Bar End Mirrors

[Road Scholar]

If your bar end mirrors don't hold their adjustment or are jerky when you try to move them read on.

My mirrors didn't seem to want to tighten up and when they did the positioning made them more of a liability than and aid to safe riding. Just about the time when they were almost spot-on they would slip and show me an unflattering part of my ugly hide.

I removed the mirrors and put a dab of valve lapping compound in the socket part of the mirror; slowly tightening the fixing collar while moving the mirror in a circular motion. The right side took two tries to get it perfect, the left bedded down with one dab. The seating takes maybe 5 minutes, YMMV.

My mirrors now work very well, probably as intended.

RS

[Titbird]

Good tip, I'm also annoyed by the mirrors.

I just can't work out what 'valve lapping compound' is? Do you have a product link or name?

[georound]

It's a paste with a coarse powder (sand-like, but finer). Auto parts stores will have it.
He's using it to roughen up the surfaces of the two parts, which sounds like a good idea.
Lapping valves is when you spin the valve against the valve seat to match the surfaces so that they seal nicely.
link

[freezer16801]

I always meant to post a thread about my mirrors. The left vibrates so much that I can't tell if I am looking at a UFO or a cop. The right is tolerable and much more stable. I will try some of the valve goo. Thanks for the tip.

[Jeff4510]

I'vs had to tighten the phillips screws on the inside end of the mirrors a few times now after they've vibrated loose. All the hand guard screws have come loose too and a few were missing. Loctite loctite..