than the stock mirrors do, without you having to move your head at all. That means you can (and should) monitor the cars coming up behind you more diligently, especially when you are waiting at a stop light or stop sign.
You will still have a blind spot to the side with either mirror, if you adjust it to protect you from the rear, which is the more important (dangerous) attack angle. You'll either need a convex blind spot mirror or to do head checks to the sides before changing lanes. But what happens more often, you turning into a car in your blind spot, or you being approached from directly behind?
There is also the matter of how the mirrors fold (or don't). The stock mirrors fold back only about 10-15 degrees. Not nearly enough to be helpful when in a tight parking situation. The FZ1 mirrors hinge upward and back completely until they contact the windshield. The angle of the folding is especially significant on 3rd Gens where the subframes are well known to break in the event of even a zero mph tip-over. The stock mirrors, since they only fold back flat to the horizon, will break the subframe as if that was their job. THe FZ1 mirrors will fold up and in as intended and there should be no breakage.
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