Mirror Extenders

[Gorilla25]

Anyone use these yet?...how do you like them?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/08-11...item3cbb72e8f7





What they claim in the before/after views:

[Mazakawi]

$35 seems kind of expensive for a couple pieces of plastic and some 30 cent bolts with some couplers on them.

[Gorilla25]

it does....looks easier to fab up compared to the extenders that extend the pivot link. still keeping options open tho...and still searching for 650r mirrors..prob gonna go that route tho...we'll see

[Mazakawi]

Originally Posted by Gorilla25

it does....looks easier to fab up compared to the extenders that extend the pivot link. still keeping options open tho...and still searching for 650r mirrors..prob gonna go that route tho...we'll see

They do look like they would work pretty well though. I'm pretty sure that I could come up with something pretty similar with some sand paper and a block of plastic though.

[azimmer11]

Originally Posted by Mazakawi

They do look like they would work pretty well though. I'm pretty sure that I could come up with something pretty similar with some sand paper and a block of plastic though.

that will take a long time with sand paper id find something more mechanical for the job

[Mazakawi]

Originally Posted by azimmer11

that will take a long time with sand paper id find something more mechanical for the job

Fine, a belt sander for the basic shape and finish by hand.

[Sound Wave]

hey, aj. city mill sells some bolt spacers. like cylinders. i saw them in plastic and chrome. the plastic ones i think were in those clear plastic drawers and the chrome one were where the nuts and bolts were.

anyways, if you get 4 plastic ones, paint them black, get long bolts, you can have a cheap mirror extender. not sure how sturdy it would be.... or how it would look. but at least it would be cheap so if you don't like it, not much time or money was invested. you could even do just one side first to see how it is.

this is the type of spacer i am talking about:

if you don't like that idea,if you look through the drawers there, maybe you can find something that would work as a spacer. idk.

[Gorilla25]

thanks Gary...i'll look into that option too

[Tinto]

As a new Ninja owner I have wondered why Kawasaki hasn't made improvements to the new generation Ninja since its introduction in 2008. I understand that it is expensive to modify parts but I think that Kawasaki would sell more units if each year it featured new and improved changes especially with the introduction of a competitor this year, Honda's CBR250.

One easy change would be extending the mirrors. The current OEM mirrors are really inadequate to easily and safely look behind you. I like to tinker and think of ways to improve things on my little moto. I like the plastic extenders listed in this thread (a lot cheaper than what Twisted Throttle sells theirs for at $65.00) but they still look cumbersome. The other "link style" extenders look even worse and provide less stability.

I don't have the equipment to make it but thought that a 2-3" collar with set screws that fit over the existing arm would be the best modification to extend the OEM mirrors on the Ninja. If the arms were round it would be fairly easy. Simply cut the arm in the middle, insert the collar and tighten the set screws on each end and reinstall the mirror on your moto.

Since the mirror arms are elongated it would be more difficult to fabricate a matching sleeve or collar but I think this method would look the best, the mirrors could easily be lengthened or shortened and it would provide enough stability to prevent the mirrors from vibrating while driving. If anyone has an idea on making a sleeve or one that is readily available that would work for this DIY job let me know.

[saxnbass]

Get these. I have them, I love them. I have them set up that in regular riding position, I barely see any of my arm in the mirror.

[Tinto]

Thanks Saxnbass. No use reinventing the wheel as these mirrors extend in or out. I found a short video on line demonstrating how they work here: http://www.cyclemirrors.com/index-1.html

They aren't cheap are they? Over $200 for a pair!

I wonder if just as good a replacement would be using the OEM long arm Ninja650R* mirrors. At half the price is having the ability to adjust the mirrors in or out is worth it?

*http://www.amazon.com/2008-2011-Genu...3312503&sr=8-6

[saxnbass]

Over $200 a pair? The link I gave is for a pair. I paid $110 shipped for a pair.

[Tinto]

That is a much better price. They really should state that they are selling a pair of them rather than "Quantity: 1".

[pilotgeorge747]

I also have the mirrors Eric posted. I liked them ever since I put them on but after one of the nuts coming loose and having to go weeks without them I really noticed how much I love them! I had to remove the glass to tighten the nut up but broke the glass in the process. I emailed them asking if I could purchase another piece of glass. They replied that they were sending me the replacement for free. Due to mail forwarding issues I received them yesterday and they sent me 2 pieces of glass, and 2 whole new mirror housings (with glass already installed). Great company!

[fujio001]

It may a bit expensive however it does not appear to detract from the overall appearance of the bike.

