[K8SDAD]

Someone posted a few days ago about adding handlebar mounted mirrors to the CTX 1300. I got mine from Bikebandit.com. 11.95 each plus shipping. 32 bucks total. order 10 mm. they fit right into the holes already in your brake and clutch reservoir mounts. flat black and they look factory. I couldn't see well enough out of the fairing mirrors especially after I raised the bars up where I can reach them. When ordering get a left and right. I know that sounds stupid but Yamaha actually uses a reverse thread on one side of theirs. It's self explanatory when you order.

 

[shane]

Cool, I was thinking about doing this too. I have seen a couple of pictures, but would love to see yours if you get a chance. Thanks for the info!

 

[tbonesullivan]

I also would love to see pictures. IMHO the more mirrors you have the better. Also the fairing mirrors seem to lack much in terms of adjustability.

 

[Croxy]

Cool, I was thinking about doing this too. I have seen a couple of pictures, but would love to see yours if you get a chance. Thanks for the info!

I think there's a photo in the Photo Gallery of one of the members bikes with the extra mirrors on it......sure I saw one somewhere!

 

[bob]

CLICK HERE to see TennesseeSmith's mirrors added to the handlebars. Click on the link to his SmugMug photo album to see the photos.

 

[Croxy]

That's it.....thanks Bob!

 

[TennesseeSmith]

The mirrors I added to my blue bike are for the 2013 Triumph Tiger Explorer. I had added the same mirrors to my Trophy and was very pleased with the results.

I've been happy with them on the blue CTX. I notice a huge difference when I ride the red CTX with only the standard mirrors. I've been tempted to start farkling the red bike, but it would end up looking like the blue one. The whole point of buying the second bike was to keep one as a cruiser after the first one morphed into a touring bike.

 

[kniterider]

pics of new attached mirrors.. I can NOW SEE

 

[tbonesullivan]

kniterider, what kind of mirrors are those? I may just put some on for the heck of it, as I'm more used to looking up for my rear view due to the bike i have now.

 

[Hoosierman]

I'm not a huge fan of the placement & or the amount of adjustment of the stock mirrors, but me personally I think it breaks up the flow of the bike to add additional mirrors to the bike. I don't think I will be adding any additional mirrors to mine. I will just learn to adapt to the stock ones.

 

[sleepngbear]

I just nudged my bars up about 1/2" to open up a bit more visibility in the mirrors. Also following one of Bob's earlier suggestions, I rolled the clutch and brake levers & reservoirs forward (the brake can't be moved very far before it's up against the throttle cables - if you do this yourself, be sure to not rotate the brake so far forward that they touch). I haven't taken it for a ride yet, but just sitting on it in the garage it appears that it's noticeably improved the rear view.

 

[Hoosierman]

Hmmm... Might just try that. How did you move your bars up?

 

[sleepngbear]

Hmmm... Might just try that. How did you move your bars up?

Loosen the top two bolts on the bar clamps (carefully remove the chrome caps first with a small screwdriver and a cloth to protect the black clamps), then literally nudge the bars up by bumping them from the bottom side of the grips two or three times. Just loosening the top two bolts holds the bar securely enough so it doesn't move around freely, but it can be moved up or down with a little bumping. You never get the grips completely out of view in the mirrors, but there's a point where they are just barely in the top of the mirrors and the brake and clutch reservoirs are just barely in front of the bottoms.

 

[kniterider]

Must be a height thing.. I can move those bars around till the cows come home I ain't seeing nothing but my elbows or handgrips... I am just to paranoid about having such a large blind spot Now with these little sporty mirrors,, NO blind spot whatsoever ,,NO swiveling my head to see whats in the lanes next to me or right behind me,,, see it all at once instantly

 

[sleepngbear]

^^^ Go with whatever works, brother.

 

[TennesseeSmith]

I think if I were designing a bike strictly for looks I'd leave the mirrors off.

