Blindspot Mirror... help me out guys

[flat6bagger]

Thanks George for politely calling me an anal person because I am an analyze everything kind of guy.

Doug

[53driver]

Thanks George for politely calling me an anal person because I am an analyze everything kind of guy.

Doug

Doug - I agreed wholeheartedly with your post. Teaching my kids to drive, and helping their friends get the mirrors setup properly, then teaching motorcyclists to set their mirrors properly has been an eye-opening experience in to exactly how unaware the general populace is on such things.

[srt8-in-largo]

Thanks George for politely calling me an anal person because I am an analyze everything kind of guy.

Doug

Always question... always challenge... always analyze.

These are good things but how do we do them respectfully; I'm still trying to figure it out

Doug - I agreed wholeheartedly with your post. Teaching my kids to drive, and helping their friends get the mirrors setup properly, then teaching motorcyclists to set their mirrors properly has been an eye-opening experience in to exactly how unaware the general populace is on such things.

Hey I already called him anal; are you calling him a simpleton?

[53driver]

Hey I already called him anal; are you calling him a simpleton?

Not at all! I am just continuously amazed at how people have their mirrors setup on cars and bikes.
People seem to need a reference point.
"I can't tell where that other car is relative to my car if I can't see my car in the mirror!"
How about:
"If it's in your mirror, it's there."

I always walked, 3 feet away from the car, from the back of the front passenger door, around the back, and up to the rear of the driver door.
My daughters never lost sight of me if their mirrors were properly adjusted, and they had no blind spots.

[flat6bagger]

I also think it is odd that people need a reference point such as the side of your car.
When people say,"I need to see the side for a reference point," I come back with,"then tell me how you judge where a car is behind you while looking in your inside rear view mirror?"
"You,can't see the end of your car for a reference point."
All you can see is the rear window as it is mounted in your car.

Doug

[ths61]

[bobbyf6b]

You should not be able to see any portion of your vehicle.
The mirror should be adjusted just past this point.

Doug

I drive for a living and, although it's personal preference, I call BS on that information. If you cannot see a little bit of your vehicle in the mirror then you have no point of reference as to where other vehicles are located around you. You also can't see what is directly behind you. Big trucks and motorcycles have no center rear view mirror. That's why trucks have spot mirrors, to see to the side. You also won't be able to see emergency vehicles coming up behind you. I think it's a very UNSAFE practice to put your mirrors out that far. Turn your head! But like I said, it's personal preference.

[ths61]

With my F6B mirrors all the way out, I still see the outside of my mitts. I think the F6B mirrors are great compared to other bikes.

My mitts took up @ 50% of my former Vision's mirrors in comparison.

[srt8-in-largo]

I agree with you Bobby.

Nobody is saying that we need to fill the mirror with our own vehicle, but there needs to be just enough to be able to tell where your mirrors are angled. Without a reference you don't know if you're angled one, two, or three lanes out. Further, if your mirror gets bumped and is moved out of location, you have no way of knowing that without a reference. So when you think you're looking at the next lane, you're actually looking two lanes over. Not having a reference is *unsafe* due to the inherent and implied uncertainty.

When you're driving or riding, *nothing* should be uncertain.

When you guys say turn your head and look, a similar thing exists when you're sitting in a cage. Look in the mirror, see the reference and know unambiguously that your mirrors are still adjusted right, scan for cars.... and then LEAN FORWARD to be able to scan the mirrors further out to the sides. God knows most of you need to do crunches and sit-ups anyway.

[53driver]

I drive for a living and, although it's personal preference, I call BS on that information. If you cannot see a little bit of your vehicle in the mirror then you have no point of reference as to where other vehicles are located around you. You also can't see what is directly behind you. Big trucks and motorcycles have no center rear view mirror. That's why trucks have spot mirrors, to see to the side. You also won't be able to see emergency vehicles coming up behind you. I think it's a very UNSAFE practice to put your mirrors out that far. Turn your head! But like I said, it's personal preference.

Driving a truck, towing a trailer, or riding a motorcycle, and driving a prius are two very different scenarios.
Yes, with no center rearview, the mirrors need to be such that the operator may see what is directly behind - and this is when those spot mirrors are gold (bikes included).
With a car? Nope. Not required (but people have their 'preferences')
In 99% of all cagers, if the mirrors are tweaked properly, the driver may go from his peripheral vision on either side, to the side mirrors and to the rear view mirror and not miss a thing.
I guess I've learned to trust my instruments while flying.
No worries.