[saxnbass]

Here are two pics with those mirrors on my bike. They really don't look bad at all. And the function is great. As George said, the customer service is outstanding as well.

[coondog]

For the money being mentioned, I'd just go with bar ends. Found it odd no mention of vibration was made, especialyy with even longer arms. With bar ends you see perfectly clear as well as more of the dreaded "blind spot." Just the way I went is all, and I couldn't be happier, and my mirrors are as strong as Atlas after being made with top quality non-alloy steel/iron dipped chrome.

[pilotgeorge747]

IMO the longer stalk mirrors in the stock mirror location look better than having bar end mirrors.

[Tinto]

Thanks saxandbass for posting your photos. I'd like to ask you and PilotGeorge how often you use the adjustment feature on these mirrors? It looks like yours are fully extended out. Also, could one of you tell me what the fully extended length is from the base mount to the tip end of the mirror. Thanks in advance.

[Jono]

Why not just stick on some small convex mirrors on the stock mirror.... http://www.amazon.com/CIPA-49102-Hot...050381-6474703

[Tinto]

I have adjustable convex mirrors installed on my OEM mirrors and although helpful, they don't eliminate the problem of the standard mirror not being long enough to avoid your shoulder view. Also, as you know, the convex mirrors don't show distance accurately. Longer stemmed mirrors and spot convex mirrors (mine are adjustable) are the best solution.

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Tinto

I have adjustable convex mirrors installed on my OEM mirrors and although helpful, they don't eliminate the problem of the standard mirror not being long enough to avoid your shoulder view. Also, as you know, the convex mirrors don't show distance accurately. Longer stemmed mirrors and spot convex mirrors (mine are adjustable) are the best solution.

Gotcha. Yeah I just do the shoulder check. I haven't bought the convex mirrors to see if it helped any. I gave up on my mirrors long ago.

[saxnbass]

Originally Posted by Tinto

Thanks saxandbass for posting your photos. I'd like to ask you and PilotGeorge how often you use the adjustment feature on these mirrors? It looks like yours are fully extended out. Also, could one of you tell me what the fully extended length is from the base mount to the tip end of the mirror. Thanks in advance.

"At full retraction the mirror head is just 2.75 inches from the mount base, at full extension the mirror is 6 inches from the base."

And no, mine are not fully extended out.

[jax]

I like the idea

[Gorilla25]

i've been thinking of going with the OEM 650R mirrors....just need to see how much money i got left after im done with christmas shopping

[headshrink]

I use them, and love them. Actually the ones I use are the origional (blanking on the name), but the ebay ones look like knock offs.... they are a lot cheaper though. I say go for it.

[Gorilla25]

what year 650r mirrors do you use?

[Gregg_VA]

Originally Posted by Gorilla25

i've been thinking of going with the OEM 650R mirrors....just need to see how much money i got left after im done with christmas shopping

I use the 650R stock mirrors on my Ninjette. It was an easy process. I ordered them from http://www.ronayers.com/. Just do a parts look up and then order the left and right. Pretty easy to install and they ship fast. It made a world of difference for me. Now I can see more then my elbows.

[Gorilla25]

Thanks for the link. What year 650r did you buy the mirrors off of?

[Gregg_VA]

Originally Posted by Gorilla25

Thanks for the link. What year 650r did you buy the mirrors off of?

I am not sure but I believe I selected the 2009/2010/2011 era. It is an easy process but don't be stupid like me. I totally didn't pay attention on the first one and removed the whole mirror and mount only to realise that the 650R mount is bigger and the holes don't match up. All you need to do is just remove the stems and everything went together just fine.

[Gregg_VA]

Originally Posted by Gorilla25

Thanks for the link. What year 650r did you buy the mirrors off of?

Take a look at this link. This is where I got the idea from. Notice that she doesn't specify a year on the new stems. I believe I just order the latest year that they had for the 650R and it worked perfect.

http://blog.agilepooch.com/2011/05/3...-the-ninjette/

[Gorilla25]

nice...thanks again...almost done christmas shopping...i just may have enough

[Tinto]

I just returned from a 1000 mile six day trip on my Ninja and my next mod/upgrade will be the Slik Design extendable mirrors. The stock OEM mirrors really became a safety issue for me while wearing a thick jacket. The short stems on the mirrors and the thickness of the jacket were a really bad combination, effectively blocking the already small viewing area that the OEM mirrors have. I ended up relying on my small concave mirrors and head turns which for me, isn't ideal.

