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What is so wrong with the T120's mirrors?

9K views 26 replies 22 participants last post by  nickjaxe 
#1 ·
I like to watch the You Tube reviews of the T120 (since I got mine a month ago) and am amazed by the negative comments about the T120's factory fit mirrors if they have not already been changed on the bike being featured. Why?

To me they are beautiful and very clear and effective and allow reasonable clearance for cutting through traffic jams. Those ear looking things stuck onto the grips look gaudy and make the bike a lot wider hampering avoidance of traffic jams.


Also don't get the compulsion to change the exhausts - but that is another debate.
 
#2 ·
It's been my experience that mirrors on most motorcycle brands are on the cheapish side and considered an afterthought. This is why you'll see alternative mirrors offered that are typically more expensive. In most reviews, I've seen a lot of complaints about the mirrors looking cheap and not providing a wide view that promotes confidence. Many think that the cheap mirrors are deliberate and offer a reason to head over to the accessories website of your motorcycle brand to purchase new, expensive mirrors.

Personally, the mirrors on my Street Twin are just fine. I prefer the look of bar end mirrors, but I'm going to keep my OEM mirrors for a while, as I have other things I want to add to my bike.
 
#3 ·
The mirrors work fine although they look like insect antenae. They're designed for safety. Mirrors hanging off the bar ends make you take your eyes off the road in front of you. They don't vibrate. My only problem with them is they're a bit too close together. I'm always pulling an elbow or shoulder in to see what's directly behind me.
 
#4 ·
I like the the stock mirrors.

There are reasons they're designed the way they are. They let you look back without looking down. Their chief function is to prevent you from merging into an occupied lane, and they're just about perfect for this.

I like the fact that my upper arms block some of the field of view. This prevents me from being blinded by the headlight glare of following traffic at night. If I want to look directly behind, I can do it by moving my head just a little.

Last, they fit in nicely with the retro theme of the bike. I've had "stalky" mirrors like these on every bike I've ever owned. No bar ends. The difference is that the T120's stock mirrors do not come loose where they attach to the grip housing, and the mirrors themselves keep their adjustment. Triumph sources these from Rizoma, BTW, so not only have they been engineered, they've been styled.

There are no practical advantages to bar end mirrors. They're chosen purely for the look.
 
#5 ·
It's human nature to gripe about what annoys you or to ignore what works for you without fanfare. If you make vlogs and the stock mirrors bug you, you will say as much. If you think they function well while blending in with the bike's style, you probably won't even mention them.:sip
 
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#11 ·
Personally, I like how the mirrors look. They are very similar to my previous bike, a 1999 Triumph Adventurer, and they are what I am used to.

However, I am a wide guy, and because of their positioning, I could not see directly behind me. Instead, I could only see my shoulders and arms. I bought some mirror extenders (lots of other threads on these), and now they are fine.
 
#12 ·
Rode in this morning. The mirrors work fine. I have switched out mirrors on many bikes but these are keepers. The engineers put a lot of thought into things like this. Parenthetically, I started thinking about the Vance and Hines slip ons. I found a dyno comparison with stock. They add 2 peak HP and 4 peak TQ, and are supposedly louder. I'm going to save the $795.
 
#14 ·
I'm certainly used to the shape of the mirrors. But are they really any "stalkier" than similar stemmed mirrors?:dunno
 

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#15 ·
I like the look of a round headlight and round mirrors. The Triumph mirrors are well constructed and seem appropriate on the modern classic machines. The only think I dislike is the different finish / color of the center part of the mirror - think it draws unnecessary attention to the mirrors. I'll eventually be installing higher T120 bars (w/ the Spiegler kit) on my Thruxton and will use a pair of T120 black mirrors to complete the conversion.
 
#16 ·
I like the look of a round headlight and round mirrors. The Triumph mirrors are well constructed and seem appropriate on the modern classic machines. The only think I dislike is the different finish / color of the center part of the mirror - think it draws unnecessary attention to the mirrors.
I think maybe the mirrors are styled this way just to make them a little more visually appealing. Much like the neat little non-functional touches elsewhere, these things give the eye reason to linger just a little longer.
 
#18 ·
I fall in the group of someone who -- having used and preferred bar-ends on most of my sport bikes -- thought I'd go that route as well with my T120. But the mirrors, IMHO, do indeed fit my eye on the bike. As well, being just 5'7" and slim, I can easily see around myself with zero need to move a muscle.

The way I see it, they likely took great pains to design something so critical to the overall look of the bike. Can one imagine, in the years leading up to the 2016 launch of the T120, how much thought and care by the Triumph design team went into something as instantly visible as the mirrors?

I think their truly lustrous chrome and beefy stalks speak immediately to the quality construction befitting a $13K motorbike. They're staying on my (new to me) 2018!
 
#21 · (Edited)
I, too, have to move just a little to get a clear look at what's directly behind me. But, overall I find the mouse ear mirrors acceptable. I will, however, be ditching them in favor of bar end mirrors. I find the mouse ears a bit distracting as they catch my attention for no good reason while riding. I've had bar ends before, and they are positioned such that they are out of the way. I'd rather only be diverting my eyes to the mirrors when intentionally checking my six. Here in Texas, we don't have legal filtering, so that isn't a concern for me.
 
#23 ·
I, too, have to move just a little to get a clear look at what's directly behind me. But, overall I find the mouse ear mirrors acceptable. I will, however, be ditching them in favor of bar end mirrors. I find the mouse ears a bit distracting as they catch my attention for no good reason while riding. I've had bar ends before, and they are positioned such that they are out of the way. I'd rather only be diverting my eyes to the mirrors when intentionally checking my six. Here is Texas, we don't have legal filtering, so that isn't a concern for me.
As Captain Courageous says in Cannonball run... "Whatsa behind you, it donta matter!"
 
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#22 ·
You could fit the offset mirror mountings available on eBay for under $20. I did on my first T220 and they moved the mirrors out to each side about 1.5 inches and raised them about 1” which made a huge difference. My second T120 has the bar end mirrors and I have grown to like them very much. All good here.
 
#27 ·
I love my std Mirrors on my T100....same as the T120 far as I know....and I am fussy about mirrors....

They need setting up correctly..so the stick out at max width....have the arms pointed forward or backward you loose width.....have the mirrors themselves rotated the wrong way again you loose width.

Sometime I may need to just tuck in my elbow a touch.....thats it.

But all mirrors have blind spots.....those small stick on wide angles are helpful.
 
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