Mike Shell

One of the biggest problems I've had with my Sport Touring Motorcycles is seeing behind me while riding. Being able to see Bubba in his '89 Chevy tailgating you -- instead of seeing your shoulders -- is important.

Before I proceed...

Point One: I'm a big guy.
Point Two: I currently ride a Triumph Sprint ST.
Point Three: Big guys on Sprints (Sport Bikes and Sport Touring Motorcycles) have limited rear vision with the stock mirrors.

I was constantly shifting my riding lane so I could get a view of the traffic behind me. This in itself can be dangerous.

I'm sure people thought I had some kind of itch or physical ailment as I weaved around in my driving lane. I looked like a NASCAR driver scrubbing debris from my tires as I readied for the green flag.

The problem is simple, my body is too wide and my bike stock mirrors don't extend wide enough so I can see clearly behind me. I had to do something to resolve this problem.

After researching, I found motorcycle mirror extenders. Mirror extenders allow you to "extend" the length of your mirrors out from the motorcycle an additional one inch or so.

This one inch makes a huge difference. The extenders allow me to see almost directly behind me without doing any contortionist moves while riding. They are generally very easy to install and only cost about $70.

Aesthetically, they look great. You probably wouldn't even notice them unless I told you I had added them.

There are several places you can find mirror extenders. I found the best deal for my Triumph at Sky King Products.

Sky King is a small company and they are very responsive. Sky King has accessories for most of the popular sport bikes.

So do yourself favor. If you see more of 'you' and less of 'the guy behind you' in your mirrors, install a set of mirror extenders on your motorcycle.

Consider it the safe thing to do... like adding eyes to the back of your helmet.

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