An ADVRider user tonight asked about mirrors & off road riding. They asked,
While riding dirt roads and standing, I’d like to be able to see the other riders in the group. Has anyone figured out a solution for this?
Bike is R1250GS with factory mirrors
Would adding an extra round convex mirror be enough? Then I look at that little angled section to the left/right of the TFT and wonder if I could put a mirror there that might see them…
This is actually the first time I’ve ever lifted a quote from someone else on ADVRider and thought “is this fair use?” Well, I’m sure the owners of the forum will let me know if it isn’t.
I replied in the thread but wanted to extend a more thoughtful reply for you all.
First, the stock BMW mirrors have a slightly allowance for bending in a way that will accommodate off-road riding. Well, let’s take a step back and discuss why this question comes up.
When you’re riding off road, it’s a technique some riders implement to lower the center of gravity of the bike by standing. Doesn’t make sense? Think about the weight. On your seat, riding legally, the COG is a little bit higher than the motor because your weight is on top of the bike. When standing, the weight is below the motor, thus lowering the COG. Additional benefits are improved visibility on obstacles ahead of you and seeing the ruts and potholes better, improved steering (with your feet) and your knees can act as shock absorbers versus being jostled around at the mercy of your suspension and your poor spine.
Standing off-road is superior to sitting but if you’re following the buddy system, standing means your mirrors are now improperly adjusted and you can’t see after coming out of a corner if your friend is joining you or if they’re 500 yards back off of the road with a side-ways bike.
My advice is to look at purchasing one or two RAM Ball compatible Doubletake Adventure Mirrors. These have a wide range of adjustments like folding them in when riding gnarly terrain but also slight 5-10 degree vertical adjustments that, when standing, allow you to see behind you without having to do anything weird with your body which would upset the bike’s balance.
Stand, take your right mirror and point it slightly up to the sky and now your left mirror is in the proper orientation when sitting and your right is proper when standing. It’s a very fast, on-the-fly adjustment improving the safety of your group ride.