Any Evening/Night Commuters?

As we all see the days are getting shorter again...
Those of us that can and choose to ride/commute into the winter months I have a question.

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Since we don't have a night mirror position such as a vehicle's rear view mirror...
What is your solution for headlights coming from the rear?

For really bright/mis-aligned headlights I'll kick my mirrors out until they're gone.

What is your solution?

I ride a lot of night commutes, but its really late around midnight, so less traffic. Bright lighters behind me are not too bothersome to me, but I will get away from the brighter ones, if need be. Adjusting mirrors is probably not so keen an idea for myself. The GSA mirrors are stiff and not adjusted easily. I suppose you could get some window tint, a lighter grey tint and that would probably work too. Its easy to buy at auto parts stores. Randy:thumb:usa

Cut the legs off a pair of panty hose. Tie a knot on one end and stretch it over each mirror. The fabric tones down the sharpness/brightness of those lights coming from behind. During daylight hours, just pull them off and shove them in your pocket or tank bag.:thumb

Solution? Put yerself a 80/130 watt bulb in yer headlight, wait until they get around ya, and... well, probably not the best solution unless ya wanna go to war... Other than that, it's the nature of the beast

[QUOTE=GrafikFeat;627360]a night mirror position such as a vehicle's rear view mirror...[/QUOTE]

I have never once used this feature.

+1 on Polarbear's comments. Driving a car without the rear view mirror in the "night mode" drives me nuts, but I really don't notice it when riding at night, which I am forced to do a lot due to my work schedule. Most of my riding is around midnight, so traffic is usually light or non-existent. I also think that all of my focus goes into riding and scanning for four legged hazards at night that I don't really notice the headlight glare.

As a solution to your question, and without knowing what kind of bike you're riding, maybe you could tip the mirrors up a bit so that the bottom of the mirror is just above the level of most vehicles' headlights, which would allow you to still see behind you but cut down the amount of glare. :dunno

This is not much of an issue currently. In the past I had the luxury of managing my commute time and route. How I positioned myself on the bike would overcome a short term situation. Lane position and or choice was one other way of dealing with it.

[QUOTE=Kaltzg;627391]Cut the legs off a pair of panty hose. Tie a knot on one end and stretch it over each mirror. The fabric tones down the sharpness/brightness of those lights coming from behind. During daylight hours, just pull them off and shove them in your pocket or tank bag.:thumb[/QUOTE]

Would that B the spare pair of panty hose that every guy has laying around ?:scratch

My mirrors are 4" round convex. In normal traffic the headlight is manageable. Yes, switch lanes, pull away, etc.
My problem is local stuff. Half my commute is one lane each way.
It seems to me headlights have gotten brighter over the years. That and some are using ORV lamps. I also see these SUV users w/ those 'fog light/running lamps on all the time. Four headlights on is also annoying. Let alone illegal.

I think what I'll do is carry 4" dark tint plex w/ velcro straps.
When I get local I'll put them on over my mirrors. Replicating the night mirrors in automobiles.

Kinda like this illustration,[I] the standoffs are exaggerated[/I]:

Lights in my mirrors mean that there is traffic to my rear. If they get brighter the traffic is getting closer. Either way, I know to do more frequent head checks. I don't trust my mirrors much in daylight if I'm in traffic and that goes double in the dark!

[QUOTE=Talmadge_W;627738]Lights in my mirrors mean that there is traffic to my rear.
If they get brighter the traffic is getting closer.
Either way, I know to do more frequent head checks.
I don't trust my mirrors much in daylight if I'm in traffic and that goes double in the dark![/QUOTE]

[B]?[/B]

When you stop at a light at night and there is a Ford F350 headlight filling your mirrors and illuminating your face what do you do?
Lean forward/backward to get the lights out of your eyes?
Deflect the mirror?
Squint?

That was the gist of my question.

I just sit up a little. Doesn't take much on the R1100S given the small mirrors. On my RT, I had to learn how to adjust the much larger mirrors to allow a slightly more upright position work.

I also use a light grey tinted windscreen year-round, day and night and that helps a bit too.

I work from 1500 > 2400 so traffic is not much of a problem. If someone runs up behind me with brights on I let them pass and then turn on the CLC's brights. Along with the 2 low beams and Moto Lights they usually get the message. I'm always prepared to brake if the vehicle in front decides to play games. Jacksonville LEO's will respond to road rage calls via 911. The idea of using panty hose over the mirrors could be just the ticket for dealing with glare. I will have to try this.
Ride Safe :usa :usa

I commute in the dark nearly every morning, and during this time of year its frequently dark when I go home, too. I've never thought of bright lights in my mirror as a big issue. I guess lights in the mirror just don't bother me that much. If some idiot has his brights on and it bugs me I'll either pull away, let him pass, or just deal with it by adjusting the way I sit so its not as directly in my eyes.

I have four mirrors, so a bright light can be really noticeable. However, I have my fairing mounted mirrors aimed to show my blind spots on my left and right sides, and I use my handlebar stalk mounted mirrors to look behind me. If I bow my elbows out just a tiny bit, they block off the light behind me and put my mirrors in a shadow, eliminating the problem.