I’ve just started using my Honda Nightwing 450 to commute to and from the train station in the mornings and evenings, and what I’ve noticed is that I’m not happy with the view that the mirrors give me. I’m a big, fairly broad-shouldered guy, and I’m finding that my shoulders and arms are taking up the vast majority of the mirrored view.
Now, I understand that motorcycle mirrors simply can’t give you the same kind of view you’d have from a rear-view mirror in a car, but it seems to me that I should be able to get either wider mirrors or something to make the mirror stalks taller so that I can see more of what’s directly behind me.
Are there aftermarket parts I can buy that will help me solve the problem, or is this just a point of view I need to get used to having?
There are plenty of options for aftermarket mirrors. You need to determine the thread and handedness of your mounting points. 10mm is fairly common, but sometimes the left side uses a left hand thread (so wind force tends to tighten it).
Please support your local motorcycle shop, but if they can’t help you, Dennis Kirkis a mail order supplier I’ve had good experience with.
Thanks for the response and the link. It looks like there is a good selection of larger mirrors from which to choose. I will check out Bert’s (local shop) first.
Rather than starting a different thread, I do want to ask another aftermarket question. I’ve found that riding at freeway speeds causes the wind to push on my chest pretty hard, and I was contemplating getting a windshield installed. Are there any actual disadvantages to having a windshield?
You can also get some buffeting due to vortex shedding that can be more annoying than the wind. Depends on how tall you are, headlight configuration, etc. It is not too uncommon to try 2-3 different windscreens before finding one that works well for a given bike/rider.