mcnam1rj's on-going extensive mirror mod

[Rob]

For the last few months I've been researching new mirrors and have tried a few setups with another on the way. I was feeling ambitious when I started this but had no idea how many revisions or how long it would take. This will require several posts to fit all the pics in and to break each revision down enough to hopefully make some sense. Here goes nothin'...

Instead of simply removing the stock mirrors and installing block offs, I decided to epoxy over the holes, sand them down, and paint over them. Simple, right? Not so much, at least not for me. I got the paint from colorrite.com to get an OEM match but then realized I needed to buy primer and clear coat as well as the paint. I used J-B Weld epoxy (but had to buy a second set to finish the job), 60, 80, and 220 grit sandpaper, several different kinds of sponges/brushes for the painting portion, tape to cover the hole from beneath so the epoxy had something to stick to, painter's tape, and a putty knife to apply the epoxy.

1. Removed fairing and mirrors
2. Applied tape to the inside of the mirror hole so the epoxy had a base to stick to
3. Tapped off area
4. Applied 1st coat of epoxy w/ putty knife and let dry 24hrs
5. Applied 2nd coat of epoxy w/ putty knife and let dry 24hrs
6. Sanded down epoxy to a smooth finish
7. Applied 3rd coat of epoxy w/ putty knife and let dry 24hrs
8. Sanded down epoxy to a smooth finish
9. Applied several coats of primer and let dry over night
10. Sanded down primer to a smooth finish
11. Applied several more coats of primer and let dry overnight
12. Sanded down primer to a smooth finish
13. Spot treated still exposed spots with primer and let dry for several hours
14. Sanded final bit of primer to a smooth finish
15. Applied several coats of paint waiting 30 min or so in-between coats then let dry overnight
16. Applied several coats of clear coat waiting 30 min or so in-between coats then let dry overnight

I ran into several issues along the way. Even though I tapped the area off, each time I sanded or applied anything the area affected kept getting bigger and bigger. I needed a somewhat larger area than just the exposed hole so that I could get a gradual slope to blend in the hump that was left, but ended up with an affected area much larger than I anticipated. Also, the paint did not go on smoothly. It did somewhat at first when I used the sponge paintbrush, but that device kept stripping away the coat of paint underneath it whenever I tried applying a new coat, thus exposing primer. I used several different small paint brushes to hopefully get a better finish but I could not get a smooth finish with them. The result was a bumpy finish that I had to settle for. If I could do it over I would use the spray can version from color rite, however I think I would then need to repaint the entire front fairing to get an even finish. Even though it is OEM paint, I'm sure it would not quite match the rest of the bike since a spray can paint job is not the same as having the pieces professionally painted. It still blends in quite well that sometimes I even forget that it didn't come out that great because when I'm around the bike I don't even notice it. Someday I will have it professionally re-done, but for now it was an experiment that came out good enough. And I had fun doing it.

That was the first step of this long journey. The following posts will be the different mirror setups I tried using.

 

[Rob]

pics cont'd from epoxy step

pics cont'd from epoxy step

 

[Rob]

1st mirror attempt

Now that I couldn't use the stock mirror holes, I decided to make a purchase from eBay. I bought mirrors that clamped onto the handlebar. I wanted some that extended out further up and over the handles but these were the best I could find from several different sites I searched. I put a piece of thin rubber in-between the handlebar and the clamp to give the clamp something better to grip onto. They ended up not extending out far enough to be able to see past my arms. I could see the shoulders of the road but nothing that was directly behind me. The mirror also magnified everything, which gave me a distorted field of view. Not to mention they looked like insect antennas. Something that I didn't think would look as bad as it ended up looking.

Tusk Dual Sport Handlebar Mirror: ~3.25" wide mirror

 

[milepig]

Nice effort! Looks great!

 

[Rob]

2nd mirror attempt

Since I couldn't see anything from the first set of mirrors, I went to Wal-Mart and found some small convex mirrors that I was planning on glueing to the first set of mirrors I bought. I was hoping the convex view would allow me to see more along with trying to angle the mirrors differently to hopefully see around my arms better. No such luck. I taped the mirrors on at first and went for a trial run. The mirrors were so small that I couldn't see jack. It did give me a larger field of view but it was so small that it did me no good. Not to mention having one mirror on top of another mirror looked worse than my first setup, haha. Sorry, but I forgot to take pics of this particular setup. Maybe that's for the best though (it was embarrassing).

