Mirrors for Motorcycle: Do I Need Them & Why They Are Important?


One of the most important things you will need to install in your motorcycle are mirrors while most motorcycles do not come with mirrors and those that come most people like to remove them and the truth I can sometimes understand why because motorcycle mirrors just look bad and kind of even ugly on a motorcycle and another reason is that people are scared to hurt with the mirrors on other cars especially people who live in crowded cities but all this has a cost to your safety

So does motorcycles need mirrors? yes motorcycles need mirrors because they help you to be safer when riding and let you to see the riders behind you especially when making turns and horseshoes will installing motorcycle mirrors is something that very changes by the law between country and because of that you need to check what the law says about installing motorcycle mirrors

I personally highly recommend putting side mirrors that are one of the most important things you should put on a motorcycle they really keep you very safe and their main purpose is to make sure you are aware of other car riders Who are behind you especially when making turns that you will be required before taking the turn to make sure no car is behind you And so instead of turning with your head around every time You have had the mirrors to help you while it is just one job that mirrors have while there are loads of different roles that mirrors have been very useful in lots of situations you will experience on the road

If that topic of motorcycle mirrors is interesting you so I highly recommend you keep reading this guide because in this guide I will show you all the things you need to know about mirrors and motorcycles, costs, rules and how many mirrors you need and more

So let’s get started

Why I need motorcycle mirrors & what their purpose?

Lots of people disparage at motorcycle mirrors for some reason and I know that mirrors are not comfortable and beautiful for motorcycles but you have to understand that mirrors are important to your safety

Motorcycle mirrors have several different benefits that you need to know and some specific goals to help you understand why motorcycle mirrors are all important for your safety while I will now show you all the reasons why motorcycle side mirrors are so important

  • Motorcycle Mirrors Help You Be Aware Of Riders Behind You – Mirrors Help You See All The Car Drivers Behind You Which Can Be Very Effective Especially if you Have Two Mirrors That Will Let You See Everything Behind Your Motorcycle will Most Car Riders don’t pay attention and importance to motorcyclists which means that you as a motorcyclist will need to spend twice as much focus and effort on identifying the car riders behind you, which can only be done effectively with the help of side mirrors
  • Mirrors help you make turns and bypasses efficiently and safely – Side mirrors help you stay aware when riding while turning and also bypasses, which is very important especially when you are on roads and overcrowded areas, which increases the likelihood of someone getting in your motorcycle from behind and killing you, so you have must know it especially when you a beginner rider
  • Mirrors help beginners riders to feel and be much safer – As a beginner rider you had a lot of insecurity to look for a few seconds to the rear and check every time there are car behind you which can be very annoying and make you more insecure especially in the first rides so mirrors were there to give you a sense of security
  • Side mirrors make you more stable – I know it’s surprising but having side mirrors in a motorcycle will make you not have to rotate your torso and head every time which can carry a lot of weight and make you unstable so that the motorcycle will simply knock you out from your hands due to instability especially when you start riding Or you are physically weak in your hands so this is another reason why mirrors help you to be very safe when riding
  • Mirrors Help You Avoid Neck Pain – Having side mirrors significantly helps you avoid neck pain which is especially common for riders who do not have mirrors because when you do not have mirrors you need to flip back around your neck every few minutes which will cause you to suffer from neck problems.

In general, as you have seen motorocycle side mirror have many important roles that help you to be more confident when riding, so even when you don’t like the look that the mirror have or any other reason, believe me, it was worth it for your safety

Are you must install mirrors on a motorcycle by law?

