Any recommendations for mirrors? (CBR300)

[andrewrooney]

One of the stock mirrors on my CBR300R is busted. It no longer holds position correctly. Since I'm not exactly in love with the stock mirrors anyway, that means its time to start looking at other options.

I'd like something that provides decent visibility (at least as good as the stock mirrors, if not better), but hopefully doesn't interfere with lane-splitting too much, since I live in Bangkok. If they look nice it's a bonus

As far as I know the CBR 150/250/300/500/650 all use the same mirror mounts. I've read that Ninja mirrors could fit as well.

So I put the question to anybody who owns (or has owned) a CBR or similar: what kind of mirrors do you use?

[cornishcarlos]

I have the 500F and I did read that KTM mirrors fit and are better looking than the stock Honda units plus better vision !

[macknife]

I hated my CBR mirrors too.

This may seem an odd suggestion but the Ninja 300 mirrors. Look stylish, great visiblity, zero vibration at high speeds, can be folded back in heavy traffic and as they are spring loaded you can flip them back out easily enough. I have seen these on a Honda CBR so I know they fit. not sure how much they are though.

Most cheap after market mirrors may look ok but you can't see much and the quality isn't good.

[andrewrooney]

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I have the 500F and I did read that KTM mirrors fit and are better looking than the stock Honda units plus better vision !

Which KTM model? For the 500F I guess you would fit the Duke mirrors, but for the CBR would the RC mirrors fit? They look nice but I'm not sure if the mounts are the same.

I hated my CBR mirrors too.

This may seem an odd suggestion but the Ninja 300 mirrors. Look stylish, great visiblity, zero vibration at high speeds, can be folded back in heavy traffic and as they are spring loaded you can flip them back out easily enough. I have seen these on a Honda CBR so I know they fit. not sure how much they are though.

Most cheap after market mirrors may look ok but you can't see much and the quality isn't good.

The Ninja mirrors seem like they could be a good option, I've heard of people doing that before. They look good, they look a bit meaner than the CBR mirrors.

One thing I worry about with aftermarket mirrors is vibration, I definitely want something that will stay put while I'm riding.

[dave_boo]

I like the mirrors on my 500X; but I do suppose that has a lot to do with the bars! Bad thing is they are really stiff and hard to twist up out of the way like you're asking about.

[macknife]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I have the 500F and I did read that KTM mirrors fit and are better looking than the stock Honda units plus better vision !

Which KTM model? For the 500F I guess you would fit the Duke mirrors, but for the CBR would the RC mirrors fit? They look nice but I'm not sure if the mounts are the same.

I hated my CBR mirrors too.

This may seem an odd suggestion but the Ninja 300 mirrors. Look stylish, great visiblity, zero vibration at high speeds, can be folded back in heavy traffic and as they are spring loaded you can flip them back out easily enough. I have seen these on a Honda CBR so I know they fit. not sure how much they are though.

Most cheap after market mirrors may look ok but you can't see much and the quality isn't good.

The Ninja mirrors seem like they could be a good option, I've heard of people doing that before. They look good, they look a bit meaner than the CBR mirrors.

One thing I worry about with aftermarket mirrors is vibration, I definitely want something that will stay put while I'm riding.

Exactly what I mean. the Ninja mirrors are very good, zero vibration and look cool. In fact the mirrors are one of the best things about the bike.

I have seen plenty of CBRs with cool looking but crappy aftermarket mirrors. I have never seen any Ninja 300 with aftermarket mirrors. it just shows how good they are. I experimented a lot with mirrors on my CBR, once I got a ninja I knew I would never change them. If I broke them, I would get the same again.

I'm considering getting the new Yamaha R3 when it comes here and it looks like Yamaha have copied the function of the Kawasaki mirrors, If they haven't, it's one of the first changes I would make.

[dave_boo]

Exactly what I mean. the Ninja mirrors are very good, zero vibration and look cool. In fact the mirrors are one of the best things about the bike.

I have seen plenty of CBRs with cool looking but crappy aftermarket mirrors. I have never seen any Ninja 300 with aftermarket mirrors. it just shows how good they are. I experimented a lot with mirrors on my CBR, once I got a ninja I knew I would never change them. If I broke them, I would get the same again.