 

[Rob]

3rd mirror attempt

For my next attempt I thought I'd try a larger convex mirror. On eBay I found a set of 3.75" convex mirrors. These were .5" larger than the mirrors I had but the way the two mirrors were shaped they ended up fitting together like a puzzle piece with only a slight overhang without looking out of place. Of the three attempts this setup yielded the best results, but still were no where near as good a field of view as the stock setup. The larger mirrors had a sticky backing on them but they did not make contact with the Tusk mirrors because of the depression the Tusk mirrors had in the plastic housing. I then glued a shim between the Tusk mirrors and the larger convex mirrors, placed a weight on them, and let them sit overnight. Because of the overhang exposing a gap between the two mirrors, I applied a weather sealant (worst smelling product, ever). This kept the water out while creating a nice looking seal. However, after a few hundred miles the weather sealant started to peal off. I presume because of the constant wind forces against the backside of the mirror and from me adjusting the mirrors.

The larger mirrors I glued on gave me an even more insect looking bike, but did give me a better field of view. I still could not see very well directly behind me. I still had to move my arm in a bit in order to see behind me, or if I waited til I was going around a turn I'd get a good view of any traffic. This satisfied me for a several weeks but I knew it wouldn't work as a permanent fix.

 

[Rob]

pics cont'd from 3rd mirror attempt

pics cont'd from 3rd mirror attempt

 

[Rob]

4th mirror attempt

At this point I was getting fed up so I started thinking outside the box. Instead of looking for a set of mirrors that had all parts incorporated in one purchase, I started to look for separate pieces to make a better setup. eBay came through again. I bought a set of Koso Diamond mirrors. JT, I believe these are the same, or very similar, to the ones you have. These came with 8mm and 10mm threaded bolts. I then bought a set of 10mm threaded metal clamps to go along with the mirrors. This setup will extend out further than my current mirrors and will also look waaaaayyyyyy better. I am still waiting on the clamps to test everything out. They may not extend out far enough, and if this is the case I found a set of risers that not only extend upward but also outward.

Once I receive the clamps and test everything out, I will update this thread with more pics and the results. I am also gathering the prices of all the items and will list that info soon. Wish me luck...

 

[Gixerhp]

Have you driven the bike much since you fill the oem mirror holes?
The reason i asked, is the the holes are part of the nose mounting points?

 

[nismos14]

Interesting, I'm in for more info, and your final choice.

 

[Rabbitman109]

Great steps so far. I actually liked the 3rd attempt. It looked like they were decent. Have you thought about doing this:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Motorcycle-Aluminum-Handlebar-Mirror/dp/B00AA7OFLI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1363780756&sr=8-3&keywords=handlebar+mirror+mounts"]10MM 7/8" Universal Motorcycle Black Aluminum Handlebar Mirror Mount Clamp X2 : Amazon.com : Automotive[/ame]


With any threaded mirror, that will open up your choices big time. If you would prefer not to do that, you could use a FZ8 Clutch perch and Master Cylinder because they are both threaded. Just a thought. Love how the bike is looking. I grabbed some of these pictures for my retrofitting...

On a side note, I love the white "dash". Very unique, and I think it looks awesome!

 

[Rob]

Have you driven the bike much since you fill the oem mirror holes?
The reason i asked, is the the holes are part of the nose mounting points?

i've put a few hundred miles on since filling up the holes. i hadn't thought about those mounting points though. i guess they would count as a mounting point. but there enough other spots that i haven't noticed any difference in the sturdiness of the front fairing. the six plastic screws on the windscreen, a couple points i think hidden near the underside of the headlight, and some other random spots have a good all around hold on that piece.

thanks for input as I hadn't considered that. definitely worth noting.

 

[Rob]

Great steps so far. I actually liked the 3rd attempt. It looked like they were decent. Have you thought about doing this:

10MM 7/8" Universal Motorcycle Black Aluminum Handlebar Mirror Mount Clamp X2 : Amazon.com : Automotive


With any threaded mirror, that will open up your choices big time. If you would prefer not to do that, you could use a FZ8 Clutch perch and Master Cylinder because they are both threaded. Just a thought. Love how the bike is looking. I grabbed some of these pictures for my retrofitting...

