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!