I'm considering getting the new Yamaha R3 when it comes here and it looks like Yamaha have copied the function of the Kawasaki mirrors, If they haven't, it's one of the first changes I would make.

Don't you have the itch to upgrade? Go on up to a CBR650 or something?

[macknife]

Exactly what I mean. the Ninja mirrors are very good, zero vibration and look cool. In fact the mirrors are one of the best things about the bike.

I have seen plenty of CBRs with cool looking but crappy aftermarket mirrors. I have never seen any Ninja 300 with aftermarket mirrors. it just shows how good they are. I experimented a lot with mirrors on my CBR, once I got a ninja I knew I would never change them. If I broke them, I would get the same again.

I'm considering getting the new Yamaha R3 when it comes here and it looks like Yamaha have copied the function of the Kawasaki mirrors, If they haven't, it's one of the first changes I would make.

Don't you have the itch to upgrade? Go on up to a CBR650 or something?

Not really. The cost for tyres, parts etc makes a bit of a jump for me. For what I use it for an R3 would be fine. It would be around 30% more power than what I currently have so that's good enough for me. I have thought about the Honda 500 series but it just doesn't do anything for me, the R3 will likely be faster anyway.

[RubberSideDown]

I switched my mirrors over to these as I liked the CF look (though it's not real CF)- fit-and-finish was great, and they're exactly the same shape as my OEM Ninja mirrors- maybe they have something that would work for your application:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/220525679093?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

[ll2]

Ninja mirrors are good. Looking nice and easily foldable. But be careful lots of fake ones around. Fake ones does not last long.

[andrewrooney]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. So far I'm liking the idea of Ninja mirrors. If anybody has more ideas, keep 'em coming!

I might not respond for a couple days as I'm heading up to Sangklaburi for the weekend but I'll definitely check out all suggestions when I get back!

[dave_boo]

Not really. The cost for tyres, parts etc makes a bit of a jump for me. For what I use it for an R3 would be fine. It would be around 30% more power than what I currently have so that's good enough for me. I have thought about the Honda 500 series but it just doesn't do anything for me, the R3 will likely be faster anyway.

If the floated specs are to be believed, yes the R3 is going to be quite the little beast.

If the specs are more inline with the Ninja 300 (which I find more believable in today's environment vis à vis A2 licensing as at 169 kg/43hp it is 16% over the magical 0.22 hp/kg), ridden balls out it will more than keep up with the 500s. The torque isn't there to be lazy with the shifting like you get with the bigger engine however. Hence my suggestion for the next step up. It is a bit of a shame they didn't include ABS as on the changing roads (that tend more towards crappy versus nice in relation to the quality of the surface) it is a good safety net.

I'd also be concerned about the pricing. Would definitely have to keep it at Ninja 300 levels for it to sell well in Thailand. If I was in the market for a smaller displacement bike I could definitely see paying up to the same as the 500 series (200K), but convincing the locals that a 300cc bike is equivalent to a 500cc bike would be a bit of a tough sale when they are priced the same and the performance delta ranges from nill to ~ +10%. The psychological effect of paying the same prices for 60% the displacement (even though it's 68% if looking at REAL displacement) may be too much.

Of course they could go the Kunka route and make the R3 a luxury product. Say price it at 300,300. Of course I have yet to see a little Duke on the road.....

[macknife]

Not really. The cost for tyres, parts etc makes a bit of a jump for me. For what I use it for an R3 would be fine. It would be around 30% more power than what I currently have so that's good enough for me. I have thought about the Honda 500 series but it just doesn't do anything for me, the R3 will likely be faster anyway.

If the floated specs are to be believed, yes the R3 is going to be quite the little beast.

If the specs are more inline with the Ninja 300 (which I find more believable in today's environment vis à vis A2 licensing as at 169 kg/43hp it is 16% over the magical 0.22 hp/kg), ridden balls out it will more than keep up with the 500s. The torque isn't there to be lazy with the shifting like you get with the bigger engine however. Hence my suggestion for the next step up. It is a bit of a shame they didn't include ABS as on the changing roads (that tend more towards crappy versus nice in relation to the quality of the surface) it is a good safety net.

