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Can't see my lane behind me

1K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  port565 
#1 ·
Hi, guys.

I just got a 250R Ninja. I like the bike, but I've found I can't figure out how to see behind me in my own lane. I like to see if I'm impeding traffic or assess lane merges without relying only on the whiplash-inducing over-the-shoulder look. How can I position my mirrors so I can see behind me in my own lane?

I've seriously thought about installing a camera to the back seat and use wi-fi to a tablet near the gas tank. I already got a power adapter from Amazon (), so I can connect the tablet if it doesn't drain the bike's battery.

Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
#3 ·
Now that you mention it, Sev, I guess the tablet idea wouldn't work too well. I've tried using a GPS in the sun (holding it while sitting alongside the road), and I can barely see it. Then again, I set it up so it's hard to see in any conditions. That's not to mention the problems with hot electronic devices.

It sounds like this is one of the problems Skully is trying to solve. I didn't know at first if there's something I'm missing in the meantime. Thank you.
 
#4 ·
I've also thought about a rear view camera but sev is correct and you won't be able to see the screen. And the last thing you want is to try and look down at your gas tank to try and see behind you.
I have a gps on the yoke and I have to angle it towards me.
Maybe if you can mount it above your gauges so you're always looking straight ahead.
To be honest, know your surroundings and always give the over the shoulder look to be safe.
 
#5 ·
You might try mirrors from a different model Kawasaki, some extend out further then others while being interchangeable amongst models. I'd be willing to bet there's other 250 riders that have improved their vision this way and it really doesn't take much mirror length to get beyond the arm view.

I switched to bar end mirrors a while back and that's all I've been using for some time now, lots of choices in that area. I use the mirrors to generally watch the traffic behind me but for lane changing I always do a head turn. If you're a fairly new rider on that 250 getting in the habit of turning your head and looking can only be a good thing.
 
#6 ·
I had aftermarket mirrors on my 636 and went back to the stock mirrors as they give me a better view but I still have to move my arm out of the way. Bar end may be better but I've never tried them.
 
#8 ·
I haven't tried the bar end mirrors on a bike but know guys who like them.
I put them on my atv to make it street legal and they were kind of a pain but I bought cheap ones.
You had to have the bars in the right position to see behind you or you were always moving your head to get the correct angle in the mirror. At speed they vibrated and useless. Constantly adjusting them too from either bumping into them or getting loose.
If you get bar end mirrors, spend the money on quality ones.
 
#13 ·
Thank you

I thought I'd seen one or two videos or pictures of people who appear to have a GPS or phone mounted near the instrument panel. I could never see the screen itself to see what's on it, or even if it's turned on.

I've looked into mirror extenders, but I'm so new to motorcycling that I'm still learning about the ins and outs of motorcycling. (Including the thread subscription feature that I didn't use correctly. Sorry about that.)

I'll talk to my dealer about getting the bar end mirrors. Thank you, everyone.
 
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