Author Topic: Mirrors aren't Mirrors  (Read 3492 times)

Offline Totgas

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Mirrors aren't Mirrors
« on: November 22, 2014, 12:18:26 PM »
I dropped my bike last month and damaged my pride significantly mainly because it was stationary and it was in front of a whole heap of onlookers.
Apart from my pride I completely demolished the left hand mirror as it hit the gutter.
I managed to repair the outer housing and flicker light (temporarily) and then ordered replacement parts. As I was in a rush they cost double what I would have paid from OS dealer however they were here in 10 days. Cost $450- ouch. Being a daily rider I needed a new mirror at least until the new one arrived. Luckily this happened on a Friday.
I approached the local auto glassier and he said he could replace the mirror and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference - except it wouldn't be tinted like the factory one.  He stated they did it all the time for car external mirrors. He did it for $40 - Not bad. Had a look and it seemed OK - fitted it to the bike for my daily commute on Monday.
Come Monday headed off and too my surprise the left hand mirror was useless. The focal distance for the replacement mirror was way too close, making it impossible to gauge the distance of objects behind me. Heading through the Brisbane tunnel, the lights from the cars behind me was completely overwhelming.

I have attached an image of the difference.
The right mirror is the Honda genuine part and the left the car mirror. My bike in the picture is approximately 30 feet away from the mirrors. You can't see it in the daylight however, the right mirror shows significantly less glare at night.



My point:- Whilst you may save a bit of money - If safety is of concern - always fit the genuine Honda part. Whilst is is on the ST1100 I'm sure the same applies to the ST1300.
Cheers,
A.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2014, 08:52:47 PM by Totgas »
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Offline Biggles

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Re: Mirrors aren't Mirrors
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2014, 12:58:35 PM »
I had the same experience, in that I had a standard mirror cut to replace my broken my right side ST13 mirror.
It's a plane mirror, meaning there is no magnification nor "wide-angling".  I've kept it because it gives me a true indication of the distance a vehicle is behind me.  The OEM makes cars look further away than the plane mirror.
The downside is headlights are brighter, but not as bright as your magnifying mirror would make them.  The other difference is any little bit of vibration is apparent in a slightly blurred image, whereas the OEM damps that out by being "wider-angle".
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Offline Brock

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Re: Mirrors aren't Mirrors
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2014, 02:17:51 PM »
I think the mirror he fitted was slightly concave, the OEM is slightly convex to give a waider field of view.

I dislike the shaped mirrors on the left in a car, it makes it more difficult to reverse a trailer. The different fields of vision from left to right bugger up the depth perception.
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Offline ST2UP

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Re: Mirrors aren't Mirrors
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2014, 02:45:02 PM »
Thanks for sharing your experience  :like I'm sure this will help someone out in the future  :clap



cheers
Chris    



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Offline saaz

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Re: Mirrors aren't Mirrors
« Reply #4 on: November 23, 2014, 12:21:46 PM »
Good to know what type of glass to ask for if ever needed  :thumbs
John
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Offline Totgas

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Re: Mirrors aren't Mirrors
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2014, 08:56:53 PM »
I dislike the shaped mirrors on the left in a car, it makes it more difficult to reverse a trailer. The different fields of vision from left to right bugger up the depth perception.

Couldn't agree more Brock, just leave them as is in my opinion.
Recently spotted on a Falcon "Warning objects in the mirror are behind you!"

A.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2014, 07:33:23 PM by Totgas »
I acknowledge hardworking Australians no matter who they are or where they come from. All those who have contributed to this wonderful country deserve an equal share of gratitude for their contributions. To single any group of individuals out for special homage only denigrates the rest of us.
 

Offline STeveo

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Re: Mirrors aren't Mirrors
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2014, 05:33:03 PM »
I tried the plain mirror too. No good. My biggest problem was the different magnification of the views between left and right. By the time my eyes had looked and focused, then brain responded a few vital second had passed which could have been a disaster.