I'd also be concerned about the pricing. Would definitely have to keep it at Ninja 300 levels for it to sell well in Thailand. If I was in the market for a smaller displacement bike I could definitely see paying up to the same as the 500 series (200K), but convincing the locals that a 300cc bike is equivalent to a 500cc bike would be a bit of a tough sale when they are priced the same and the performance delta ranges from nill to ~ +10%. The psychological effect of paying the same prices for 60% the displacement (even though it's 68% if looking at REAL displacement) may be too much.

Of course they could go the Kunka route and make the R3 a luxury product. Say price it at 300,300. Of course I have yet to see a little Duke on the road.....

I can't find it now but I saw a comparison with the CBR500 and the torque/power/weight ratio showed the the R3 would beat the CBR500. Add to that the better handling, lighter etc I would rather have the R3. IMO it looks far nicer and the specs you speak of are pretty much confirmed now as they are for sale in some parts of the world already, at least for pre order. The R3 does have ABS by the way. Yes in America it doesn't (base model?) but then neither does the Ninja. But the Ninja does in most other parts of the world including Thailand,(R3 will have ABS as standard in Europe) so I imagine the R3 will have ABS in Thailand. I believe knowledgable Thais won't be detered by the apparent smaller engine size, however the concern is the lack of proper Yamaha service centres with properly trained mechanics. Thai sites are suggesting a price of 162,000B but I guess it will similar to the Ninja price.

On topic. yes give the Ninja mirrors a go. Let us know how much they are.

[dave_boo]

I can't find it now but I saw a comparison with the CBR500 and the torque/power/weight ratio showed the the R3 would beat the CBR500. Add to that the better handling, lighter etc I would rather have the R3. IMO it looks far nicer and the specs you speak of are pretty much confirmed now as they are for sale in some parts of the world already, at least for pre order. The R3 does have ABS by the way. Yes in America it doesn't (base model?) but then neither does the Ninja. But the Ninja does in most other parts of the world including Thailand,(R3 will have ABS as standard in Europe) so I imagine the R3 will have ABS in Thailand. I believe knowledgable Thais won't be detered by the apparent smaller engine size, however the concern is the lack of proper Yamaha service centres with properly trained mechanics. Thai sites are suggesting a price of 162,000B but I guess it will similar to the Ninja price.

On topic. yes give the Ninja mirrors a go. Let us know how much they are.

Torque-wise there's no way the R3 is going to beat the 500 series as the specs presented are only 1/2 of the bigger bikes and it sure doesn't weigh 1/2. However, claimed same HP at rear wheel and having the lesser weight it is no doubt that it could stomp a 500 in a stoplight race or 0-100 times. Note that I said claimed.

I can't help but keep bringing that up. This bike won't sell in the EU or Australia without meeting the A2 licensing requirements. If it meets the A2 it will be the bike of choice as it sure looks better than the Honda or Ninja offerings. If it doesn't...what full license holder is going to choose it over a bigger bike? It doesn't matter in the States or Thailand as there's no tiered licenses.

And as it is a clean sheet design, I don't know of any bigger Yamaha engines that it could be 1/2 of, that may be used in just one other bike (those naked versions of the 250/300 bikes seem fairly popular) Yamaha needs the EU market and I just can't see them differentiating the bikes for different markets. Yes, Kawasaki did it for the States when they released the carb'd model (I believe it was released carb'd in Indonesia or Malaysia also) but that was to meet a price point to ensure their dominance of the huge available market there. Yamaha is trying to carve out a piece of the pie currently being lapped up by Honda and Kawasaki. Every yen they spend trying to meet different markets is just that much less they get to recoup from R&D.

I'm always leery of the claimed HP brandied about, especially in relation to the wee bikes. Honda pretty much told the truth about their 250 and 300s which are within 15% of the claimed when measured at the back wheel. Kawasaki was a big fat liar on the 250; they claimed 33 and most were lucky to see 25! Believing the 33 number means there's ~25% drivetrain loss. They got much better with the 300; they claimed 39 hp and dynos show between 32 and 35 which would indicate a driveline loss of 10-18%; about what is expected variance over production. As an aside Yamaha was claiming a 35.5 hp for their R25 and it dynos between 27 and 29 (bigger number on dynos that had the N250 at 26...) or 18 to 24% drivetrain loss. So, at least in the past, they were also not above...inflating... their HP numbers.

