KRS/LT Mirror Glass Removal

By: Bruce Keahey with some additions by Tom Coradeschi
January 2000

Yesterday, I asked what the trick was for disassembling K1100 RS/LT mirrors from their housings. I received MANY helpful replies (pry it out, you’ll break it, just mask it, drop the bike, use a special tool, etc). Follow up conversations several other prezzes resulted in a bit of serendipity, which led me to a “BFO” ™, a “Blinding Flash of the Obvious”, which would require no tools, take little time, would accomplish the task, and leave the parts undamaged. I promised to try it when I got home, report back to the list, and if it worked, submit it it to the tech pages. I am happy to report that the technique worked the first time, and I am submitting this to Tom C. for the tech pages.

To disassemble K1100RS/LT mirrors from their housings, such as might be required to replace a broken mirror or to prepare for painting:

1. Remove the mirror housing from the bike by striking the top outer corner with the heel of your hand while holding it with the other hand so that it does not drop to the ground.
2. Remove the turn signal lens by removing the screw that secures it.
3. Look inside for a wire retainer which may be running from the edge of the mirror, behind the turn signal reflector, to the pivot post for the mirror. Remove it if it is there.
4. On your workbench, spread out a double or triple thickness of towel, a piece of carpet pad or other resilient padding that will not scratch paint. A carpeted floor works just as well.
5. Grasp the mirror housing with your preferred hand, such that the turn signal opening faces diagonally up and to one side, the mounting plate end of the housing is pointed away from you, and the mirror faces down, and parallel with the padded workbench.
6. Raise your arm and slam the mirror housing down on the padded workbench. Do not be afraid to slam it down pretty hard, but do not let the housing bounce upward after impact, either. Since the mirror is recessed within the housing, when the housing meets the padded workbench, the mirror keeps moving downward due to inertia until it snaps free of its mounting and plops out, trapped by the housing rim, undamaged.

The trick took only seconds, worked the first time and so amazed me that I snapped the mirrors back in and repeated it just to be sure. It should also work with other bike models with mirrors similarly mounted.

Prezzes to whom contributory credit is due include John Filak, GaryJH, Garry Graney, Tom Coradeschi, Joe Katz.