But the appearance of the bike is way down my list of important things. I really liked the large mirrors on my last Gold Wing. If not for the bad aerodynamics, I'd like to have at least a square foot of mirrors. Of course if the mirrors get too large I won't be able to see what's in front of me.

When I ride my red bike I see my elbows in the mirrors. When I ride the blue one with the added mirrors, I see the action behind me.

I'm amazed at how small and useless the mirrors are on most bikes. Sport bikes tuck the mirrors in so close to the rider that you can't see around your own body. Cruisers tend to have little bitty mirrors that are only there because the DOT says they have to be there.

I would not do any serious riding on a CTX1300 without added mirrors. It's OK for tooling about in light traffic on country roads. But for highway or city riding you really need to keep an eye on what's going on behind you.

 

[kniterider]

I think if I were designing a bike strictly for looks I'd leave the mirrors off.

But the appearance of the bike is way down my list of important things. I really liked the large mirrors on my last Gold Wing. If not for the bad aerodynamics, I'd like to have at least a square foot of mirrors. Of course if the mirrors get too large I won't be able to see what's in front of me.

When I ride my red bike I see my elbows in the mirrors. When I ride the blue one with the added mirrors, I see the action behind me.

I'm amazed at how small and useless the mirrors are on most bikes. Sport bikes tuck the mirrors in so close to the rider that you can't see around your own body. Cruisers tend to have little bitty mirrors that are only there because the DOT says they have to be there.

I would not do any serious riding on a CTX1300 without added mirrors. It's OK for tooling about in light traffic on country roads. But for highway or city riding you really need to keep an eye on what's going on behind you.

:smiley-happy0034::smiley-happy0034:

Plus Now that I know first hand how bad the view is in these SHOW mirrors.. If I get called to reconstruct an accident involving a CTX that had been hit from the rear while changing lanes I will have to take into account the fact that the rider has a tremendous blind spot and could easily unintentionally cut a driver off

 

[sleepngbear]

:smiley-happy0034::smiley-happy0034:

Plus Now that I know first hand how bad the view is in these SHOW mirrors.. If I get called to reconstruct an accident involving a CTX that had been hit from the rear while changing lanes I will have to take into account the fact that the rider has a tremendous blind spot and could easily unintentionally cut a driver off

No excuse. Even when I have exceptionally good rearward visibility I always turn my head and take one last look before changing lanes. Even with an unblocked view in the mirrors, there are always blind spots. Never rely solely on what you see in the mirror -- unless that's the only rear view you have.

 

[kniterider]

No excuse. Even when I have exceptionally good rearward visibility I always turn my head and take one last look before changing lanes. Even with an unblocked view in the mirrors, there are always blind spots. Never rely solely on what you see in the mirror -- unless that's the only rear view you have.

True BUT unless your name is linda Blair and you you can do the 180 trick with your head turning,, That quick sideways glance will not clear the dead spot right behind you,, That's why skully helmets is trying to sell their new helmet with built in rear view cams. MSF did a test years ago when the upsurge in M/C fatalities went thru the roof... mostly involving crotch rockets and their similar mirror view, and full coverage helmets which prevent you from having a full side view anyway. Test involved mounted cams inside the helmet showing what the rider saw and his total field of view before taking the adverse action. At highway speeds in moderate traffic, to fully turn your head as far as you can to see your blind spots just doesn't happen ,, it would be like texting

ok sorry time to get off my safety pedestal.. my MSF instructor time and 10 years as a fatal accident reconstructionist oozes out every once in while

 

[Hoosierman]

I totally agree with you. I always turn my head too! I guess it's just a habit, but better safe than sorry! :smiley-happy0034:

No excuse. Even when I have exceptionally good rearward visibility I always turn my head and take one last look before changing lanes. Even with an unblocked view in the mirrors, there are always blind spots. Never rely solely on what you see in the mirror -- unless that's the only rear view you have.