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.
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:
Hawk says
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.
BobG says
After watching the video and seeing how much visibility you can get, I gotta have it. Outstanding!
BoxerFanatic says
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.
Steve says
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?
FREEMAN says
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.
Eric says
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!
Stephen says
Headlamps are not a problem in the slightest, trust me or see an independant review on the website.
Ride Safe
fast eddie says
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
Stephen says
Price is on the site, introductory
Dorzok says
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.
Nicolas says
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.
Stephen says
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
Yeti2bikes says
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.
arcsecond says
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
todd says
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
Slacker says
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.
Stephen says
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
Pierrot says
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…
akumabito says
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.
proper stranger says
The high mounted Bates headlight on my choppas have served this function for years
Stephen Hunter says
Update on postage in USD $14.99 max for the RiderScan dispatched from Scotland signed for.
maxie says
if you have it I’ll buy it, today 🙂
Stephen Hunter says
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
Stephen Hunter says
P.S. Product now available through the HunterCreate.com website
The 10% off Discount code is – TKS001