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Bar-end mirrors: Up ⬆️ or down ⬇️?

  • <i class="fa--xf fal fa-check "><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" role="img" aria-hidden="true" ><use href="/data/local/icons/light.svg?v=1789222567#check"></use></svg></i> Discussion starter Discussion starter DRACKO
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CRF450L5.jpgIts under bar mirrors rather than bar end for me. These oblong mirrors provide a surprisingly good rear view. They are sold as bar end but this is how I installed them. You can see the bar end attachments installed in the end of these bars.
 
DRACKO said:
@HUNTS they actually work for me! The only thing I had to do was spread the tabs open a bit so they would fit tight inside the tube. If you look really closely, you can see a tiny color difference between the bike's chrome and this piece, but honestly, it’s so small that you barely notice it.
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I found some black Allen key head bolts to fill the gap nicely. I used the original nuts to secure them. I’ll post pics soon.
The BEMs look great, I just will have to wait a week until I can ride and check for excessive vibration, due to lots of ☔️ 🌧️ atm.
 
HUNTS said:
Up…with a Gremlin Bell thrown in for good luck 🤞.
If you zoom in on the bottom photo, you will see the bolt that I filled the hole in with.

View attachment 21495View attachment 21496
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Those two-tone mirrors look awesome! Hey bro, could you drop the specs for the bolts you got to plug the stock mirror holes? Are they a perfect fit or did you have to mod anything? I'm trying to find the exact same ones but in chrome.
 
DRACKO said:
Those two-tone mirrors look awesome! Hey bro, could you drop the specs for the bolts you got to plug the stock mirror holes? Are they a perfect fit or did you have to mod anything? I'm trying to find the exact same ones but in chrome.
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Leave it with me and yes, perfect fit (including length).
Due to the two-tone look, I’m now glad I didn’t fit black levers and if you have a look at the Motone fuel cap, it’s also two-tone.
 
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DRACKO said:
Hey everyone!

I wanted to get your thoughts on both the looks and functionality of a little mod I just did. I decided to ditch the stock mirrors on my 2021 FE and replace them with some bar-ends.

Since Wunderlich doesn't make their Montana mirrors for the R18 anymore, I picked up the Wunderlich R18 Bar-End Mirror Adapters and paired them with a set of chrome Highsider mirrors. Highsider actually manufactured the original Montana mirrors for Wunderlich, so they’re also German-made and the quality is absolutely top-notch. They look great!

I’m attaching a few photos showing them flipped both up and down. Just a heads-up: please ignore the protective plastic on the chrome. I'm leaving it on until I finalize the position! I’m trying to decide on the best setup and wanted to know your preference: mirrors up or down? Personally, I really dig the underslung (downward) look. I’ve already positioned them so they don’t touch the gas tank at full lock. Surprisingly, the visibility is great either way (I don't just see my shoulders). I get a clear view of the road directly behind me.

By the way, getting that stock handlebar screw out was an absolute pain in the ass! 😅 I tried a regular ratchet, heating it up, and even a hand-impact driver to break whatever cement they used at the factory, because let me tell you, that stuff was definitely NOT regular Loctite, no way in hell, haha. I ended up having to ride down to a tire shop, and the guys there finally got it loose using a massive, like, 3-foot breaker bar. Total overkill, but it worked! 😂

If any of you are running bar-ends, I'd love to hear about your experience with them, whether you have them facing up or down!
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Like your tool bag
 
DRACKO said:
Those two-tone mirrors look awesome! Hey bro, could you drop the specs for the bolts you got to plug the stock mirror holes? Are they a perfect fit or did you have to mod anything? I'm trying to find the exact same ones but in chrome.
Click to expand...
So I searched through my box of bolts and realised that they were the only 2 that I had. They were with a mix of other mushroom head Allen key bolts that I ordered off Aliexpress. They came painted black and I had ordered them with a variety of other thread sizes and lengths for various bolt replacements. These are M8 or 10 from memory.
 
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