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Side mirror tethers

4K views 24 replies 19 participants last post by  AlaskaFish 
#1 ·
Do anyone know where to bye or how to make such safety wires
 
#6 ·
Friendly advice from a newbie

I've had my '05 LT for just about 2 weeks. I've done lots of reading on this website about all manner of things. I even went out and bought the mirror tethers, but I was lazy and hadn't put them on. Today I hit a pothole that was in the shade of an overpass...I just didn't see it and hit it HARD. When I checked my mirrors, one was very loose and flapping in the wind...the other was gone. I rode back through the area twice and saw no sign of it at all. So I stopped by the closest BMW dealership and ordered a new one. It was an expensive lesson, so you can all learn from my laziness. Put on a tether, either wire or plastic tie. Just do it now, so you won't have to go to the expense of buying a replacement.

On a slightly different note, since plastic ties are so inexpensive, why in the world didn't BMW put them on when they deliver the bike. If it is important to have mirrors that can break away, why not add this 10 cent item and save new owners the trouble?! I guess I've answered my own question...BMW wants to sell lots of mirrors.

Good luck to you all, and get those mirrors tethered.
 
#7 ·
Dangle is better then DOINK!

This is what makes this website great. I bought stainless steel tethers from Bob’s BMW the day I bought my LT. I believe the stainless wire is stronger and will last the life of the bike. It was not that big of an expense that I felt I should risk using something like fishing line or cable ties. I cannot count the times that I, a member of my family, or a stranger in a parking lot has bumped the mirrors and they just DANGLE. On numerous occasions I have hit concrete seams, cracks in city streets, or potholes have popped them off while touring the back roads and city streets.



I found out that the little ball joints that hold the mirrors on were not adjusted out far enough. One of the three ball never fully engaged the two metal clips. The do not come off as much now that they snap on nice and tight. I have a lot less concern about losing or paying for new mirrors. My concern now is dinging up the paint when they do come off and bang against the Tupperware. The few times the have come off since there was no damage but riding down the highway with the mirror blowing in the wind and banging against the body.
 
#8 ·
pgoltz112 said:
If it is important to have mirrors that can break away.
I don't think the mirrors are designed to break away - in a virtuous way, that is - It's just the way BMW designed their attachment. This gives them a nice hidden attachment and easy removal for removing the tupperware. Tethers are the owners answer to their one design flaw - they can fall off if you hit a severe bump or someone bumps into them when parked. I and many others, forego the tethers and simply drill a hole through the mirrors outer vent and put in a black phillips head screw.

Bruce Hodges
 
#9 ·
Be careful . . .

while putting on the tethers. I am also a relatively new owner (Oct. 05). I ordered them from Bob's BMW. One of my mirrors had a hairline crack near the 3rd bolt that fits in between the (II) don't know what you call it, anyway I broke the mirror while trying to pop it back in with the tether on.

Just further proof that God has a sense of humor I guess !!


Matt :)

02' LT ~24K miles
 
#10 ·
Mirror tethers

Gidday Matey,
This is my second K1200LT and both have had trouble with side mirrors being knocked off very easy. You can have the springs adjusted which assists in less chances of them being knocked off, but the easy fix is to buy some quite heavy fishing line and make your own lanyards, say eighteen inches long. This enables them to fall but not to the ground but far enough to miss damaging your side panels.
On the new bike I actually knocked the same one off three times, without damaging anything. But I've fitted the lanyards now and have tightened the springs and haven't knocked one off since.
Bruce :)
 
#11 ·
You can make them easily. I use steel cable, but connect the mirror end with a nylon tie just in case it has to be removed by service guys they won't cut your steel cable. Works great!
 
#12 ·
Just not white cable ties...

rapz said:
You can make them easily. I use steel cable, but connect the mirror end with a nylon tie just in case it has to be removed by service guys they won't cut your steel cable. Works great!
BLACK cable ties...right?

I only stress this because I don't want someone thinking they are safe, only to have a mirror fall and that white tie wrap snap like a little twig.

I apologize if I'm starting to sound like an idiot . . . but it's my job mun! :)
 
#13 ·
pgoltz112 said:
I've had my '05 LT for just about 2 weeks. I've done lots of reading on this website about all manner of things. I even went out and bought the mirror tethers, but I was lazy and hadn't put them on. Today I hit a pothole that was in the shade of an overpass...I just didn't see it and hit it HARD. When I checked my mirrors, one was very loose and flapping in the wind...the other was gone. I rode back through the area twice and saw no sign of it at all. So I stopped by the closest BMW dealership and ordered a new one. It was an expensive lesson, so you can all learn from my laziness. Put on a tether, either wire or plastic tie. Just do it now, so you won't have to go to the expense of buying a replacement.

On a slightly different note, since plastic ties are so inexpensive, why in the world didn't BMW put them on when they deliver the bike. If it is important to have mirrors that can break away, why not add this 10 cent item and save new owners the trouble?! I guess I've answered my own question...BMW wants to sell lots of mirrors.

Good luck to you all, and get those mirrors tethered.
curious. what dis U pay for replacement mirror?
 
#14 ·
Not that this thread needs a 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th...) endorsement of tethering your mirrors, but go tether them this second if you haven't done it!! I've got 40,000+ miles on my 02 (ok, ok, I *know* I'm not riding it much), and was out riding a week or two ago and hit a pothole. Boom. One fell off and one became very loose. Thank goodness I had those tethers. Heavy zip ties.
 
#15 ·
Side Mirror Tethers

This is one fix that is easily accomplished and inexpensive. I used lengths of 1/16" staniless braided cable purchased from Lowes's building supply along with a ferrule and stop set. Total cost was approx. $2.00 per side.

