I’m actually pretty cool with the V-Strom Adventure’s seat, windscreen and mirrors.
They all fit my 5’10” (178 cm) height for the upper half, although my 31″ inseam means a bit of a tip-toe on the lower unit.
But, ever the one to experiment, I had to try the SW-Motech mirror wideners.
I have to say, if it wasn’t for SW-Motech, I don’t know where I’d turn to for V-Strom farkles.
We’ve reviewed a lot of their stuff and it’s all good, nicely made and comes with high-end hardware and good instructions that even have torque values.
They make several different types of mirror widener kits.
This one costs $79.99 and it fits the new 2014 V-Strom 1000 ABS and other bikes that use an M10 right-hand-thread mirror stem.
The kit includes the two extenders (Spiegelverbreiterung in German), which appear to be CNC-machined from aluminum billet and are powder-coated black.
Two M10 by 1.25×30 mm DIN 912 black anodized hex bolts are included, along with two black spacers to raise the extenders and a pair of Kunststoffkappe, or plastic caps to stuff in the hex bolts and finish off the job.
This is an easy-peasy project and the only thing you need to check is whether the swtichgear or brake/clutch fluid reservoir on your particular bike will interfere. Hopefully, you can tell from our photos.
Let’s take a look with this photographic tour:
On the big V-Strom, a vinyl cover slides over the threaded mirror parts. Slide it up out of the way to expose the guts. Use an open-end wrench to remove the mirror. Bolt the extender with the spacer underneath (hard to see here). Leave it slightly loose to aim the mirrors later. Insert the threaded mirror base into the outer threaded part of the mirror widener. Repeat for the other side, then sit on the bike and get the mirrors located correctly. Don’t forget you have some play in the mirror ball socket, so no need to get the alignment perfect. The only trick is tightening the mirror base while not moving the SW-Motech extender. You’ll have to hold the extender bolt with an Allen wrench while you tighten the mirror with the other hand…or get a helper. Here’s a photo comparing the stock Suzuki mirrors on the left with the widener on the right. The kit moves the mirror base up about 30 mm and to the outside by 40 mm, but results will vary depending on your bike, where the mirror base is installed and how much of an angle you give the wideners.On the Road and Conclusion
The SW-Motech mirror wideners give me about 95% of the full mirror usage, with just a tiny sliver on the inside of each mirror where I can see my shoulders.
This is a gain from my estimate of about 75% visible area with the stock mirror arrangement.
But since I didn’t have all that much of a problem with the stock mirror setup on the V-Strom to begin with, due to its wide handlebar, it’s not a dramatic change, but welcome nevertheless.
It takes a little while to get used to the new mirror location — not so much to glance at the mirrors but because they seem so…wide all of a sudden. It does change the look of the bike slightly, but on the big V-Strom, that isn’t much of a problem.
I would imagine there would be a much more and better difference noted on bikes with a narrower handlebar bike, like a Ducati Monster or similar.
For many riders, the 40 mm extension and the rise for the mirrors that the SW-Motech wideners provide will be a real benefit and a safety factor.
This is an easy project that can make a real difference and the typically superb SW-Motech level of quality (and relatively reasonable price for these) makes this the mirror widening or extension kit to have.
More wBW: Suzuki V-Strom 1000 ABS Blog | wBW Motorcycle Reviews
Owner Comments and Feedback
See details on submitting comments.
From “J.L.” (December 2014): “I installed SW-Motech mirror wideners on my then-new 2009 Honda CBF1000 in 2010. Fantastic improvement to visibility and therefore safety. They look fine, top-notch quality, and are well worth the money. Hopefully they will fit my next bike, when the time comes.
Related comments on mirror positioning: Many / most car (and moto riders) don’t understand proper mirror position. It isn’t taught in driver or rider training. This has been written about by professionals many times, but few seem to do it. One doesn’t need to see the sides of the car in the mirrors — the two side mirrors should be angled out until the 3 mirrors complement rather than duplicate, affording the greatest possible area of visibility (Motoring TV 2014: Episode 21: Kenzie’s Korner – Blind Spot Monitoring).
On a bike, (in countries where one rides on the right), angle the right mirror to show most of the road behind the bike clearly (this means a little shoulder, for me) yet with visibility to the right. The left mirror should angled out wide (no shoulder) to cover the left-shoulder blind spot. I always know what is to my right, since I merge back right immediately after passing. It is the left blind spot where most surprises can occur, and properly adjusted mirrors help a lot. One quickly gets used to the different mirror views, and safety is significantly improved.”
From “B.J.” (December 2014): “They seem pretty pricey at $80/pair. I bought a pair of Aprilia mirrors from a local dealer for $40. The stalks are wider and not as high, so I can see behind me without my shoulders obstructing my rearward vision. Plus they look very sleek on my 2012 DL650.”
From “H.S.” (December 2014): “Re. the SW Motech mirror wideners: They are very expensive and I have used far cheaper ones with no issues what so ever. I do not see why they need to cost that much.
However, as a product I consider them essential. I am big wide bloke and they mean I can see past me. I do not use them to push the mirrors out as that risks mirror collisions when filtering (legal in the UK). I use them to move the mirrors forward and that has the same effect of widening the field of vision but without making the bike wider.”
From “D.W.” (December 2014): “I bought the mirror wideners for my S1000RR and they work great. While I enjoy the view of my shoulders as much as the next rider, I really prefer to see the traffic. I investigated new mirrors with longer stems, but I liked the stock look.
Obviously installation was a breeze. The pieces look machined and very professionally made. I wish the cost was lower, but they work great. Moving back to Connecticut in a couple of weeks. I miss the roads. Hundreds of miles of flat and straight roads sucks in Chicago.”
From “G.K.” (December 2014): “Hi Rick, just read the article. Well done as usual! Question: why do mbike manufacturers put mirrors where they do in the first place?
Is there a law/regulation? Is it for aesthetics? Is it for function (wind tunnel testing)? Is it political? Is it for safety?
My ’99 Concours has pretty good mirrors that cannot be altered (that I know of) as they are kinda integrated into the fairing. Most of my dirt-bikes used to have pretty good mirror locations. Do you have insider-knowledge on this burning question? Maybe you know somebody who does.”
Rick’s Reply: It’s a good question for sure. I’d guess it’s mostly caused by aesthetic reasons. If the mirrors are too wide, the designers probably think the bike will look “dorky”