Introduction:

The 2001-2005 FZ1 is plagued with terrible stock mirrors. I wasn't happy with my stock mirrors from the day I brought the bike home. It became apparent that the majority of owners were also looking for alternatives. I tried bar end mirrors, convex stick-ons and took a look at several bar mounted options. Nothing appealed to me and none of the options were plug and play. They did share one thing in common, different mirrors were expensive. I wanted a cheap alternative.

I first came up with this idea while on an extended ride. I realized that if you push the mirrors forward, you gain rear visibility. The only problem was with the mirrors pushed forward, they would slip back under acceleration.

I tried this mod a few different ways and settled upon this final version. My first try at this mod was time consuming because I forgot the golden rule…."KISS= Keep it simple Stupid!" Feedback has been great and some have chosen to change a few steps, which I'll note below. No matter how you decide to change this, you will find that the increased rear visibility will be amazing for such little effort and cost. Another plus is that if you don't like the change, it is reversible and you can return to stock.

One of the added benefits, which I did not realize at first, was a reduction in turbulence. Most members who have completed this mod reported positive results.

On the negative side, you will lose the stock pivoting of the mirrors. Spinner (previously Herman02) has refined the mod by adding notches. See the addendum below, or refer to post #93 of the original thread which can be found here.

If you have any additional comments, send me a PM or post in the thread.

Tools and parts needed:

Dremel or other grinding tool
Assorted wrenches
Philips head screwdriver
2 1/4" bolt 1-1/4" long or 6mm X 30mm bolts (stainless preferred) Note: Hex head or button head bolts will give a smoother profile under the rubber boot than allen cap heads
2 lock nuts
2-4 rubber or cloth washers (optional)
Eye protection

Estimated time:

Read through these instructions a few times. I have tried to simplify them without omitting any steps. This mod should take you between 25-35 minutes depending on the methods you use to grind out the rivet. If it takes longer, you're doing something wrong.

Steps:

Remove the inner fairing panels and mirrors.
Use a grinding tool such as a Dremel and remove the stud that holds the mirror stem to the base. Use caution here as the stud is under a lot of pressure because convex spring washers are used to create pressure. Put a towel or something over it while grinding the rivet because it pops with a lot of force. The towel will keep the washers in one location. And use eye protection.

Note: Some members have used locking pliers to hold the base and stem together. This would be a safer alternative and allow you to see the positioning of the convex washers used in the mirror.
Once you have the base removed from the stem, put the base back on the fairing but do not attach the nuts. The mounting point goes to the top, just like in the picture.
Now put the mirror stem on, with the boot still on, but flip the stem over. (see picture) The mirror glass will now be facing the front of the bike. You will just be turning the stem 180 degrees. Insert the bolt and tighten it down, but not too tight to allow for positioning.

Note: Some members have placed a rubber or cloth washer between the base and stem at this step. The belief is that it will reduce vibration. I have tried this and found no difference. Vibration of the mirrors was never a problem on my bike.
Now grab the mirror with both hands and rotate the mirror so that it is facing the rear of the bike in the normal position. Now do the same for the opposite side.
Sit on the bike and adjust the stem position and mirror to the best viewing position for you. Once that's done, I stood in front of the bike and just "eye-balled" it to make sure they were even. You can also use a tape measure to measure from the ground up to the base of the mirror with the bike on the center stand.

Note: With my mirrors adjusted to my preference, they are approximately 36.5" end to end.
After adjustment, tighten the bolts down so the mirror stem cannot move. Some members, using the optional washers, tighten the bolts just enough to allow for rotation to get through gates and doors, but tight enough so they do not fold under acceleration.
Now move the rubber boot down and fit it back onto the base. You will see that the boot will not lay flush against the stem because of a lip on the inside of the rubber boot. You can cut/file/sand the rubber boot lip so it lays flat. I used a sanding drum on the Dremel. Other members have used black silicone sealant to fill the lip groove that will now peak out of the boot to minimize its presence.
Note: The picture below is before the lip was sanded flush.
Now put the nuts back on the mirror base and tighten them to the fairing.
Finally, put the fairing panels back on and you're done.

Completed Front View:

Completed Rear View:

Addendum from Spinner (previously Herman02)

I did the FuzzyOne modification and notched the backside of the arms to have the same breakaway/fold in option as the stock mirrors. I need to fold them for space in my garage.

I first bolted the arm in place as suggested by FuzzyOne and positioned the mirrors in the best angle. Then I marked the arms where the notches need to be filed out. (see picture) Make sure you do this super precisely. A little off and your mirrors won't be even.
Next I filed notches out of the arms where I scribed the lines with a triangle file. Make sure that when you do this, that you point the file to the center of the hole. The notches are narrower toward the center of the pivot point. Take extreme care that you do not file the notches too wide! This will cause your mirrors to have play when in the riding position.
After you filed the notches, you can remove the remaining aluminum from between the notches about 1mm deep (0.040"). The male notches from the mounting bracket should not fit all the way to the bottom but rest in between the angled edges of the grooves. This ensures the mirrors to be stable.

Here's a picture of the arms with the notches filed out. Like I said, do not make these notches too wide. Keep them small and widen them to suit the mounting bracket.

The lugs of the mounting bracket ALMOST fit to the bottom of the groove.
Assemble the arm with the original spring washers (alternating them up and down) and drill the metal ring out (that ring you drilled the rivet out of) to fit the bolt you are installing. A 1/4" X 1" fender washer will also work if you'd prefer stainless. Then I used regular bolts (stainless) with hexagon heads. I found the socket head bolts leave a bulge under the rubber boot. Button head bolts also work very well (button head is a rounded head with a hex (allen) instead of Phillips slot).
Finally I removed the top ridge inside the boot (like 10Zero suggested).

Took it for a ride today up to 100 mph and found no difference from the stock configuration when it comes to vibration.

Prepared by FuzzyOne and Spinner. Some edits and pictures by Eskort.