People here do use RVM about 30-40% of the time. Unfortunately when parked. I often see my RVM twisted in parking lot .

Yes, I have noted people not using RVM even if they are installed. Perhaps they feel everything okay while they ride. Often they don't see that person approaching from behind had to make evasive action to avoid collision and they ride away blissfully unaware of a near accident.

. Thats a good one

How about the mirrors on the vehicles pointing right towards the riders' own faces
May be they are thinking: "I want to check out my hairstyle while I am riding". These are the people who do not wear the helmet too

In bangalore now a days they drive those Volvos which have their engines at the back, they'll silently come from behind without much of engine noise and if you relying on your hearing capacity to check if any vehicle is coming from behind then you are in big trouble.

As I said you have to pay the price sooner or later. If you haven't till now, you've just been lucky.

I removed the RVM's on my first bike to celebrate her first month's anniversary. Back then (3 yrs back), I was just learning how to ride the bike and I felt it was so cool not to have RVM's.
I only used to have the RVM's fitted when I was on the highway because I would listen to music and I used it to see the vehicles coming behind me...PERIOD.. how stupid I was

After buying my Karizma, I remember reading that ZMA's had the "best -in-class" RVM's and so I thought I'd try it for a few days.
Today, I'm hooked to the RVM. I find it so useful now and I feel like a fool for not being a sensible rider all these days.

My advice: Try it, after-all- its not about the looks only

@Satellite.kid : well said and well put.

as for me, in the initial years of my riding, even i used to feel that horns, RVMs are not useful/necessary.
but over the years that has changed and now i dont feel comfortable without RVMs and horns

well this is a must for me no matter whether i'm riding a bike or driving a car. RVMs is a MUST for me!!!
Just feel half blind without them!

my bike has clocked about 33k kms, i used the rvms for the initial 10ks. after removing them the first few days were a little difficult, with frequent head turns to look behind and then realizing the mistake, but over the period of time it has become really easy. i follow certain simple steps to avoid accidents due to no rvms
1. drive at a little more than average speed, around 60kmph, this way the probability that someone is overtaking you when you are overtaking someone would be lesser.
2. when overtaking, turn on the right indicator, wait a second, then move slowly to the right and overtake. this way even if someone at high speed coming from behind tries to overtake you, he will either stop for you, or horn for you to stop, further reducing the probability of an accident.
3. never make sharp right or left movements, movements should always be somooth, this gives a chance to someone coming from behind to do something.
4. if you are not sure about someone being behind you or you have to make a sudden sharp turn, look behind your shoulder.
although rvms are univerally endorsed and they are the best solution, i am just suggesting what to do if you dont want them.
but i do always believe that keeping your focus on front and not on the back is very very important, specially for indian road conditions, becasue you never know what will come in front of you in the next nano second..

In a perfect world, your points might work.

In the real world all you can do is minimise the risks, and RVMs do that.

I have done my share of riding without RVMs, and I know very well, that riding without RVMs is false male bravado.

Possibly thats due to the years added to my age and kms to my odo.

To me, it really feels unsafe when riding a 2-wheeler without an RVM.
2-wheelers are prone to high risk on roads, and RVMs help in seeing whats lined up behind.
For those arguing that its more important to look ahead than in the RVM, one does not perpetually look at the RVM while riding. If your arguments were true, RVMs would not be found on any class of vehicled here.

Here in Bangalore, 3-4 out of every ten 2-wheelers don't have an RVM (removed for aesthetics, damaged, etc), and half of the riders that have an RVM, think it is not to be used while riding. It is very common to see those without RVMs get startled when you overtake them (with an expression like: where did this guy come from !! )

My advise to members not using RVMs:
- If you have removed it purely for aesthetics, please get them on. I'm sure you care more for your aesthetics than your bike's.
- If you have removed it because you're comfortable riding without it, please be extra alert while riding, as wearing a helmet does cut-off some of the noise (coming from behind) on the road.

I even look in RVM of my 220 :P
I get to look at my arms more than traffic but they still help
(I have spent so much time to get perfect angle (that included making a RAY DIAGRAM as how light will come and objects will be formed :P))

EVEN if you don't keep looking at them they help, our brain is more capable than we think,
if you don't pay attention to your RVM still a part of your brain works on it(if u have given it this practice) as fast approaching vehicle from behind (if visible in RVM)
will be detected by your eyes even if you are not looking at it.

OT
Other creative use of RVM include
You can look at a girl standing behind u at traffic signals
IF a girl has RVM on her moped, it will be always be pointing on her face
(I hope everyone got the point :P)

I think most high-involvement riders on xbhp would value the functionality of RVMs.
As the average Indian commuter, If I think that 'driving' a bike is just an exercise in getting from point A to point B, then RVMs, helmet, jacket, knee-pads, common sense...nothing is required for me.
But I am an involved biker. I value wearing my helmet. I religiously keep checking my speedometer, trip-meter, fuel-gauge, RVMs and of course, the road ahead for most of the time.

I have been riding bikes for the past 18 years , on all my previos bike I never had RVM ( I used to remove them first thing ) . It's been some 2 years since I joined Xbhp and have met people here who are hard core riders and have got some great ridding tips from them now I try to follow mostly all of those as these are not just for my benifits but also for the others on the road . Now I have my stock RVM on my uni and lots of other safe riding gadgets with me .

It is compulsory here in bombay, just like breaking a traffic signal or riding without a helmet or not having a saree guard, you are stopped if u dont have an rvm and fined for the same. As per my experience and observation you tend find bikes without rvms only in the rurals outside bombay but in the city you wont.

nice to know such steps are being implemented in mumbai. for me, RVM's are a must . I tottaly depend on them

RVM's are what you NEED to ride your motorcycle - without them, you are jeopardizing your safety and that of people around you. If one thinks one can ride without RVM's because of 'experience' and 'instinct', then I must point out that the rider is a moron. In chaotic traffic on Indian roads, RVM's are as essential as the petrol in your fuel tank.

And what is this thing about having RVM's only while touring? It's like saying you need to wear seat belts only on highways and not inside the city. It's only when people bust their nose on their dashboard on sudden braking at 40 km/hour, they realize how important seat belts are. The same applies for RVM's.