Help with mirrors

[Stig / Major Tom]

OK, need some expert advice here.
I have to move mirrors further apart on every scooter I ride - so I can see past my shoulders.

Adding things to the mirror glass surface itself - looks dumb & doesn't work too well. Tried that.

After weeks of sourcing all these "mirror extender" parts - I gave them a try the other day on my Piaggio. The rear view was GREAT.....but then they started moving.

The orig. mirror mounting involves one 8mm threading into the scooter (blue arrows = 8mm)- then the larger jam sleeve/nut is tightened down. Works perfectly.

Adding all the bits of the mirror extenders introduced too many threaded joints - like 4 - which can loosen.

If I overtighten the 8mm adapter ( the end bit which screws into the scooter handlebar) I could shear it off. Even concerned that blue locktite on it might  cause it to shear down in the handlebar upon removal.

I can add blue locktite to all other threaded parts. Maybe even some RED.

What is recommended to secure each threaded joint to stop movement? Especially that little 8mm adapter threaded into the handle bars?

Last question - I would much prefer to have 1.5 > 2" spliced into the mirror shaft itself (by a machine shop?) and skip the dumb extenders - does that seem feasible?

Thanks, Stig
.

[Charlie P]

Had a friend mount mirrors on the ends of the handlebars (onto the bar end weights).  How does/did the low mirror (fairing mounted) set up work on your Burgman or did your Burg have high mounted mirrors?  For me keeping the mirrors low avoids the shoulder width problem.  My Yager 200 had high brake reservoir mounted mirrors and they barely went past my "shoulders".  My Grand Vista 250 had the low mirrors and they worked great.  My Xciting 500 had the mirrors (with turn signals in the mirror) on the brake reservoir mounts and they were OK but barely past my "shoulders" and would occasionally move.  My Burgman has the low mounted mirrors on the fairing and they are super.

But I do keep seeing both top mounted mirrors (on the brake/clutch reservoir mounting bolts) on motorcycles and have the low fixed mirrors on the fairings too.

Try and get a look at the mirrors for a European Xcting 500 (European version doesn't have the signals in the mirror)- they mount up high on the fairing but are really long arms that might could be used in your configuration without the extenders.


************updated******
Stig - have you looked at these from Amazon for Honda/Suzuki, etc? - but they do use a 10mm thread.
https://www.amazon.com/Hoosier-Garage-BLACK-Motorcycle-Mirrors/dp/B01HJZUQDY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519935823&sr=8-3&keywords=long+stem+motorcycle+mirrors

Charlie

[CROSSBOLT]

I am beginning to think that mirrors on the helmet would be a better idea....

[Stig / Major Tom]

Charlie

Thanks Charlie,
Yeah, have looked at a boat-load of mirrors for weeks. The listed "Long" mirrors rarely give the dimensions, so they are of no help. (my stock Vespa/Piaggio mirrors are already some of the longest around)
There is one very long set,  like the set I installed on my LIKE200i yrs ago, which are fugly but I'm considering them.

On the Burgman I discovered a superb fix to my problem : shop in England was selling a set of short & long chrome motorcycle mirror stem bars, male threaded and female threaded on the ends.
I bought the 4 bar kit, and lo and behold the short set threaded right on to my existing Burgman mirror stems. That extra 1.75" made all the difference to my driving comfort.
See the short stem piece added, circled here in this photo......
They look dead stock and were a quality piece of kit.


I am going to try reinstalling these stock mirrors on my Piaggio - no extenders. If I truly can't live with such a lousy rear view - then it's down to the ugly super longs on my Kymco, or get a set of Burgman mirrors and do the extension piece again. (yeah, the Burgman's are 10mm + I will need a 10mm > to 8mm reverse thread adapter for the L side mirror mount...........So, I drop from 3 or 4 joints  down to 2)


I really dislike the goofy billet extenders !