The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

RiderScan Rear View Mirror Takes on Blind Spots

By

RiderScan panoramic rear view mirror
RiderScan panoramic rear view mirror

You know what it’s like out there on the street, you need to keep your head on a swivel whenever you ride just to be aware of all of the traffic around you. Using your mirrors is a habit most of us learned early on, they can be a lifesaver, but the standard rear view mirrors often leave gaping holes in your visual field to the rear, those nasty blind spots where cars can hide. RiderScan is a new rear view mirror mounted front and center with a panoramic view of everything on either side of your motorcycle and it may be just the edge you need.

Stephen Hunter of Scotland, had a close call one day and wondered what he could do to improve his chances of seeing approaching traffic. He spotted a frying pan hanging in his kitchen and noticed the wide angle reflection. He took it out to his bike and held it in front and was amazed at how well it worked as a mirror. The RiderScan is the result.

RiderScan panoramic rear view mirror
RiderScan panoramic rear view mirror

There have been lots of high tech and low tech ideas for dealing with blind spots. Some standard mirrors have a convex surface to do the same thing and you can buy those little round mirrors that stick on to your flat mirror, but this really does seem to work pretty well and it gives you a really wide angle view while hardly requiring much eye movement at all.

It’s not quite yet in production and no price is indicated. Nice idea. Hope he has a lot of success with it.

Thanks for the tip, Fraser!

Link: RiderScan

Video below:

Comments

  1. ANYTHING that improves our field of vision it worth its weight in gold. We live in a distracted world. Cars that are easier to drive lull us into a feeling that we can take on more challenges …. like radio talk shows, cell phone conversations, dining, tending to backseat kids and, of course, texting. If you’ve survived (Now THAT’s a stupid statement …), you know that constant vigilance is the main reason.

    Personally, I’m looking for one of these gizzies ASAP.

  2. One of those things that is gestalt-shift simple.

    How did that not occur to anyone before? Congrats to this man, and I hope he makes a mint from this. I’ll consider buying one.

    And it would figure to be a Scot. Gotta love the scottish. If someone were capable of choosing their heritage, I think I would choose scottish.

  3. Looks pretty good!
    My only concern is in nighttime use, especially on well trafficked rural freeways… would you really want all those headlights shining at you?

    • I doubt you would need it all that much at night. I always just looked at the roadway beside me first to see if there was carlights shining on it during the night. The mirror looks like a great tool nonetheless.

  4. This is a fantastic idea well with a few bucks to try for myself. I too am concerned bout how it’ll be at night, but it may only be a small modification to make the mirror tilt up or down like I would in my car when there’s bright headlights behind me.

    Great idea, hope you make bank!

  5. just like a “wink ” mirror used in race cars for the last twenty years. After checking out the website and not being able to order one, went down to the chink tool store and picked up something
    similar for less than five bucks.gotta love the scottish? a dime holding up a dollar

  6. i got an e-mail from Mr. Hunter this morning. their first production batch will be ready for shipping at end of Oct. No U.S. distribution yet. U.S. residents will have to order on line in order to get an exact quote on shipping.

  7. pretty cool.

    Now one of the first thing I’ve been taught by the riding instructor back in the days was to turn my head and check the blind spots by myself, every time. Keeping your head mobile and scan is what keeps you alive.

  8. There is a an independant video review on the website where the reviewer talks about night reflected headlamps and daytime sun, it isnt an issue in the least, the sun reflects tiny due to the upper curve on the RiderScan, night lights are nothing at all.
    Ride Safe

  9. I think this would be an advantage although nothing beats actually giving a glance over the shoulder. The only problem I see with this is the narcissistic people who won’t be able to pry their eyes off their own image in the mirror.

  10. If you use this as a replacement for shoulder checks and scanning you’re an idiot. However it looks like a great tool to add in addition to all the other safety procedures.

    -James

  11. Maybe The Kneeslider can import a bunch of them and represent them on his web site for those of us in the US.

    I’d consider one too but I don’t have anything up there to mount it to. Could it mount to the top of the headlight or the gauges?

    -todd

  12. This seems like a no brainer to me. I absolutely want one. The only problem is I don’t think I have anywhere to put it.

  13. Shipping update.
    Today we have worked hard to get the best shipping costs.
    We are in negotiations with an American fulfilment mailing house and we have also been looking at mailing direct from Scotland.
    We have a cost for direct from us shipping.
    $17.99
    This will have to be confirmed by various bodies including customs but it looks good,

    I hope American customers find these shipping costs acceptable.
    Ride Safe

  14. Looks pretty neat, I think it should be used in CARS, since they have even worse field of view than motorcycle, and… They are the ones who pushes them outside the road…

  15. Such a simple idea! Definitely one of those ‘how the hell wasn’t this invented sooner’ products. I think I’ll order one for my next motorcycle.

  16. The high mounted Bates headlight on my choppas have served this function for years

  19. As a thanks to the kneeslider mag and its subscribers, I would like to offer a discount code of 10% to anybody who would like to purchase a RiderScan.
    Ride safe, Stephen Hunter