Mirrors

[Pacman]

Anybody have problems with there mirrors vibrating? Mine are so bad they are almost useless. Is this common? Fixes?

[Barry]

It's not something I notice much.  I don't pretend it makes much difference but I mount mine with a small rubber O ring top and bottom. It did seem to help a little and more important they don't loosen up after getting the odd knock out of alignment. I can also adjust them on the move and  they stay put. With the narrow Euro bars they do need very fine adjustment to vary the proportions of elbow on view.

[montmil]

Pacman,

1) Balance your carb's throttle cables at approx 3000rpm with a big fan blowing over the engine. Use a manometer; either the $4.00 model or a pricey one.

2) Avoid the rev area near 4K. This differs from bike to bike but is common among our over-square engines.

I have added medium-sized, round, stick-on, wide-angle mirrors to both my R65s rectangular mirrors. The double-faced foam tape cancels all vibes in these mirrors plus I can see more than my armpits.

[Johnster]

If you dont mind the threadjack - I've been considering bar-end mirrors for my '79 R65 - would those be any worse or better ?  (any brands to find or avoid ?)

-John

[tvrla]

I like the Napoleons - they don't vibrate and hold up well. The only complaint is the goofy system they have for mounting internally to the bar. I mean, squishing a rubber plug, that doesn't really securely lock the thing in place, and then requires blasting powder to remove? Come on!

I've been wanting to create or find a system like used on bicycle steering stems.

[davidpdx]

I love my bar end mirrors. You get to see more of the road and less of you shoulders but like Wirespokes said the mounting system leaves something to be desired. Coming up with a better mount is one of my winter projects once the rain comes back.  

[nhmaf]

Do you have the OEM mirrors?  They actually work relatively OK with a normal running engine.   Some aftermarket mirrors can be total crap.

[bruce_launceston]

Wirespokes, go to a hardware store and buy 2 Rawlplugs or Dynabolts. They are available in different styles and diameters that fit in the bar but with 5/16" threads for an allen head socket screw.
You might be able to find a M8 one so you don't need to carry an imperial allen key.

I did have good results with the solid rubber Rawlplug with the threaded brass insert. Maybe it is better quality than the ones supplied with your mirrors?

[tvrla]

Those look kind of permanent, Bruce. I'm thinking of a system like bicycle seats or steering stems had in the old days - essentially a tube with a diagonal cut end, and a nut with a matching cut. When the nut is drawn tight, it slides to the side jamming against the inner diameter of the tube it's clamping into. It wedges itself tight and nothing can move it till the bolt is slacked off.

[marcmax]

Stop by any bike shop and they probably have a box full of old ones in the work area. They are called quill stems and they went out of fashion a number of years ago. They can be had for for free if you take the odd ones, you only need the wedge block.. Take the threaded wedge off of two of them and enlarge the hole in one of them removing the threads. Run the bolt through the mirror then the non threaded wedge and finally the threaded wedge, both sloped sided together. I guarantee you won't move the mirror once they are tightened down. Mine haven't budged a mm.

[bruce_launceston]

They are removable, you unscrew the bolt about 1/4 inch and give it a tap with a hammer to unlock the tapered expanding piece. They then pull out and are reusable.
There are many different sorts the rubber one is here http://www.rawlplug.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=vie,w&id=83&Itemid=0.
The other one I have used is similar to this 'Loxin' http://www.ramset.com.au/Product/Detail/85/Loxin-Shield-Anchors
Because it only expands at the end I wrapped tape around the non expanding end so that it fitted better into the bar end.