Thoughts on Fairing Mirrors?
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: Bristow, VA
Thoughts on Fairing Mirrors?
Hey all,
I recently bought my wife some "Edge Cut" Harley mirrors for her Sportster. Just for kicks, I installed one on my '11 Street Glide. I couldn't believe how much better vision I had with these new mirrors compared with the stock fairing mounted mirrors.
Has anyone else noticed this? Has anyone made the switch from fairing mounted to traditional?
Is anyone unhappy with traditional and switched back to fairing mounted? Looking to make sure I'm not about to dump a lot of money into something...that I'll just go back to OEM fairing.
Thanks for the help and info!
I recently bought my wife some "Edge Cut" Harley mirrors for her Sportster. Just for kicks, I installed one on my '11 Street Glide. I couldn't believe how much better vision I had with these new mirrors compared with the stock fairing mounted mirrors.
Has anyone else noticed this? Has anyone made the switch from fairing mounted to traditional?
Is anyone unhappy with traditional and switched back to fairing mounted? Looking to make sure I'm not about to dump a lot of money into something...that I'll just go back to OEM fairing.
Thanks for the help and info!
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 770
Likes: 3
From: Wabash
Ive put alot of thought into the very same delema. I have standard handle bar mounted HD mirrors on my bike. I was thinking about switching to the fairing mounted mirrors. But the more I look at them and sit on bikes with them, well after sitting on one with fairing mounted mirrors I noticed two things that pushed me away from it. One i dont think they offer as much visibility as the handlebar mirrors, I get past my shoulders some but theyre almost to convex or something and the rear view is almost.....well its kinda like watching tv on a 52 inch rear projection 1990's mitsubuishi square flat screen...and then switching to a newer style 56" rectangular oblong tv. Everything is just a little more stretched out and the tops of stuff is kinda chopped off. I dunno its a weird comparrison but theres a huge difference and so are the mirrors.
Seccond, If I wanted a gold wing Id have bought one and when I see my bike in my head with the fairing mirrors all I see missing is the plasting around the engine and quiet mufflers.......yuck.
I dont like the look, yes it does modernize the front end of the bike and I guess for some younger touring riders thats ok, but at 46 I still prefer the old school handle bar mirrors. I guess it strange but I love the theatre of my bike, I love the history and ancestory of the machine and in case we havnt noticed Harley Davidson has always remained true to form by keeping the scoots pretty true to its roots, changing for the good , the bad and the worse........I think what they try to do is sqweak some new modern lines subtley in every couple of years so that the they can appeal to both sides of the fence and capture the new younger guys and still keep the old school guys like me.
I hatre the fairing mirrors. Old school for me please.
Seccond, If I wanted a gold wing Id have bought one and when I see my bike in my head with the fairing mirrors all I see missing is the plasting around the engine and quiet mufflers.......yuck.
I dont like the look, yes it does modernize the front end of the bike and I guess for some younger touring riders thats ok, but at 46 I still prefer the old school handle bar mirrors. I guess it strange but I love the theatre of my bike, I love the history and ancestory of the machine and in case we havnt noticed Harley Davidson has always remained true to form by keeping the scoots pretty true to its roots, changing for the good , the bad and the worse........I think what they try to do is sqweak some new modern lines subtley in every couple of years so that the they can appeal to both sides of the fence and capture the new younger guys and still keep the old school guys like me.
I hatre the fairing mirrors. Old school for me please.
Last edited by Joboo1966; Feb 9, 2012 at 10:04 PM.
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From: earth
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 974
Likes: 13
From: Chesapeake Virginia
Hey all,
I recently bought my wife some "Edge Cut" Harley mirrors for her Sportster. Just for kicks, I installed one on my '11 Street Glide. I couldn't believe how much better vision I had with these new mirrors compared with the stock fairing mounted mirrors.
Has anyone else noticed this? Has anyone made the switch from fairing mounted to traditional?
Is anyone unhappy with traditional and switched back to fairing mounted? Looking to make sure I'm not about to dump a lot of money into something...that I'll just go back to OEM fairing.
Thanks for the help and info!
I recently bought my wife some "Edge Cut" Harley mirrors for her Sportster. Just for kicks, I installed one on my '11 Street Glide. I couldn't believe how much better vision I had with these new mirrors compared with the stock fairing mounted mirrors.
Has anyone else noticed this? Has anyone made the switch from fairing mounted to traditional?
Is anyone unhappy with traditional and switched back to fairing mounted? Looking to make sure I'm not about to dump a lot of money into something...that I'll just go back to OEM fairing.
Thanks for the help and info!
For what it's worth guy's I have a 06 Ultra and just had to have the fairing mounting mirrors. I had them painted to match the fairing and then installed them. They are not nearly as good as bar mounted. If you have stock bars you will see the edge of your fist in the mirrors and it's nearly impossible to get them adjusted so that you don't see your hands. It's funny you posted this today because my new handlebar mounted mirrors arrived this afternoon to replace the fairing ones and now I have 4 holes in my inner fairing that I have to get covered. IMO they aren't worth the trouble.
Supporter
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5,189
Likes: 16
From: N.E. Wisconsin
Mirrors on bikes always seemed to me like some kind of DOT curse because you liked bikes instead of cages. I always turn my head and look, mirrors or no mirrors. When they finally came out with the fairing mounted it really cleaned things up, it doesn't look like space alien antennas stick'in out ! Got some Wicked Image mirrors and really like them, good clean lines and offer a wider view.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 0
From: Nor-Kal
I am running the wicked image mirrors, which are a huge improvement over stock, but since switching to the prime ape bars I don't have as much visibility as I'd like.
I am going to be installing fat baggers iPad inner fairing, at which point I will be switching to standard bar mount mirrors...
I am going to be installing fat baggers iPad inner fairing, at which point I will be switching to standard bar mount mirrors...
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Mirrors on bikes always seemed to me like some kind of DOT curse because you liked bikes instead of cages. I always turn my head and look, mirrors or no mirrors. When they finally came out with the fairing mounted it really cleaned things up, it doesn't look like space alien antennas stick'in out ! Got some Wicked Image mirrors and really like them, good clean lines and offer a wider view.
IMO that is why I chose the SG anyways. It cleans up the bike.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,999
Likes: 55
From: Bay Area
They are a clean set up, I can see the problem with stock bars. My son bought a SG with 16" apes (I hate those ****'s) and I had to ride it across the state, but I will say with the apes I had an unobstructed view in the mirrors, but nothing beats turning your head.