DoubleTake Mirrors Version 2.0 Review

We might not pay much attention to them sometimes, but rearview mirrors are one of the most important safety components on our bikes. As adventure riders, we place special demands on them. We tend to ride bumpy, uneven surfaces with thumpy motors that vibrate more than street bikes. Stock mirrors often don’t adjust easily, or fold down for trail riding, or articulate enough for that “just-right” viewing angle around our elbows. And stock mirrors also tend to break too easily when the bike is dropped. Ned Suess’s in-house-designed DoubleTake mirrors solved many of these problems by using the widely popular RAM ball mounting system. And for many years it seemed to work all right… or did it?

The DoubleTake team set out to tackle a few issues inherent to the original RAM mount design, which largely stemmed from the ball’s squishy rubber that tended to degrade over time. Ned’s Version 2.0 now utilizes a larger 1.125-inch ball at the base (the mirror end is still the same) that has an aluminum core with a crush-resistant nitrile coating. This modification makes the entire mounting system more rigid and should last much longer under rigorous use than the old solid rubber RAM ball system that would crush, crack and flex over time.

Another notable improvement is the new custom-cast arms. They resemble a melon baller, and the “scoops” grab more ball surface than the RAM-style arms could. The new arms are also thinner and lighter; they provide a more positive grip while also being slightly longer (by 3.5 or 6 inches, depending on the model). Further, the oversized tension knobs make adjusting the mirrors on the fly really easy, even with gloves on.

Other than the shell molding around the mirror shapes, there doesn’t appear to be other changes of note. The same three Adventure (polygonal), Dual Sport (round) and Enduro (round with extension) mirror types are still options as they seem to fit almost every need or preference.

DoubleTake Version 2.0 installation is simple, too. Just remove the stock mirrors down to the base, install one of the three included bolts through the new base ball with an 8mm allen wrench, slap on the arm and mirror being sure to match the larger scoop in the arm to the base-ball, and you’re good to go.

It’s not easy to innovate simple designs, but DoubleTake has done a good job making important improvements to an already very capable product. Given the versatility and quality of Ned’s home-grown kits, we would recommend DoubleTake’s Version 2.0 mirror kits for pretty much any motorcycle as an upgraded mirror system.

DoubleTakeMirror.com | Also available on Amazon.com

MSRP: $127 (Enduro and Dual-Sport) to $145 (Adventure) per set

PROS:

• Stronger clamping and longer life
• Easier adjustment
• Small privately owned U.S. company
• Lifetime warranty

CONS:

• No spring-loaded arms
• Pricey for mirrors (but arguably very worth it)