After installing the Dime City Cycles “Speed” bar (see mod here), the Triumph Bonneville stock mirrors no longer worked as well as they did on the stock handlebar. I was able to rotate and twist them around quite a bit, and it was a big improvement both functionally and aesthetically, but they still took away from that cafe “meanness” look to the front end.
I went to the Interwebs and looked at several options – Napoleon, British Customs, Triumph, etc, but couldn’t decide. Bryan Warren over at Joker Machine made life easy and sent me a pair of their beautifully machined 3 1/4″ bar end mirrors and bar end mirror mounts.
Taking them out of the packaging, you see that they are very solid and very high quality. There are a lot of cheapo mirrors out there that you can immediately tell that they will vibrate the hell out of themselves and give you a headache as you try to focus (think: reading a book in a moving car). Not these. Very, very solid.
The mirror element, itself, provides a very clean and crisp reflection.
Installing onto the Dime City handlebar was a piece of cake. If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I didn’t have any end caps on. Obviously, your mod may vary. For me, it was a simple matter of placing the mirror assembly onto the Joker Machine end mount and sliding into the end of the handlebar.
After tightening the bar end mount into the hollow handlebar using a 6mm allen wrench, there are three points (ie, three bolts) in which you can adjust the mirror. This allows for a lot of adjustability. There is a 2.5mm hex bolt that physically sinks into the “trench” at the outside of the bar end mount to adjust that allows you swing the mirror and arm 360°. I consider this as a backup support to the more robust 4mm hex bolt that clamps the arm onto bar end mount – the two basically work as the same adjustment. There is a 4mm hex bolt that attaches the mirror to the bar end mount arm and allows you to adjust the mirror a full 360° along the y/z-axis. Finally, there is a 4mm hex bolt directly on the mirror that allows you to hinge the mirror back and forth. It’s all a bit complex and I found that adjusting the mirrors required quite a bit of trial and error. Make sure to carry a 2.5mm, 4mm, and 6mm allen wrench with you for several days. You’ll need to fine tune the position of the mirrors several times until you find the sweet spots. Make sure that you get them set before venturing into busy traffic.
Let me tell you… these Joker Machine Bar End Mirrors are extremely well made and very solid. I’m impressed! Traveling at 80+MPH, I see super clear reflections, no affecting vibrations whatsoever. Better yet, they provide a necessary safety feature while allowing you to keep your bike’s cool cafe style. One caveat however, and it’s important. Be prepared to spend quality time fine-tuning their positions. These are not mirrors that you can put on and go. No, you’ll need to do many start/stops and continually fine tune them. (Remember to carry a 2.5mm, 4mm, and 6mm hex.) It’s incredibly important that you can see the crazy drivers behind you (we’re in the city, not on a track, after all) and so, make sure that you spend quality time getting these right. Once you do, you’ll love them! Thanks, Bryan!!!
In closing, I wonder if Joker Machine has thought about designing these with a ball and socket. I think that would make these mirrors much easier to adjust. I’m not an engineer but I know if possible, it would provide an easier method of adjustment for the end user.
Tools Required:
2.5mm Allen
4mm Allen
6mm Allen
Company URL:
Joker Machine
Price:
Mirrors: $110 each
Bar End Adapters: $20 each
+ Shipping
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