BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Having moved from my old r1100RT to a 2010 1200rt I was surprised to find that the hand protection from rain was much worse, or is this just me?

Anyway, I got fed up of having wet hands after rides in the rain so invested recently in these new hand guards :-
http://www.nippynormans.com/r1200rs-lc- ... rt-to-2013
Brilliant hand protection from wind and rain but they make the mirrors unusable :alas: 


I know I can buy adaptors from Nippy Normans to allow me to add mirrors to the handlebars at £60 for the adaptors alone, then add cost of the mirrors as well, but does anyone know of cheaper ways of adding mirrors? Yes, I am a cheapskate ;D ;D




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I just moved from an 04 ST1300 to the 05 RT1200RT and have the same question about additional mirrors.  Do riders use the rounded glue on mirrors to get a wider view?


Thanks, JC

The mirrors from an 1150GS fit.

I'll try to remember back to 2006 when I fitted the GS mirrors to my previous bike - well before the adaptors were available. I think I managed by working the steel mirror threads slowly into the soft aluminium of the lever assembly thereby "cutting" the threads. It was secured at the bottom by standard GS nuts with  hex heads .
I bought the mirrors secondhand from a breakers and they lasted another 10 years.

Had these on my '06 RT and they worked pretty well.  But you can also use GS or K1200 mirrors.  The GS or K1200 mirrors should mount up in the holes in the switch gear.

I had similar problems when I bought my 2005 RT.  Even without obstruction, the stock mirrors make you look down and to the side, losing even peripheral vision of the road ahead, plus they narrow toward the top, yielding an unsatisfactory field of view.  I tried the bar-end after market mirrors (after finding that almost nothing that fit in the available holes would avoid interference from the windshield when lowered).  I found the field of view limited and fuzzed by vibration, and the convexity gave a false sense of distance to the rear.  It also widened the effective width of the bike.  I found a pair of mirrors, cheap, built for the vertical cage supports for ATV's, and placed them over the bar ends (I'll try to attach a photo - tried and failed . . .).  They give a wide field of view, little fuzzing, and permit a better awareness of the road ahead since they are higher.


I also thought it disappointing that the "ultimate tourer" didn't protect you hands.  I cut some black plastic and drilled/screwed it onto the mirror housing as a deflector, so rain and cold didn't "get up my sleeve".  They worked a treat until some strong side winds caught the deflectors and plucked both mirror housings off the bike at speed!  Turns out the housings were just press-on units on little ball receivers.  Still working on a future fix. 

Surprise!! It seems the photo made it in!  Also note the low-tech addition on the left handlebar.  I like to lean back, recliner style, against my load on the rear seat to prevent lower-back pain on long rides.  It also allows a lower windscreen position and, hence, better mileage.  Just find a perforated steel bar and a section of old vacuum cleaner (hoover) hose, stuff whatever's handy into the hand portion of the hose to prevent flexion, and save the $300 on minimally effective risers, etc.  Just did a 1300 mile shake-down cruise without a twinge in my back, and it also varies the pressure points on the derriere.

JC-Fogel

I have just purchased and fitted the circular, stick-on mirrors from Amazon for under £10 the pair.

The reason I bought them was that, looking through the bike's mirrors I found the lower-left view (on the right mirror and the lower right view, on the left mirror) was obscured by the panniers. I have fitted circular ones and swiveled them to give a wider view than the fitted mirrors and, as they are also slightly beveled, they give an even bigger viewing range. Good value and very easy to fit.

For my '09, a 8mm stem is required to fit through the bottom hole.

I bought some Harley mirrors that come with a tapered nut for the top, and a castle nut for the bottom (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BI ... UTF8&psc=1). I ground the top nut a bit on both sides and they mounted well. The result however was not real good as the horizontal length is about enough for them to reach the end of the handlebar, and the view is about the same as the stock mirrors .
Today I found some Emgo model 20-64520 on eBay that have a 7" horizontal reach that I am going to try next, and will keep you posted.