The original bar-end mirror
Written: Oct 15 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Reasonably priced, good finish, and very decent viewing area, great adjustability
Cons: Sometimes manufacturing is sub-par, and there are better mirrors out there, for much more money.
The Bottom Line: The mirror of choice for vintage bikes. Don't settle for imitations!
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| Baldwyn's Full Review: Napoleon Napoleon AP Bar End |
Napoleon mirrors have been a mainstay of custom bike modifications for decades. They are still the top choice of mirrors for vintage bikes, and with good reason.
Why Bar-end mirrors?
Bar-end mirrors, if used properly, can eliminate blind spots, and allow you to quickly check traffic around you, without distracting you from what's in front of you. It may take some getting used to, however. I had a friend try my bike, who complained that he had to turn his head to see my mirrors. I was on his bike, and I had to turn my head to check my blind spots. I personally like the cleaner look of less clutter above my bars, as well.
Fitting the mirrors
Napoleon bar-end mirrors are designed to fit into 7/8" (most motorcycles) handle bars, although are sold frequently with a bit of plastic tubing, allowing them to be used in 1" (Harley) handle bars. The fitment is accomplished by compressing a rubber insert by tightening a nut on a bolt, with an allen wrench that is included with each mirror. The bolt is accessible on the outside, while the nut turns by friction with the rubber insert. As the nut is tightened, the rubber insert compresses...and expands, filling the inside of the bars. This happens to be a very good method of mounting mirrors, since the rubber dampens vibration that makes it through the handlebars (this is what they refer to as their "special vibrationless rubber mounting system").
This method doesn't work so well with bikes that have threaded inserts in the bars, or shallow areas in clip-ons. I've had this problem with stock handlebars on my Triumph Bonneville (threaded inserts), or Tomaselli clip-ons for my Thruxton (shallow insert area). There are ways to make the mirror fit, such as removing the rubber insert, cutting the interior metal shaft, and tapping a wider thread into the insert, but I'll let you decide if you're so inclined to undertake such an effort. If you have grips that cover the end of your bars, you will need to cut them, to mount any bar-end mirror. If you have 7/8 bars, or 1" bars with some room (the rubber insert needs about 1.5" to 2" of room into the bars), these should fit fine.
Triumph now sells its own set of Napoleon mirrors made to be compatible with the threaded inserts.
Shape of the Mirror
The mirror is trapezoidal, as shown in the picture. It's a bit more stylish than rectangular mirrors, although perhaps not as "custom" as fancy shapes. Probably fits very nicely with vintage European bike, but not the top choice of Harley customizers. It does have a wide viewing area. It is similar to stock mirror sizes.
Adjustability
The mirror body is mounted on an arm, as shown. The connection to the arm is a ball joint, allowing some angular adjustability (in and out), as well as allows the mirror to be rotated (spun around the joint, while maintaining the same viewing plane). The mirror can be positioned either as a left or right mirror, or mounted to be viewed above or below the bar. You can even mount it so the mirror is positioned outwards, away from the mount, or inwards, above the grips. The arm itself can be rotated outwards, with click positions (referred to as their "double ratchet stop adjustability"). This can be tightened to make the mirror more stable, but the design is primarily to allow one to push the mirror in while riding, to make the bike's profile narrowing for lane splitting.
Viewing
The mirror is properly convex, allowing a wider view behind the rider. The adjustability, the shape of the mirror, and the convex glass gives a very nice area of view. I can see the adjacent lanes clearly, right up to my side blinkers, without much trouble.
My bars vibrate a lot, but this mirror usually does a good job of cutting down the vibration. At around 6000-7000 rpm, it does tend to blur.
Quality of Finish
I've only tried the black mirrors, and the finish holds up very well. Little corrosion, and quite scratch proof. I have used about 5 or 6 different Napoleon bar end mirrors, and have had one that has the click positioning of the arm not work correctly. Some of the mirrors fit better than others, so it appears to have some manufacturing variability.
Comparison with other mirrors
For awhile, Napoleon mirrors were very expensive; $68 each, if I remember right. These days, they seem much more accessible, and the price is closer to $35. Still, being the stingy guy, I started off with Emgo mirrors, which looked very similar. These had a less durable finish, and flat glass. The flat glass resulted in a very small view of what was behind me, as well as amplified vibration. I replaced them as soon as possible with $16 Ken Sean mirrors, which again were the same style and design. These were much better, with convex glass. But the bolts corroded over time, and when I found Napoleon mirrors for $35, I grabbed 'em. They turned out to be superior in vibration dampening, fit, longevity, and viewing. Turns out, you get what you pay for.
Since then, I got a pair of CRG hindsight mirrors for a different bike. The CRG's are smaller, and round, but extremely good for viewing angle, and vibration deadening (ie. better than the Napoleons). At $90 each, they are much more expensive, and not quite in style with a retro-looking bike, but very much at home on sport bikes, or even cafe racers.
Summary
Napoleon mirrors are the real deal! The mirror of choice in the 70's, they still have their place now. Currently, very well priced at $35, I've used cheaper mirrors with unsatisfactory results. I have also used more expensive mirrors that I like better, but also understand that the Napoleons have a style that suit retro/vintage bikes. I would use CRG's on my sport bikes, and Napoleons on my vintage/retro bike.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Baldwyn
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Member: Baldwyn Chieh
Location: Castro Valley, CA
Reviews written: 33
Trusted by: 3 members
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