There is no definitive answer to this question while in most countries installing mirrors is not forced and even if there was a cop in front of you and they see that you have no mirrors on the motorcycle he will not tell you anything and also if you will go to the park of hundreds of motorcycles you see that most motorocycle do not have side mirrors because people do not like Motorcycle mirrors and are ready to compromise risk instead

But there are very few states that will require you to install motorcycle mirrors so it will be your job to go and check it will you can consult with a motorcyclist or friend who in most cases will give you the answer

For example, in California, you must install at least one motorcycle mirror by law. but other states in the US require 2 mirrors and some states does not require from you to install mirrors so it all depends on what your country’s requirements are

In addition, it is important to note that even if your country don’t have any law requirement for installing motorcycle mirrors you need to take into account that if you will make a serious accident and you did not have any mirrors on the motorcycle so anyone who has made the accident can use the fact that you did not have a mirror in court so it is important to also take this into account

Why do people remove the mirrors from the motorcycle?

I can also understand the people who remove their motorcycle mirrors because they still have a lot of different disadvantages which makes people get the fact that they might be less safe but at least they didn’t have the various disadvantages that motorcycle mirrors have

So here are all the disadvantages and reasons why most people take off their motorcycle mirrors and ride without them

  • Mirrors ugly the motorcycle – let’s face it mirrors make your motorocycle look bad that at least in my personal opinion but in general most people think like that and I really do not like to see motorcycles with mirrors and because of that if the visibility and design of your motorcycle is important to you and your country has no law requiring mirrors so you should take this into account
  • Risk of damaging other vehicles – if you live in a city where there is a lot of traffic and a lot of car traffic you should consider getting mirrors or not because you have the risk of scratching the frames and external parts of other vehicles which can make people complain about you and so you have 3 options or you take this risk of damaging other cars and yet install side mirrors on the motorcycle and there maybe even rubber or soaked in the exterior of the mirrors or you give up the mirrors or you do not even give up and still install at least one mirror what reducing the risk of damage other cars
  • Requires tinkering and time – I know it can sounds a little strange at first but the last thing people think of after buying a motorcycle is installing mirrors on the motorcycle because after all it requires ordering mirrors from Amazon after that pay money and wait until they arrive and after that try to installing them and you’ll be surprised But most people just don’t have the energy to do that, so most people that in their country don’t have laws on requiring motorcycle mirrors just won’t do it
  • People do not want to clean the mirrors – Another reason that causes people to remove the mirrors is because most people simply do not have the energy to clean and maintain the mirrors all the time which causes them to be removed which is why if you have mirrors expect to clean them every time before riding

In my opinion, although these 4 disadvantages to the mirrors it still does not justify the fact that you have to take the safety risk and because of that, in my opinion, you must install at least one mirror on your motorcycle and preferably two

How much money does a motorcycle mirrors cost?

Most people think that installing mirrors and buying them is a very expensive and complicated process and the truth is that motorcycle mirrors cost very cheaply at between $ 10 to $ 50 which is super cheap and installing motorcycle mirrors is quite simple and not a complicated process and in most cases, you get assembly instructions for mirrors will of even this doesn’t help you. You can always ask for help from your friend to help you

In addition, it is important to note that I do not recommend that you buy a too expansive priced mirrors is really not a necessary thing that you need the only thing you need is just simple mirrors that will give you the ability to see your car riders from behind what 10 dollar side mirrors can provide to you

Do I need one mirror or two mirrors for my motorocycle?

A very common question that a lot of riders have is that hat they need to get one or two mirrors will it is an unequivocal answer and it is quite up to you and it depends especially on 2 main factors

The first factor is your state’s laws while there are states like I said like California that require 2 mirrors and there are states that only require one mirror and it is very variable There are even states that will even need to install even 3 mirrors on your motorcycle and so a lot of it depends on your state

The other factor in which to choose one or two mirrors depends on your personal preference. Some will prefer just one mirror and there are that will want two mirrors it all depends and changing while in my opinion installing just one mirror on your motorocycle look pretty ugly on a motorcycle and quite strange and awkward and because of that I would recommend you get 2 mirrors

But in my opinion, is that you have to get 2 mirrors and not 1 because what’s the point of one mirror because you still have to see your whole backside on both sides and not just one side

Does motorocycle Mirror are the only way I can see riders from the backside?

