When you think of patents you quickly think of complicated constructions, but sometimes it can be something seemingly simple. For example, Honda has applied for a patent for a mirror that is attached to the front fork under the yoke.
Honda’s patented fork-mounted mirror system is so brilliantly simple that we wonder why no one came up with this idea before. For many years, mirrors have been mounted either on top of the handlebars or on the fairing, with the major disadvantage that a large part of the view to the rear is obscured by your arm or elbow.
As an alternative, some manufacturers have already used bar-end mirrors for certain models in recent years for this reason. Although they offer a much better view to the rear, they in turn have the disadvantage that the engine becomes much wider, which is certainly not useful if you want to drive through traffic jams, for example.
However, by attaching the mirrors to the front fork leg under the triple clamp, both disadvantages are eliminated: an unobstructed view to the rear, within the dimensions of the handlebars. However, that is not the only advantage that this construction offers, otherwise Honda probably would not have applied for a patent.
The additional advantages are, on the one hand, that as a result of moving the mirrors inward, the wind pressure on those mirrors has less leverage on the steering wheel (moment is force x arm) and, on the other hand, reduced energies because the weight of the mirrors has been reduced, which improves steering feel and response.
Of course, these advantages only apply to a naked bike where the mirrors would otherwise be mounted on the handlebars.
Incidentally, Honda has already applied the idea of low-mounted mirrors to the Hawk 11, which was only marketed in Japan, although the mirrors on that model are not mounted on the steering wheel, but on the fairing.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.