Basically, it is possible for Yamaha to have a 42 hp machine at 320cc. That is the same ratio as a mildly tuned 1000 (such as the CB1000R). However, that's still rated. If we go with those numbers and assume they're the BHP, and believable, than with the 15% drivetrain loss you're looking at ~35 RWHP. Divide that up by the 167 kg and you have 0.21 hp/kg...enough to meet the A2 license scheme. It also falls short of the dyno'd RWHP of the 500 series (which shows 43 HP...not a manufacturer's number at the crank) of 0.22 hp/kg. It's a bit better than the Ninja 300's 0.20 hp/kg though. So yes, I think it could have a 42 hp engine that actually dynos at 35. Not much of an upgrade to the the Ninja 300 if my figuring is correct (and I do have a decent track record at that don't I?).

Apologies about the ABS; I was going based on the pictures I have seen.

Is the Y300 going to be produced in LoS? Otherwise how is it going to be so reasonably priced?

[macknife]

I can't find it now but I saw a comparison with the CBR500 and the torque/power/weight ratio showed the the R3 would beat the CBR500. Add to that the better handling, lighter etc I would rather have the R3. IMO it looks far nicer and the specs you speak of are pretty much confirmed now as they are for sale in some parts of the world already, at least for pre order. The R3 does have ABS by the way. Yes in America it doesn't (base model?) but then neither does the Ninja. But the Ninja does in most other parts of the world including Thailand,(R3 will have ABS as standard in Europe) so I imagine the R3 will have ABS in Thailand. I believe knowledgable Thais won't be detered by the apparent smaller engine size, however the concern is the lack of proper Yamaha service centres with properly trained mechanics. Thai sites are suggesting a price of 162,000B but I guess it will similar to the Ninja price.

On topic. yes give the Ninja mirrors a go. Let us know how much they are.

Torque-wise there's no way the R3 is going to beat the 500 series as the specs presented are only 1/2 of the bigger bikes and it sure doesn't weigh 1/2. However, claimed same HP at rear wheel and having the lesser weight it is no doubt that it could stomp a 500 in a stoplight race or 0-100 times. Note that I said claimed.

I can't help but keep bringing that up. This bike won't sell in the EU or Australia without meeting the A2 licensing requirements. If it meets the A2 it will be the bike of choice as it sure looks better than the Honda or Ninja offerings. If it doesn't...what full license holder is going to choose it over a bigger bike? It doesn't matter in the States or Thailand as there's no tiered licenses.

And as it is a clean sheet design, I don't know of any bigger Yamaha engines that it could be 1/2 of, that may be used in just one other bike (those naked versions of the 250/300 bikes seem fairly popular) Yamaha needs the EU market and I just can't see them differentiating the bikes for different markets. Yes, Kawasaki did it for the States when they released the carb'd model (I believe it was released carb'd in Indonesia or Malaysia also) but that was to meet a price point to ensure their dominance of the huge available market there. Yamaha is trying to carve out a piece of the pie currently being lapped up by Honda and Kawasaki. Every yen they spend trying to meet different markets is just that much less they get to recoup from R&D.

I'm always leery of the claimed HP brandied about, especially in relation to the wee bikes. Honda pretty much told the truth about their 250 and 300s which are within 15% of the claimed when measured at the back wheel. Kawasaki was a big fat liar on the 250; they claimed 33 and most were lucky to see 25! Believing the 33 number means there's ~25% drivetrain loss. They got much better with the 300; they claimed 39 hp and dynos show between 32 and 35 which would indicate a driveline loss of 10-18%; about what is expected variance over production. As an aside Yamaha was claiming a 35.5 hp for their R25 and it dynos between 27 and 29 (bigger number on dynos that had the N250 at 26...) or 18 to 24% drivetrain loss. So, at least in the past, they were also not above...inflating... their HP numbers.