It more than strong enough to get the job done. Simplistic in design as well.
 
#16 ·
For you guys that have hit the pothole and knocked your mirrors off be sure to check your front wheel. My last encounter with the pothole knocked off mirrors, which are tethered, but rearranged my front wheel. I only noticed it when I installed new tires. while on the spin balancer you could see the warp!!

The funny thing was I could still ride with no notice of wobble or shake, but on the balancer you could see the warp and the flat spot.
 
#18 ·
While procrastinating about installing mirror leashes, I had a soft mirror-to-mirror contact with a car in my driveway while backing the bike into its parking spot. This knocked off one of the LT mirrors and, low and behold, the PO had installed leashes.

But they were not steel or cable ties, but... dare I say, bootlaces? Seems like what they are, and they were just tied to make the necessary loops. Easy, cheap, seemingly effective, available EVERYWHERE, and can be replaced easily every couple of years if you feel that they are degrading/losing strength over time.

Nothing to order, just go down to Longs or Walgreens or Walmart and leash your mirrors TODAY.

Tom
 
#19 ·
Lanyards for Sale

Not from me but from Reid Tool: www.reidtool.com

In the search engine type: Lanyard

I ordered and have used:
Style B - FPC-12N - nylon coated Stainless Steel - $1.63@
Style D - FPC-220 - nylon coated Galvanized Steel - $.198@

They offer 4 styles but I prefer Style B and D

See attached PDF & Catalog Cut jpeg . . .

The only downside is they will send you free tool catalogs for sometime . . .

Good Luck

Oh yea, I would try to not use any plastic ties at all as most plastics leach their plasticisers out over time and they will become embrittled - I have personal experience in this area especially in regards to LT mirrors!!
 

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#20 ·
Just did it

Based on all of the "do it now" comments on this thread I bought some plastic (yes, Joe, the black ones...) tie wraps. Just came back in from doing the mirrors. How easy was that?

Took me 5 minutes to figure out how to do the first one and 60 seconds to do the second one. On the second one I found a better place to tie to -- probably what you all use. The second mirror was also loose! -- found one of the three ball/post things was not engaged. I'm unable to engage it -- it keeps popping out of the joint. How do I fix that?

Would someone please post a close-up pic of where your ties go to, regardless of what you used (plastic tie wraps, shoelaces, fishing line, stainless steel, anchor chain, belly button lint, etc.)?

I also like the permanent idea somebody had: drill a hole in the mirror housing and screw it to the bike. Only problem I foresee with that is when you take it in for service and the tech tries to pop the mirror off.

I'll get some SS braided thingies and do it more permanent-like soon, but this will hold for awhile.
 
#22 ·
hschisler said:
Based on all of the "do it now" comments on this thread I bought some plastic (yes, Joe, the black ones...) tie wraps. Just came back in from doing the mirrors. How easy was that?

Took me 5 minutes to figure out how to do the first one and 60 seconds to do the second one. On the second one I found a better place to tie to -- probably what you all use. The second mirror was also loose! -- found one of the three ball/post things was not engaged. I'm unable to engage it -- it keeps popping out of the joint. How do I fix that?

Would someone please post a close-up pic of where your ties go to, regardless of what you used (plastic tie wraps, shoelaces, fishing line, stainless steel, anchor chain, belly button lint, etc.)?

I also like the permanent idea somebody had: drill a hole in the mirror housing and screw it to the bike. Only problem I foresee with that is when you take it in for service and the tech tries to pop the mirror off.

I'll get some SS braided thingies and do it more permanent-like soon, but this will hold for awhile.
On the mirror popping off the post Howard, check to see if you have a gap (appx 1/8") all around the mirror when it is mounted. If it is tighter than that, or flush with the fairing, you need to put some washers on the respective post. The Bikes come with washers taped to the inside of them when new, so you can use them to shim the mirror. If not there, just go to the hardware and find the right size (ID & OD) to fit over the post!

As far as where to attach the lanyards, I just make sure they are not blocking the mirror when I remount it. I have actually used the ball post in the past to hold them on, but have recently gone to one of the Torx screws located under the mirrors.

John
 
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#24 ·
AlaskaFish said:
On the mirror popping off the post Howard, check to see if you have a gap (appx 1/8") all around the mirror when it is mounted. If it is tighter than that, or flush with the fairing, you need to put some washers on the respective post. The Bikes come with washers taped to the inside of them when new, so you can use them to shim the mirror. If not there, just go to the hardware and find the right size (ID & OD) to fit over the post!

As far as where to attach the lanyards, I just make sure they are not blocking the mirror when I remount it. I have actually used the ball post in the past to hold them on, but have recently gone to one of the Torx screws located under the mirrors.

John
Thanks, John. There is about a 1/8" gap all around; that's just eyeballing it, and from memory. 2 of the posts fit fine and stay put, it's the 3rd one that won't cooperate. I do have the washers still taped inside my mirrors; was wondering what those were for! I'll try them out.

Thanks.
 
#25 ·
Howard, take a real good look at the spring clip on the mirror that keeps popping off. I'll bet you may find the area around that clip is cracked. This is quite common and can be easily repaired with some epoxy (like JB Weld!) and monofilament fish line, or safety wire. There are posts about how to in the HOW. I know for sure that our knowledgeable David Shealey has posted on this fix several times in the past.

Here is a link to the HOW that discusses them in brief:
http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/faq.php?s=&do=search&q=mirror&match=all&titlesonly=0

I am sure if you search the site here for mirrors you can find the actual post/thread that talks more in depth about the repair.

Good Luck!

John
 
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