Doubletake Adventure Mirror

What it is

• A highly adjustable replacement mirror for your motorcycle.

Doubletake has a new mirror designed and styled for the Adventure bike segment. The company claims the mirror is Indestructible, adjustable and ultra-stable at the highest speeds on the roughest roads. The Adventure Mirror uses the versatile RAM mounting products for attachment to the motorcycle. This offers infinite adjustability for positioning and ease of folding down and putting out of the way.  Plus the mirror will move upon impact to minimize damage.  The mirror is compact using SAE-spec mirror glass and is made in the USA.

How it works

I’ve been using and have been a big fan of the original Doubletake Mirror on my dual-purpose bikes since they first came out about five years ago. I got it for the ease of which it folds out of the way but was very surprised with the clarity of rear view vision. So much so that I started to use the mirror instead of looking backwards while on my dual purpose rides. Then when I got to the kind of riding where I would not need to look back, the mirror took all of five seconds to fold out of the way. Not kidding here, I even use one of the originals (just the mirror portion) to make sure my finely tuned self haircut is not missing any spots. The original kinda has that handheld makeup mirror look.

The new Adventure Mirror is a much more styled version of the original without the arm extension built in. It has the same high-strength housing and quality mirror glass of the old one in a new shape that matches the more styled adventure touring bikes these days. The RAM mounting system easily screws into the existing stock mirror hole and then clamps on with different RAM clamps that are available depending on your application. This makes the mirror assembly adjustable for length and height and most importantly getting the proper view out back.

Buying the right mirror and setup is pretty easy through the “build your mirror” function on Doubletake's web site. It suggest the normal setup and then you can see how to adjust the build for clearance issues or specific needs. Once you get it the installation takes all of 10-minutes, both sides.

In use the mirror keeps the same clarity that we have come to expect, especially on rough roads where lesser mirrors and even some of the stock ones shake and vibrate making it impossible to see behind. The vibration absorption of the RAM mounts and the light weight of the mirror keep it as steady as can be expected. A shaky single-cylinder bike can vibrate it but the Doubletake will provide better vision than any other alternative I've tried. Adjustability is almost infinite and moving the mirror down and out of the way when it is not needed is a simple 10-second task. A few riders commented on the style but anyone who used it was much more impressed with the clarity of the vision. We feel one of the main reasons is because you can adjust the mirror position to exactly where you want it compared to the limited movement stock mirrors on any bike.

Over all the years I have only seen one mirror glass crack and that was from an impact through the headlight shell while the mirror was collapsed and pressing against the triple clamp. Never from a regular crash or tip over. I suspect the quality of the Adventure Mirror to be just the same. The mounts have all remained tight and if there is any complaint it would be that if left in one position clamped tightly on the RAM lower ball, the ball can indent and make slight adjustments a little difficult or less stable. The mount will “lock in” to the indented position. Or this can be viewed as a good thing and it is like a memory for your position. Additionally the Adventure Mirror may not, on some bikes, tuck out of the way as neatly as the original but then again we don't fold it out of the way nearly as much.

At about $60 per side the mirror is the same price as some stock replacement parts, and a lot less than others. It looks great, is durable and folds out of the way simply when not needed. Most dual-purpose mirrors are a joke to get by the letter of the law. These are a great product that does everything it needs to (especially giving reward vision) aside from being as useful as the standard version for personal grooming needs.