What convinced me to go with the Slik mirrors instead of the better looking Kawasaki 650 mirrors is that they can be retracted. Before I purchased my motocycle I told myself I wouldn't do what 99.5% of other moto drivers do in SA, jockey for position at a red light by maneuvering in between cars. The longer stationary 650R mirrors just wouldn't be practical for doing this common South American "dance" that I find myself doing now.

Based on the comments here it sounds like Slik Design is a nice company to do business with. Thanks again for recommending these mirrors to me.

Update: I spoke with John at Slik Design after ordering a pair of his mirrors off of eBay and I can attest that he knows customer service and stands behind his product. I'll do a little followup and review after installing these but I'm sure I'll like them.

[Gorilla25]

UPDATE: i finally decided to pull the trigger and order some 650r mirrors.

TunerX Factory Motor Parts on e-bay.

some small notes for anyone else wanting to do this:
1) you need to use the original washers on your 250 and two more from the new mirrors for each side.
2) be careful when you pull the stem from the mount. washers go everywhere (ask me how i know )
3) remember to check which mirror is for which side before installing (again, ask me how i know )
4) be sure to use some lock-tite when re-installing the mirror bolt

i have not gone for a ride yet, but will tomorrow.

[Tinto]

Originally Posted by coondog

(I) Found it odd no mention of vibration was made, especialyy with even longer arms.

I went ahead and purchased a pair of the Slik's mirrors and have one major complaint about them...they vibrate a lot. I installed them without removing the original base and added a couple of washers that came supplied with the set. Everything has been tightened securely but when the mirrors are extended out about half way there is too much road vibration to my liking.

I was looking forward to using these mirrors but the vibration is very annoying (as well as a safety concern) and I'm wondering if others who have purchased them have this same problem and/or how it was solved.

The mirrors solve the problem of one's shoulder blocking a large portion of the rear view on the OEM mirrors but with this vibration problem I would have probably purchased the 650R mirrors instead or do they also have a vibration problem?

I haven't contacted the company yet about this but hopefully someone who has them will comment whether they have this same problem or if not, what sort of install they did that eliminates or reduces it. I think the source of the problem is in the small diameter and gauge of the stem and how it is attached near the mount; a small threaded screw with four teeth at a pivot point that need to be set into the aluminum mating surface.

I really want to like these mirrors but have been disappointed with them because of this problem.

[Gorilla25]

Took my bike on a 15min ride to work..no vibration problems...I'll go for another ride in the afternoon and report back

[Gorilla25]

so, i rode on a road a little bumpier than the others and there is a small amount of vibration, but its not unbearable. on normal/regular roads there is little to no excess vibration. so far i love this upgrade over the stock mirrors.

[Buffalony]

Originally Posted by trixter

I see my elbow like in the "before" picture. I just move my elbow to peek behind it. This is not inconvenient for me and really does not bother me. It does not take much elbow movement to peek past and if you track where you saw before and after the move you can be assured that you see the whole view. This also lets my elbow work as a headlight blocker at night so I am not blinded by someone especially if their high beams are on.

I still turn my head because of my teaching that mirrors do not tell you when it is safe they only tell you when it is unsafe.

You said it Trix. Shoulder checks are a must and I believe the ninjette forcing you to do it is a good quality of a beginner bike. I do it automatically while driving my car because of this. However, riders that are past that phase in good habit building and/or taking longer trips... want the extra comfort! Lets not get lax on our shoulder checks though folks. I'm sure awareness is the goal here.

I believe the mirrors on the ninjette are still some of the best looking on the market. With that said, I think kawi needs to make a cost efficient replacement for riders who are ready for them. At the most maybe include integrated turn signals with the longer stalks.

[Gorilla25]

i still do shoulder checks...i just like to glance in my mirror and see whats going on behind me. i dont want to have to do a shoulder check just to see whats going on behind me for instance i may see emergency lights before i hear them or i can spot a cager driving like a ****tard and i can get my ass out of the way before getting run over. that kind of thing. most times, i gont even glance in my mirror before changing lanes. i automatically flip my turn signal, shoulder check, then change lanes.

[Buffalony]

Originally Posted by Gorilla25

i still do shoulder checks...i just like to glance in my mirror and see whats going on behind me. i dont want to have to do a shoulder check just to see whats going on behind me for instance i may see emergency lights before i hear them or i can spot a cager driving like a ****tard and i can get my ass out of the way before getting run over. that kind of thing. most times, i gont even glance in my mirror before changing lanes. i automatically flip my turn signal, shoulder check, then change lanes.

As I said: "I'm sure awareness is the goal here"