Triumphrat

GrendelPrime · 02-11-2006

Well its about that time. That time of year when we get a little something back for all of our hard work. Tax season! Some of us will be making repairs, mods and other assorted upgrades, others will be buying new gear, and there are those who won't be spending their check on anything bike related. Me.....I intend to buy a set of the CRG Hindsight LS mirrors. But how well do they work? Do they fold in at a little over freeway speed? At what point do they become blurry and useless, if at all? Once installed, how is the range of adjustment? Anyone ever have to replace damaged parts? And if so, how long does that take? Basically......are they worth the $200.00 some odd bucks? If anyone can answer these questions and ones I haven't thought of that'd be great.

dcorbell · 02-11-2006

I recently installed a set of the Hindsight mirrors. When I was pushing my bike into the garage the right hand mirror hit the wall, folded back and cracked the glass against the bar end. That was when I placed my order for a replacement glass and the LS adapters so they'd fold back cleanly. With the LS brackets they fold back without hitting anything.

Replacing parts is really easy. I had to remove the glass on both mirrors to replace the brackets, so I had both mirrors completely disassembled. Took maybe 15 minutes to take 'em apart, swap the arms, reinstall the glass, and put 'em back on the bike.

As far as functionality goes, I'd never switch to different mirrors. They're very slightly convex so you have a huge range of visibility. You can literally see the full lane next to you, some of the next, and directly behind. They don't fold at highway speeds at all. The folding bracket is very stiff and it's notched with a ball bearing so it really takes a bit of force to fold it.

$200 is a pretty big pill to swallow for a pair of mirrors, but they really are excellent.

BTW, if you're ever heading up to Angeles Crest, drop me a line and I'll head out with you...

[ This message was edited by: dcorbell on 2006-02-11 08:56 ]

GrendelPrime · 02-11-2006

Thanx a lot dc!

vinnyf · 02-11-2006

OK, I'm going to treat the Motrax (sp?) mirrors as identical to the CRS - if I'm wrong, please correct me. And, I didn't spring for the LS option. BUT the mirrors themselves are very good, IMO. They are quite convex, so they allow a nice angle of view, albeit on the small side. I've got mine tucked under the grips, so as not to stick out into the path of danger. They JUST clear the tank on full lock, and I've been experimenting with the adjustments over the last month in an attempt NOT to swap a view of my elbows (with the stock mirrors) for a view of my rump. I've just ground a bit off the clamp to gain a little more adjustment, but have been away and haven't seen yet how that works. The clamp on the mirrors fits very well on the stock S3 bar ends, and the quality of the materials seems very good. Not as sexy as those Oberons that were published recently, but with flat 2" glass, I think I'd have a real problem seeing much with them - YMMV. And, although not having the LS option, the Motrax are commonly available a LOT cheaper - around $100 for the pair, rather than the $200 for the CRS. Do a search on mirrors - lots of experience and opinions. Good luck!

HiVel · 02-11-2006

CRS is an old timers disease called Can't Remember Sh#t, the mirrors are CRG's and they are absolutely great pieces of equipment. I have spent a small fortune on different bar ends over the years and these are without a doubt THE BEST> spend the money and enjoy. You will be glad you did. They go right on the stock S 3 bar ends and you can save the inserts that come in the box for your crash repair later. I llked them so much I bought another pair for my T100. Got mine from Brent at New Boneville.
PS : get the folding ends, you will be glad you did.

[ This message was edited by: HiVel on 2006-02-11 09:21 ]

lzxray · 02-11-2006

I have had the CRG's for a year now and they are great like everyone else said.
I bought the regular bar end mirrors on ebay for 60 dollars for the pair and then I just ordered the LS elbows and converted them myself came out to be around 100 bux.

beers2u · 02-11-2006

I got the Motrax's on eBay for $100 shipped. This is functionally the best mod I've made. Go for it.

Brodie · 02-11-2006

$170 for the pair shipped from here. Great service
bevelheaven.com
This is for the Lane Split and I really like them. The only thing I didn't like was I waited soo long to put them on.
BTW you don't need the adapters with the stock bar weights.

[ This message was edited by: Brodie on 2006-02-11 17:42 ]

Geof3 · 02-11-2006

Don't know about the the motrax's. The CRG's are excellent. A trick is to install them toward the inside of the bar end, and with the mount arm facing upward. This will allow the mirror to fold and clear the bar and be tucked into the inside of the actual bar end. Very cool. They don't wiggle, vibrate, slip, move etc. They give you an amazing range of sight, but in the distance it's tough to pick out if you have a copper behind you... Very well worth the $$$. I'm extremely happy with mine.

argh · 02-12-2006

I have the Hindsight (LS, because I'm in Cali and I LS. Its also invaluable when parking a bunch of bikes together, though... that mirror is pretty vulnerable hanging out there when not folded in.)

The build quality is amazing. The view.. is good.

Ok, this is a bit more general "convex bar-end mirror" whinging than anything about the CRG's, but I've decided I'm not a huge fan.

Basically, they're quite a ways out of line-of-sight. Glancing down at them while lane-splitting is pretty hairy.

Second, maybe its because my 38-year-old brain and/or eyesight has deteriorated, but it takes a bit of time to really process what you're looking at. Its odd, I'll think I'm just glancing down and back up, but something sorta glues my attention to the mirror for that extra heartbeat. I've had a few occasions where I look at the mirror and then am surprised by something up ahead.

Sure, for just sensing "there's something generally diagonally back behind me", its fine, but when I look down to see "is that a bike splitting behind me" or "does that car back there have a lightbar", it takes too long.

So... mixed feelings. Of course, as a total poseur, I'll keep 'em because they look great. :-D