Basically, it is possible for Yamaha to have a 42 hp machine at 320cc. That is the same ratio as a mildly tuned 1000 (such as the CB1000R). However, that's still rated. If we go with those numbers and assume they're the BHP, and believable, than with the 15% drivetrain loss you're looking at ~35 RWHP. Divide that up by the 167 kg and you have 0.21 hp/kg...enough to meet the A2 license scheme. It also falls short of the dyno'd RWHP of the 500 series (which shows 43 HP...not a manufacturer's number at the crank) of 0.22 hp/kg. It's a bit better than the Ninja 300's 0.20 hp/kg though. So yes, I think it could have a 42 hp engine that actually dynos at 35. Not much of an upgrade to the the Ninja 300 if my figuring is correct (and I do have a decent track record at that don't I?).

Apologies about the ABS; I was going based on the pictures I have seen.

Is the Y300 going to be produced in LoS? Otherwise how is it going to be so reasonably priced?

I won't question your figures Dave as I know math is your thing. It's neither here nor there for me, it's going to be close either way.

What I do know is that Yamaha know how to make bloody good sports bikes and I'm sure this will be no different. It's what's in my own head that is also important to me.

I'd also like to feel proud of my new little bike. So, you know, when I meet other riders on my travels and they come up to me and say:

'What are you riding?'

'A Honda CBR500'

'Oh..... ok.'

or

'What are you riding?'

'The new Yamaha R3'

'Niiiiice.'

(Probably with Ninja mirrors)

[ll2]

I can't find it now but I saw a comparison with the CBR500 and the torque/power/weight ratio showed the the R3 would beat the CBR500. Add to that the better handling, lighter etc I would rather have the R3. IMO it looks far nicer and the specs you speak of are pretty much confirmed now as they are for sale in some parts of the world already, at least for pre order. The R3 does have ABS by the way. Yes in America it doesn't (base model?) but then neither does the Ninja. But the Ninja does in most other parts of the world including Thailand,(R3 will have ABS as standard in Europe) so I imagine the R3 will have ABS in Thailand. I believe knowledgable Thais won't be detered by the apparent smaller engine size, however the concern is the lack of proper Yamaha service centres with properly trained mechanics. Thai sites are suggesting a price of 162,000B but I guess it will similar to the Ninja price.

On topic. yes give the Ninja mirrors a go. Let us know how much they are.

Torque-wise there's no way the R3 is going to beat the 500 series as the specs presented are only 1/2 of the bigger bikes and it sure doesn't weigh 1/2. However, claimed same HP at rear wheel and having the lesser weight it is no doubt that it could stomp a 500 in a stoplight race or 0-100 times. Note that I said claimed.

I can't help but keep bringing that up. This bike won't sell in the EU or Australia without meeting the A2 licensing requirements. If it meets the A2 it will be the bike of choice as it sure looks better than the Honda or Ninja offerings. If it doesn't...what full license holder is going to choose it over a bigger bike? It doesn't matter in the States or Thailand as there's no tiered licenses.

And as it is a clean sheet design, I don't know of any bigger Yamaha engines that it could be 1/2 of, that may be used in just one other bike (those naked versions of the 250/300 bikes seem fairly popular) Yamaha needs the EU market and I just can't see them differentiating the bikes for different markets. Yes, Kawasaki did it for the States when they released the carb'd model (I believe it was released carb'd in Indonesia or Malaysia also) but that was to meet a price point to ensure their dominance of the huge available market there. Yamaha is trying to carve out a piece of the pie currently being lapped up by Honda and Kawasaki. Every yen they spend trying to meet different markets is just that much less they get to recoup from R&D.

I'm always leery of the claimed HP brandied about, especially in relation to the wee bikes. Honda pretty much told the truth about their 250 and 300s which are within 15% of the claimed when measured at the back wheel. Kawasaki was a big fat liar on the 250; they claimed 33 and most were lucky to see 25! Believing the 33 number means there's ~25% drivetrain loss. They got much better with the 300; they claimed 39 hp and dynos show between 32 and 35 which would indicate a driveline loss of 10-18%; about what is expected variance over production. As an aside Yamaha was claiming a 35.5 hp for their R25 and it dynos between 27 and 29 (bigger number on dynos that had the N250 at 26...) or 18 to 24% drivetrain loss. So, at least in the past, they were also not above...inflating... their HP numbers.

