Mirror Blind Spots

[rheacerdave]

Raced AMA in the '70's and '80's without mirrors. Quick look over the shoulder or even under the arm. May glance at mirror before I do the shoulder check, but always shoulder check.
Don't trust mirrors except to see what is coming up at stop lights.

[jhawkinsvalrico]

I have no issues with the mirrors on my Sprint and actually find them to be about the best that I have ever used. Although I will admit that I only use my mirrors to see what is well behind me. I've been riding for about 40 years and always rely on a shoulder check before changing lanes. It's such a habit that the thought doesn't cross my mind to do it - it just happens. I have never relied on my mirrors when changing lanes or seeing what might be in the lane next to me. Even in my truck, I have those convex mirrors attached to my mirrors and I still look over my shoulder when changing lanes.

[SLY DVL]

I don't think there's a bike (or car) mirror out there that eliminates the dreaded blind spot. And as mentioned, a shoulder check can mean valuable time lost. So, I'll add to this thread a simple mod I've been doing for years on all my vehicles. http://www.triumphrat.net/maintenanc...rrors-mod.html

And now, since this was my 25th post I'm off to see what the classified section has been hiding from me...

[UnklFungus]

I can't actually process driving a car or riding a bike without my head on a swivel. I have had some real near death close calls when I first learned to drive, thinking I could rely on my mirrors.

About a year ago, I almost changed lanes without looking over my shoulder, but decided to stay put instead. Had I done that, I would have been killed as I would have pulled out into the path of some A-hole going about 120mph and I was going about 75mph.

ALWAYS look.

[Linc]

Not sure if this helps any body but I recently added clear lenses and while I had the mirrors out gave the ball a socket a clean that allows it to swivel.

Looking at it I trimmed a small amount of the top of the socket with a craft knife, by small I mean about 2mm when I installed the mirrors again it allowed me to tilt them up a little more so at a glance I could see more than my elbows and stopped me hunching down just to see what is following me.

Makes it easier to see also when I'm 2up also.




Sent from my iPhone using Motorcycle.com Free App

[Pixel]

Like JPTL, I installed mini round spots on the outboard lower edge of the mirrors to try and cancel that blind spot. It sorta helps. It gives me a fraction of a second more "visual contact" time with a vehicle and that may make a difference. At first I tried the inboard edge, where the view of my elbows appears but there isn't enough mirror angle there for the convex spots to do anything. They have to be a the most angled portion of the mirror to do any good. Even so it's minimal. There are mirror wedges that are probably better but they cover too much of the "prime" mirror IMHO.

Like the others, I'm learning to shoulder check as a habit and feel it is a critical practice, just like practicing quick stops and low speed turns. Scanning the mirrors regularly is just as important. It amazes me how fast things change back there...

[jhawkinsvalrico]

Don't get me wrong because I love having decent mirrors in my vehicles, but I rely on them to give me a view of what is really behind me or coming up on me. I learned many years ago from a couple of near misses that nothing replaces shoulder-checking your blind spots. Long story, but I'll keep it short - many years ago I was riding on an interstate (think it was I-95) and had been riding for a number of miles in what I thought was open road. I was cruising along somewhat oblivious to everything because there wasn't a soul around me (or so I thought). I came up on a car in the right lane and decided to move over into the left lane. Shortly into the merge I heard a horn and corrected back into the right lane. I glanced over my shoulder to see a pickup truck off to the left-hand side of my rear tire. How long he had been there? I have no idea, but it must of been a long time. I felt like a complete idiot and had to stop at the next exit to take a break and calm down. I normally can't hear anything while riding - helmet and earplugs - but that morning I was darned lucky. I guess it just wasn't my time. From that point on, I have made it a habit to shoulder-check when changing lanes. I commute almost daily (35 miles each way) and just this year there have been three close calls during rush hour traffic where people have abruptly come into my lane. I don't believe that any of them checked their blind spots and I was lucky and had escape lanes to move into. I normally try to go into the office early to avoid rush hour traffic, but each of these were peak rush hour when I was running late. Because I was running late, I was riding a little more aggressively than I normally do during my commute. I was passing cars in the faster moving lane and I normally just cruise and take is easy riding to the office and try to keep my head on a swivel.

For what it is worth, my advice is to always shoulder-check because the consequences of not noticing someone off your rear tire could really ruin your day or worse.