On a side note, I love the white "dash". Very unique, and I think it looks awesome!

it's funny you suggested those since they're are the exact mounting clamps i purchased, lol. got 'em through eBay but they're the same design and low price.

I did like the 3rd attempt but the lack of view was too significant that they didn't cut it. combined with the rounded mirror look which IMO doesn't look great on a sportbike. But with a low price tag I can't complain much with the options I've tried so far. I think this next one will do the trick.

thank you, at first i only painted the two side dash pieces and when i finally did the main dash piece it really lit up the front end of the bike. i'm quite happy with it

 

[Anthony]

Looking good!

 

[Rob]

As I said before, the paint did not go on smoothly, but came out well enough that I don't notice it when I'm around the bike. The attached pictures make it seem more noticeable than it is since I'm getting up close and personal to highlight the imperfections.

 

[Rob]

4th mirror attempt cont'd

I'll cut to the chase, the 4th attempt is the winner! Not only do they look the best of the 4 setups but they also provide the best field of view, excluding of course the stock mirrors which you can't beat. The all black design and shape of the mirrors blend in well. At first there was vibration in the mirrors but as soon as I tightened the bolt on the underside of the mirror that went away completely. I do have a thin piece of rubber between the bar and the clamps (see picture in earlier post), but I doubt that reduces any vibration that may otherwise exist. The field of view is still taken up partly with my arms but roughly 2/3 of the view is still available. If I need the full view I only have to pull my arm in 2 inches or so. For reference I am 6ft 160 lbs. Now if you had Anthony's Hulk arms then you'd need the extenders. I don't think I will need to buy the riser/extenders I found, but I will make that final determination after a couple weeks of testing these out. Not only can I see the sides of the roads but with the adjustability of the mirrors I can now see behind me as well. The reflection is slightly magnified which makes for a slightly distorted view, but I did not find it distracting.

 

[Rob]

4th attempt pics cont'd

4th attempt pics cont'd

 

[Rob]

prices for all the setups

Some of the consumables I had laying around the house so I didn't have to buy everything, and some stuff that I did buy I only used a portion of. I rounded each amount to the closest dollar.

Covering stock mirror holes:
Two J-B Weld epoxy packages @ $6 each = $12
Colorrite.com primer/paint/clearcoat = $63 shipped
Sand paper = $3
Packing tape and painter's tape = negligible cost (only used a small portion of each roll)
Total = $78

1st setup:
Two Tusk mirrors @ $12 each = $24 shipped

2nd setup:
Used the same Tusk mirrors
Wal-Mart convex mirrors = $4

3rd setup:
Used the same Tuck mirrors
Two larger convex mirrors = $16 shipped
Weather sealant = $7 (only used a small portion)

4th setup:
Koso mirrors = $17 shipped
Threaded bar clamps = $6 shipped
Total = $23

 

[bloodypulp]

Nice job, I like # 4

 

[BoneJj]

I'll cut to the chase, the 4th attempt is the winner! Not only do they look the best of the 4 setups but they also provide the best field of view, excluding of course the stock mirrors which you can't beat. The all black design and shape of the mirrors blend in well. At first there was vibration in the mirrors but as soon as I tightened the bolt on the underside of the mirror that went away completely. I do have a thin piece of rubber between the bar and the clamps (see picture in earlier post), but I doubt that reduces any vibration that may otherwise exist. The field of view is still taken up partly with my arms but roughly 2/3 of the view is still available. If I need the full view I only have to pull my arm in 2 inches or so. For reference I am 6ft 160 lbs. Now if you had Anthony's Hulk arms then you'd need the extenders. I don't think I will need to buy the riser/extenders I found, but I will make that final determination after a couple weeks of testing these out. Not only can I see the sides of the roads but with the adjustability of the mirrors I can now see behind me as well. The reflection is slightly magnified which makes for a slightly distorted view, but I did not find it distracting.

So obviously you had to move your brake and clutch to the center more to fit these but do you have any issues at all with how they pull in, do they come close to hitting the controls at all?