I,m thinking of putting on a left side rear view mirror , not a fairing with built in mirrors but a quality bicycle mirrors or motor bike mirror. Would they be useless and just shake were you just see a blur or when trail riding just get hug up on every branch? It seem I,m always looking over my shoulder to see if my fellow riders did not stop for a break without me or I,m wondering if a logging truck or pickup is coming up behind me.

I guess even if you see nothing but a blur you would still get a idea if a object is behind you?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

My mirror comes in very handy when riding. Even that instant that you are turned around could rear end someone, veer off the trail pop a tree. ciba makes a decent one that goes in the end of your hamdle bar. There is one that is mounted in the hand gard, ones can put on your glove. When riding should have lites on so you van see their lights in mirror. Would not get a rigid one like a bicycle one.

 

I tried out some that a guy camping next to us was using. They were from a bicycle shop, and velcro on the end of the grip. They had a flexy stock, so they don't break when you brush a tree branch, and I think it also reduced the vibration/blur.

Anyhow, they are handy for making sure the rest of the group is behind you when you come to an intersection in the trails and stuff like that.

I was going to get some myself, but never got around to it.

Actually, I think a horn would also be pretty handy. Lots of times the guy in the lead took the wrong trail, didn't close their pack, or whatever...

 

They work well when you're traveling with a group or with kids. Like you say, very handy just to check that everyone's still behind you. Suzuki uses motorcycle brake levers so there is a threaded port for a mirror on my Eiger. I found regular motorcycle mirrors, but painted them black. That said, they've been off for over a year now. My younger kids have not been riding as much and my oldest is basically an adult skill-wise so I don't worry about him as much. The mirrors do get in the way sometimes - catching on branches etc. Plus, then look dorky.

Jaybee

 

I have some that I can attach really quickly with toggle nuts and clamps for when I ride into own or something. In those situations when I am on public roads with traffic it is a great help. In the timber on the trail they are nice but they are in the way and get knocked off in short order. You just can't have them on. Any of those types that permanently mount to the handlebars just wouldn't work for me or where I ride. I'd have them busted before I got back to the house.

I have a set of the hand guards with the mirrors in them but I haven't got around to putting them on yet. The mirrors they have are much smaller but it would be nice to not have to stop and put them on when getting on the road (even though it just takes a minute or so) and being able to see behind you in the woods would be handy at times. I've jammed myself into more than one tree that snuck up behind me.

Oh, by the way, another time mirrors are really handy is snowplowing. If you have to do a lot of maneuvering that requires backing up in tight areas a set of good mirrors, even temporary ones, can be extremely helpful if you plow a lot with your ATV.