Mirror shafts

I nearly died the other day and not for the first time when a car I hadn't seen came alongside of me just before I was going to turn right. It seemed miles away in the bar mirror when I last glanced down before indicating, but that was an illusion, and I couldn't see it at all in the full-sized mirror. This blind-spot is there on any machine (or car) and thus fortunately, despite the difficulty in a full-faced helmet, I retain the habit of an over-the-shoulder glance. NOTHING in the mirrors and just a 'flash' of colour in the corner of my eye so I stayed straight or would have died. Simple as that. No time to think or work things out, I just stayed straight and went past my turn, a good survival reaction as I was literally just about to lean in.

They hadn't seen or had ignored my indicators, something else I shall think of, indicating a lot sooner and getting extra indicators. When I learne ddecades ago we were instructed NEVER rely on indicators always use a hand signal. Trouble with that is the throttle drops off of course and you then wobble into the turn instead of countersteering and leaning as you should, both hands on bars.

The bar mirrors give a good all around view but make things seem a long way back when they are NOT. Handlebar mounted full-size mirrors often show just your shoulder especially if you are more than 5'6" but if you adjust them to see further back you you have to move your head more and they still do NOT cover the blind spot.

I reckon someone would have designed a longer, hopefully flexible shaft for full-sized mirrors but haven't found one yet. Any ideas? I am serious, if no one knows of one I shall try and mount a truck mirror, it is a bad problem too few do anything about despite we know of it over a lifetime!

Dear Jape,

Was puzzling over this whole scenario in my mind and then if finally dawned on me: your "right turn" is the equivalent of our "left turn" here in China and in America, i.e., countries where we drive on the right-hand (aka "correct") side of the road. Then it all made sense. Some fuckwit was overtaking you from behind just as you were preparing to turn right across the oncoming lane of traffic. Was this a two-lane road or multilane? What the fuck was the guy doing overtaking you in what sounds to have been an intersection?

Anyway, glad you made it home safely and relearned the old rules about never trusting other motorists, ever, and never trusting mirrors, ever.

As for some mirror shaft extenders, I've never seen anything like this but I have seen mirrors with extra long shafts. These aren't pretty, but here's something along those lines in Amazon.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...uL._SS400_.jpg

sounds like a cigar and scotch evening for you tonight...

cheers

How about this idea ?
http://cgi.ebay.com/180420435317

I will try one. I have seen mirrors that you stick on your helmet as well! I was sure someone would have invented a flexible shaft. Will have a play in the shed.

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Originally Posted by jape

I will try one. I have seen mirrors that you stick on your helmet as well! I was sure someone would have invented a flexible shaft. Will have a play in the shed.

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After installed that "mirror" in bike http://motorcycle.sh.cn/t_554495_1.htm

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Originally Posted by euphonius

Dear Jape, Was puzzling over this whole scenario in my mind and then if finally dawned on me: your "right turn" is the equivalent of our "left turn" here in China and in America, i.e., countries where we drive on the right-hand (aka "correct") side of the road.
cheers

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WHAT? Bloody deluded ex-colonials. EVERYONE knows the correct side of the road is English and of course continued by Australians. You ride to the left, sword arm free on the right to club down, slice and pierce your oncoming foes. The last thing they will ever see ....

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Originally Posted by jape

...EVERYONE knows the correct side of the road is...

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Some Chinese in Guandong WON'T forget it , RHD dump truck & ~ 00:16 http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/3RXlQrwssr0/ :naughty:

That must have been insane, with some areas driving on left and some on the right! Amazing anyone survived!
Is HK still on the left Humanbeing?

With the vast exception of India and parts of the Middle East, it seems that most places that retain your quaint tradition of left-side driving are islands -- albeit some very very big ones (yes, Australia and Japan come to mind). What's more, I can't think of many places where the two systems come face to face. Hong Kong obviously is one, and why they've retained left-hand drive there I'll never understand. I think Macau is left-side too.

OK, here's Wikipedia to the rescue, and we can see that the biggest likely problem areas will be those long frontiers in southern Africa, all around Thailand and along Pakistan's western border. Maybe that's why we can't catch Bin Laden.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...t_or_right.svg

As for your samurai sword, Jape, wouldn't you rather have that in your clutch hand rather than your throttle hand?

cheers

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Originally Posted by jape

That must have been insane, with some areas driving on left and some on the right! Amazing anyone survived!
Is HK still on the left Humanbeing?

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HK is still left, and you see a lot of cross border cars here in Guangdong with the steering wheel on the right hand side. Cross border registration is big $$$$ and your car needs two sets of plates. HK cars with reg. can go to China, but China cars can not go to Hong Kong.

Cheers!
ChinaV

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Originally Posted by jape

...Is HK still on the left...

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Yup, http://maps.google.com.hk/ Google Street View had pix. Extra care on which side if crossed river-- There was a trucker KILLed (Tired, unclear in his mind...) on his RHD vehicle.

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

...but China cars can not go to Hong Kong.

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Wise decision.

Big story in recent days has been how hordes of holiday-making mainlanders have completely cleaned out Hong Kong's stocks of baby formula (fortified milk powder) and medicines, presumably because they assume these products in China proper are all fake.

Also a wise decision.

cheers

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

... China cars can not go to Hong Kong

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NOT TRUE: Almost killed by some retard on 粵E Delica.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle...#Usual_numbers FU, FV

I am actually wondering how long it will take me to change when I come over there! They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I managed OK in Europe when younger, and of course they ALL have it wrong, being foreigners. But nowdays the old brain works a bit slower ...

And that is no samurai sword sir, it is a 13th century knights' sword. Designed for chopping through armour, cleaving limbs off of peasants, all that sort of thing.

Attachment 3074

Made in China by Master Chen Chao-Po of Dalian in Liaoning Province I must admit, but to an authentic design! Bloody heavy and bloody sharp too. My favourite toy after my longbow.

I did note the throttle problem but hoped you would have overlooked it. Actually, on the Kinlon it sticks open constantly when I let go (which is a bit perturbing as you may imagine) thus I often end up heading directly into traffic screaming at the top of my voice because of the sticking throttle, false neutral and useless back brake - so I believe it was designed for just this usage.

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Originally Posted by humanbeing

NOT TRUE: Almost get killed by some retard on 粵E Delica.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle...#Usual_numbers FU, FV

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F U seems very appropriate! I bet you said it a few times?

There is a product available from Touratech that spaces the mirror out, so you don't just see your elbows ! Might need a new mortgage for it, though......... It's called the 'Mirror Extension, Universal'. Product code is 040-0649. Don't know about price. Looking at it, if you know anyone in engineering, it wouldn't be too hard to make. Hope this helps !!

Much appreciated neilmac, looked them up but at $80 as you suggest, not worth it! I have taken to pieces an old mirror, and found and dismantled a flexible lamp shaft. All I have to do now is put them back together in some way! The local engineering shop charge $80 just to talk to you - they quoted me that just to look at my pics of a rear rack design before even doing any work - so it is a case of me and my shed, and some araldite. But I will also go to the plumbing store and have a look at bits and pieces.

Jape, how about something simple like these:

http://cdn-4.psndealer.com/e2/dealer...le/ME-2400.jpg

cheers

Anyone heard of the Reevu? A helmet with a some built in rear view via some optical voodoo magic going on inside (a series of tiny mirrors).

http://www.reevu.com/images/br.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaMSXgB3PVA

Personally, I shoulder check everytime, and my ears still work well, both of them. I still have one useless mirror hanging on the bike. Maybe I'll use it to shave one day in the wild.