Mirrors, blind spot detection and dashcam

tndr

tndr

fast rider
Joined
Jun 26, 2025
Messages
26
Location
Czech Rep
Hi Guys!

I am continuing my scientific research on rear mirrors, which has led me to explore blind spot detection systems and dashcams.

I removed the original mirrors and replaced them with round mirrors under the handlebars. These were app. 8cm in diameter and app. 10cm under the handlebars (and the glass was a bit blueish). Looked cool, but the visibility in these was pretty bad. Close to zero :-)
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Small round mirrors were replaced with "d" shape mirrors. It looks like two shovels, but the visibility is pretty good. Extending the mirror downwards especially helps a lot in terms of visibility.
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The third option is bigger round mirrors with an eccentric mount, which moves the mirror downwards. The round shape extends the efficient space of the mirror compared to those two shovels above. That's still only an assumption since these are awaiting testing.

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This whole thing led me to blind spot detection since the blind spot here is huge... There's a radar solution from Garmin. I have a great experience with the Garmin Varia radar for cycling. I use it with Garmin computers on road bikes and mountain bikes, with a phone on a commuter bike, and it works perfectly. Basically, I don't ride without it. It gives you perfect overview on what's going on behind you.

Does anyone have any experience with Garmin zumo - https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1227031/

Another option is Innovv blind spot detection that comes in a bundle with front and rear dash cams, which is something I am thinking about a lot. Any experience with this system? https://innovv.com/products/rc6-with-dashcam-thirdeye

In an ideal world, I imagine a rear cam with radar that works with an app on my mobile phone - replacing blind spot detection and enhancing mirrors. I would have a phone on the handlebars showing what's behind me in wide-angle. Or instead of a phone, it could use displays placed as mirrors - it could be placed above handlebars with great visibility without any disturbance from a rider... But it seems nothing like this exists yet. Or am I mistaken?

Any opinions welcome :-)

P.S.: some additional safety - yesterday, my new Alpinestars TechAir 5 Plasma arrived. And yes, it's finally an airbag that fits great and has all the functionality one would expect from this kind of system...
 
I hated the look of the standard mirrors and settled on these. Can be mounted above or below the bar (or anywhere in between Tbf) Great rear view considering there small size. You will always have a blind spot on a motorcycle regardless of the mirror you choose. I have been riding and racing for over fifty years and in the UK where I started we use something called a life saver. For example I always have a glance over my shoulder before changing lanes or overtaking. Have a look at these Rizoma mirrors, not cheap but superb quality ( I tried the chinesium versions, absolutely rubbish) Homologated for EU use as well.
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Dhd12 said:
I hated the look of the standard mirrors and settled on these. Can be mounted above or below the bar (or anywhere in between Tbf) Great rear view considering there small size. You will always have a blind spot on a motorcycle regardless of the mirror you choose. I have been riding and racing for over fifty years and in the UK where I started we use something called a life saver. For example I always have a glance over my shoulder before changing lanes or overtaking. Have a look at these Rizoma mirrors, not cheap but superb quality ( I tried the chinesium versions, absolutely rubbish) Homologated for EU use as well.
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Thanks for the tip. Rizoma mirrors look good!

I just bought three pairs of different mirrors from AliExpress to get an overview of dimensions and shapes that might suit me the best. It was app. 30 USD each, which is a reasonable price for the scientific research :-) Honestly, I was surprised by the quality of manufacturing. I had to create my own bars adapter (I used half of the original bar end expander), and I had to adjust some stuff, but who cares for this price and purpose...

Yeah, no way to get rid of blind spots with mirrors. The only solution is an electronic device (or a glance over the shoulder :-) ).
 
I love the look of those downside mirrors and do find the stock mickey mouse's to be kinda ugly and not in sync with the overall scrambler look ! But, from a security pow, i find having mirrors right into my eye's perspective a much more safe option than having to bend the eyes / head and quit looking at the road to see....! That seems way more dangerous to me ! I guess i prefer having low style but being alive ! i also ride with a yellow fluo jacket so..... ! ^^
 
801FAN said:
I love the look of those downside mirrors and do find the stock mickey mouse's to be kinda ugly and not in sync with the overall scrambler look ! But, from a security pow, i find having mirrors right into my eye's perspective a much more safe option than having to bend the eyes / head and quit looking at the road to see....! That seems way more dangerous to me ! I guess i prefer having low style but being alive ! i also ride with a yellow fluo jacket so..... ! ^^
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Do you not look down to see the instrument cluster 🤔
Never been a high vis wearer, but hey everyone is different. Don’t know how many miles/km I’ve ridden in over fifty years but I’m still here. Careful is good it’s what keeps you safe on the road.
 
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Tom said:
I still don't get it; why the heck the mirrors underneath the bars?!
Some "standard" bar end mirrors work absolutely fine for me; on several bikes and since many years.

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I have to agree with Tom. I use the somewhat triangular bar-end mirrors that are common on the KTM Duke and I have almost no blind spot compared to the standard mirrors.

I understand that it can be neater having the mirrors below the handlebar but it comes with a slew of problems. Your arms being in the way, having to look down more than necessary, might not be able to fully turn the handlebars due to the mirrors hitting the petrol tank and so on.
 
801FAN said:
I love the look of those downside mirrors and do find the stock mickey mouse's to be kinda ugly and not in sync with the overall scrambler look ! But, from a security pow, i find having mirrors right into my eye's perspective a much more safe option than having to bend the eyes / head and quit looking at the road to see....! That seems way more dangerous to me ! I guess i prefer having low style but being alive ! i also ride with a yellow fluo jacket so..... ! ^^
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Well, I would say it's smart and I agree. But style is important :-)

When it comes to visibility and clothing... I have very little experience with motorcycles. But from road cycling, I can say it's not that important what you wear. What works best are lights. Ideally flashing. I use two white flashing lights in front and a red flashing light in the rear. The rear one is Garmin Varia - it changes intensity as vehicles approach.

I had three collisions with cars. Every time, it was the driver's fault. But I haven't had a crash since I started riding with lights on all the time.
 
Tom said:
I still don't get it; why the heck the mirrors underneath the bars?!
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Good point, Tom. I will give it a try...

It's look and width. My original intention was to make it as narrow as possible. I used to ride in traffic jams, and every cm counted. But with Svartpilen, which has app. 100hp more than my previous electric Horwin EK3, my habits changed a bit. I am searching routes with faster traffic, which I avoided before... I am observing and developing :-)
 
I bought this but never really used it... No on / off switch, regularly loosing bluetooth connection (that you need to operate the item), poor battery...
Wasn't cheap and not very useful ! Although at night it really made a difference in terms of visibility...

Holy Cow, two very nice bikes Tom !

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801FAN said:
I bought this but never really used it... No on / off switch, regularly loosing bluetooth connection (that you need to operate the item), poor battery...
Wasn't cheap and not very useful ! Although at night it really made a difference in terms of visibility...



This is pretty much what am I looking for in terms of functionality... I googled a bit and found this: https://www.brakefreetech.com/

It seems to be solid, with long lasting battery and good functionality. Will order and refer.
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If you do get it please tell us about your experience using it. I've been curious and almost jumped the trigger.
 
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