Basically, it is possible for Yamaha to have a 42 hp machine at 320cc. That is the same ratio as a mildly tuned 1000 (such as the CB1000R). However, that's still rated. If we go with those numbers and assume they're the BHP, and believable, than with the 15% drivetrain loss you're looking at ~35 RWHP. Divide that up by the 167 kg and you have 0.21 hp/kg...enough to meet the A2 license scheme. It also falls short of the dyno'd RWHP of the 500 series (which shows 43 HP...not a manufacturer's number at the crank) of 0.22 hp/kg. It's a bit better than the Ninja 300's 0.20 hp/kg though. So yes, I think it could have a 42 hp engine that actually dynos at 35. Not much of an upgrade to the the Ninja 300 if my figuring is correct (and I do have a decent track record at that don't I?).

Apologies about the ABS; I was going based on the pictures I have seen.

Is the Y300 going to be produced in LoS? Otherwise how is it going to be so reasonably priced?

I won't question your figures Dave as I know math is your thing. It's neither here nor there for me, it's going to be close either way.

What I do know is that Yamaha know how to make bloody good sports bikes and I'm sure this will be no different. It's what's in my own head that is also important to me.

I'd also like to feel proud of my new little bike. So, you know, when I meet other riders on my travels and they come up to me and say:

'What are you riding?'

'A Honda CBR500'

'Oh..... ok.'

or

'What are you riding?'

'The new Yamaha R3'

'Niiiiice.'

(Probably with Ninja mirrors)

once i was riding with a group of liter bikes and they were amazed when they heard that it is a cbr500r!

they said it goes amazing for such a small low cc bike for this price.

one even come close and inspect the bike if i am saying true or not:)

cbr 500r sure goes head to head with the new r3 if not faster and flexible a bit more due to its torque and more performance. plus it is better for touring around.

[Rhys]

Another thought, would you consider adding convex mirrors(the little round inserts) inside the mirror? Increased awareness?

[dave_boo]

I won't question your figures Dave as I know math is your thing. It's neither here nor there for me, it's going to be close either way.

What I do know is that Yamaha know how to make bloody good sports bikes and I'm sure this will be no different. It's what's in my own head that is also important to me.

I'd also like to feel proud of my new little bike. So, you know, when I meet other riders on my travels and they come up to me and say:

'What are you riding?'

'A Honda CBR500'

'Oh..... ok.'

or

'What are you riding?'

'The new Yamaha R3'

'Niiiiice.'

(Probably with Ninja mirrors)

Fair enough point about others noticing your bike if that's your thing.

I also giggled about the Ninja mirrors.

[dave_boo]

once i was riding with a group of liter bikes and they were amazed when they heard that it is a cbr500r!

they said it goes amazing for such a small low cc bike for this price.

one even come close and inspect the bike if i am saying true or not:)

cbr 500r sure goes head to head with the new r3 if not faster and flexible a bit more due to its torque and more performance. plus it is better for touring around.

Heavy is good, heavy is reliable. If it doesn't work you can always hit them with it.

-Boris "The Blade"

[seedy]

I'd also like to feel proud of my new little bike. So, you know, when I meet other riders on my travels and they come up to me and say:

'What are you riding?'

'A Honda CBR500'

'Oh..... ok.'

or

'What are you riding?'

'The new Yamaha R3'

'Niiiiice.'

(Probably with Ninja mirrors)

When I meet riders with this mindset, I turn and walk away.

Why would I possibly want to talk to someone who disparages what I ride ? Or how long my hair is ? Or how old I am - or not ?

I need no ones validation -

'To Thine Own Self Be True'

- thanks Polonius !

[papa al]

Ninja mirrors fit right onto my ninja green CBR and work well.

[dave_boo]

Ninja mirrors fit right onto my ninja green CBR and work well.

green CBR L.png

That bike is as confused as a ladyboy with a 25cm package and "D" sized cups......

[macknife]

Ninja mirrors fit right onto my ninja green CBR and work well.

green CBR L.png

You could have just bought a whole Ninja.

[papa al]

Ninja mirrors fit right onto my ninja green CBR and work well.

green CBR L.png

You could have just bought a whole Ninja.

True.

It would cost 4x more and would not be unique,

but I could definitely have purchased a 'whole Ninja.'