If you do not like the side mirrors of a motorcycle and you think it’s pretty ugly so you probably ask if you have another way through which you can still manage to see the riders behind you? so there are 4 very original ways through which you will be able to see riders behind you

  • The first way through which you can see the riders behind you is to install a camera behind your motorcycle and install on your motorcycle display panel so that it can show you everything the camera is aware of while it is quite expensive to do it so it is important to take this into account while there are even sports motorcycles that have this system so if you haven’t bought a motorcycle yet it might be a good idea from the start to look for a motorcycle that offers this service
  • Another way through which you can see car riders behind you is to install 2 small mirrors on your helmet will is not common to see people do it but it is possible while there is also a bunch of brands that have helmets with mirror and even you can do this with the help of YouTube video That I attached you up
  • The third way through which you can see riders who are behinds you is simply to turn around your body when you want to see other car riders while it is a very uncompromising and very debilitating and painful way to do it and also less safe so it is not recommended
  • And the fourth way through which you can look at a rider who is behind you that is not so effective and good is to use the mirrors of other vehicles that are near you which is really not advisable because in most cases you will not be able to look at any other vehicle when making a turn so it is not so effective and recommended
  • This is the 4 best ideas I could find that could help you look at the car riders behind you while the third and fourth ways are the least recommended

If you have more ideas and ways to look at car riders who are behind you I would be happy to know whats your ideas and write them in the comments and I will add them to the article

What the factors you must pay attention to when installing mirrors in your motorcycle?

There are some super important things that you had to make sure that happens when installing mirrors on your motorcycle will if you will not do it. There is a pretty good chance that the mirrors will turn around while riding and worse the mirrors will fall to the ground which causes to them crashing and to avoid these cases I recommend you follow these following factors

Check the stability of the mirrors – something that I see happen lots of times that riders simply skip it is the stability of the mirrors, which is especially important in the winter when there is a wind because if the mirrors were unstable they can turn themselves and even fall

Tightening – In addition, you must make sure the mirrors are tight enough with the help of the screws to prevent the mirrors from falling on the road when riding and trust me if your mirrors were not tight enough not only did they have a chance to fall while riding but they would not survive if you damage with the mirror on other vehicles

Location – A very big mistake that a lot of people make is that even though they are fastening, and checking that the screws in the place they don’t angle and position well the mirrors that will allow the rider to see what is going on in the backside when riding from all direction so it’s important that you make sure the mirrors are in the perfect location

In addition, if you want to see the complete guide to installing mirrors You are also invited to watch the YouTube video I added above

The top 10 bests motorcycle mirrors

Motorocycle Mirror modelPrice
Rizoma Dynamic Universal Mirror$73
CRG Arrow Bar End Mirror$99
Performance Machine (for Cruisers)$59
Bike It Blind Spot Mirrors£4
Gear Gremlin Mini Bar End Mirrors £39
OSAN Custom Universal Motorcycle Rearview Side Mirrors $16
OSAN Custom Universal Motorcycle Rearview Side Mirrors $30
KAWELL Rear View Side Mirror Round Bar End Mirror$20
Motorcycle Mirrors for Yamaha FZ07$30
Motobiker 1Pair Motorcycle Mirrors$40

Related questions

Does it dangerous to ride a motorcycle without mirrors? Riding a motorcycle without mirrors yes raises your risk of making an accident and also increases the likelihood that someone will come in behind you and hurt you and therefore that the reason why you should carry 2 mirrors on your motorcycle no matter what

What is the role of motorcycle mirrors? The role of motorcycle mirrors is to allow you to look at the car riders behind you which is very important especially when you making turns

How Much Does It Cost to Install Mirrors? most Motorcycle Mirrors are sold at a very cheap price of between 10 to 50 dollar on average

Summary

For any questions, you may have or an opinion on the article, feel free to write us a comment, and we will get back to you within 24 hours

Thanks for the reading unit the next post

Rob

I’m Rob, the owner of RX Riders Place. My family and I have a long history of riding dirt bikes and ATVs and want to share what we have learned.

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