The stock horn is a bit on the weak side. In heavy traffic conditions, the ability to be heard when not seen by an encroaching car can avert an accident. Fiamm makes inexpensive aftermarket horns that are significantly louder than the stock horn. They offer horns with different tones. Dual horns that operate at different frequencies increase the level of alertness that the horn blast can achieve.
I got these two horns from Harbor Freight Tools for $9.99 each. One is a low tone and the other is a high tone. They claim to generate their sound at 132 dB. I cannot verify this without a Sound Level Meter and they do not list the reference distance from the horn at which this rating is effective. Two horns would double the sound energy and add 3 dB to the overall sound level. The sound energy from point sources decays at a rate of 6 dB per doubling of distance from the reference distance.
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Remove Stock Horn:
These two pics from the Kevlar Brake Line Installation page shows the single
screw that attaches the horn to the bracket. A 10 mm wrench or socket is used to remove that screw.
Disconnect the wiring connectors to the horn and remove it entirely. With the two-line brake system, the bracket that attaches
the horn to the triple clamp can also be removed. Replace short M6 bolts in the exposed threaded holes to keep
dirt out of there.
I tried to place the dual horns in the stock horn mounting location between the forks but could not make that work.
The Fiamm horns are much larger than the stock horn (see below) and I just could not get them both in there. That mount moves
with the forks and the fixed fairing stay cross brace limits the space available. Also complicating
the mount was the fork brace which could contact the horns during a deep compression of the front forks.
I eventually went with the same mounting location that Wyn from the Owners Association used (see below), one at
each side under the fairing inserts.
Fabricate Brackets:
With the mounting location under the fairing inserts selected you must fabricate brackets to secure the horns.
These brackets will attach to the
fairing stay mounting tabs on the frame (see below). The easiest setup to make I could think of involves a two-piece bracket
assembly. The mounting bracket supplied with the horn can be modified and used as the vertical bracket. A 2 1/2" long horizontal
bracket with a bend (see images) can be made from 1/8" x 3/4" aluminum bar stock. 1/4" holes are drilled near the two ends. The
fabricated horizontal brackets are bent downwards so that the
lip on the fairing inserts will be cleared (see below). The side bend in the vertical brackets is so they will hang vertically as they
attach to the bent horizontal brackets.
Lift Tank & Remove Fairing Inserts:
First remove the seat then lift and prop up the tank. Turn fuel petcock to OFF for safety.
Remove the fairing inserts. This shows the right side, the left is the same.
Make Wiring Harnesses:
The wiring to the stock horn is rerouted under the tank as shown. Two Y-connectors are made to connect to
the stock horn wiring. Two harnesses are made to connect to the Fiamm horns, one 9" long, the other about 14".
.156" female bullet connectors plug right into the horn electrical connectors.
Spade connector attachments
are supplied with the horn but I chose not to use them because attaching connectors to those would expose
the extended wiring beneath the horn and that would not look very good. That extension could be reversed
to point upwards but that would mean swapping the right and left horns. The orientation of the spirals
seem to dictate which side they are meant to be mounted and reversing that produces what seems to be an
unnatural look and the Fiamm logo upside down.
Attach Brackets & Horns:
With the left fairing insert removed, attach the left brackets, thread the left wiring harness through the side of the frame,
connect it to the horn, and secure the horn. A 10 mm wrench is used on the securing nut supplied with the horn.
Make sure the bolts are very tight but be careful not to strip any threads
particularly the thread in the fairing insert mount tab attached to the frame.
The right side is mounted the same way.
Showing size comparison with stock horn.
Connect Wires:
Wiring is simple, connect one lead from the left side to one Y-connector plug and the other to one of the plugs on the other
Y-connector. Same for the right side. The horns are wired in parallel. Stow the wiring. Reinstall the fairing stays and
lower and secure the tank (fuel petcock ON).
Test Horns:
The dual horns draw a great deal of current and may not work without the engine running and the generator
helping the battery. Mine just made clicking noises unless the engine was running. With the engine running the horns are
indeed loud and the dual tone is nice. The sound is like that coming from a large vehicle.
You can verify that both horns are functioning by touching each horn as you blast them. It will vibrate a bit.
Alternate Installations:
This is Wyn's installation in the same location using a single piece twisted aluminum bracket on the right side.
On the left he used a straight bracket but used a different mounting hole. I don't have a view of that.
This would have been more difficult for me because of the water temperature gauge connectors in the way
but a one-piece bracket is simpler, stronger, and less likely to come loose. I may rework mine somehow if the two-piece
bracket arrangement doesn't work out.
HotYam went with a single horn mounted in the stock location taking advantage of one of M6 threaded holes in
the triple clamp where the stock horn bracket attaches and the M6 threaded stud on the Fiamm horn. My sole reservation
on this mount is that with my fork brace an extreme deflection of the front forks could cause the larger Fiamm horn and the
fork brace to collide. With one horn you must decide if you prefer the high tone or the lower frequency tone.
Revision:
The simple wiring scheme connecting the new horns in parallel directly to the stock horn wiring proved inadequate.
While the horns seemed to work at first, the engine had to be running and they were unreliable. Frequently
they failed to sound at all and simply drew down on the bike's electrical system dimming all the lights and
killing the instrumentation. I rewired the horns to operate directly from the battery using the stock horn
wiring to actuate a relay that makes the power connection. The wiring scheme is shown here:
The relay, made by NTE, is similar to the Bosch type. It is a Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) type, 12 Volts, 40 Amps.
When current passes though terminals 85 and 86, a connection is made between terminals 30 and 87. It comes with
a convenient hole-drilled mounting tab. Terminal 87a is not present on this relay type.
First, disconnect the battery so nothing gets inadvertently shorted out or the horns don't blast in your ear
(yes, they did!) as you are working with the connections.
Make a connector to attach to the positive terminal of the battery. Include an in-line fuse. I used one
with a 20 Amp rating, fast burn. Position the fuse and connector under the left side cover.
Extend the lead from the left side cover under the tank.
Route it along existing wiring through the retaining clips.
Make it long enough to route all the way to the front of the undertank area and curve back to clip into the relay.
Attach a female spade connector to the end so it can plug directly into terminal 87 of the relay (see photos later below).
I disconnected the new horn connectors made earlier from the stock horn wires, selected one of the combined leads from the horns,
removed the male spade connector, and substituted a female spade connector so it could plug directly into terminal
30 of the relay.
Make a Y-connector as shown. Attach one of the female spade ends to terminal 85 of the relay. Then, use the
mounting tab to attach the relay to the water hose attachment bracket as shown. The stock horn black wire is a
ground lead and serves both the relay activation and power circuits.
Complete the connections per the wiring diagram. Here are two views of the completed connections.
This is much better. The horns work reliably now, even with the engine off.
Last Updated: 08-21-2003
Copyright © 2001-03, Patrick Glenn, All Rights Reserved.
The information presented here reflects solely my personal experience with my motorcycle and is presented
for entertainment purposes only. No information presented here is to be relied upon for issues of rider safety
nor to replace the services of a qualified service technician.
Any attempts to follow or duplicate any of these procedures are done so completely at your own risk.
By reading the information on this site, you agree to assume complete responsibility for any and all actual
or consequential damages that may arise from any information presented herein.
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