I want a better horn

When I ride my bike (83 xj750), it sounds like the horn is working good. I noticed when I ride past a business, with my friend outside, he doesn't hear me when I ride by and honk.

Several times I've been by a car, driving down the road and honk, seems like they don't even hear it, since they never look.

What can I do to get a better, or louder horn?

 

One thing you can do is run relays. I had that on my old bike. Some car horns with wires straight off the battery. You don't actually have to change horns, although that would help. These little flat horns only get so loud. But the relay mod is pretty simple, get some 12 volt relays at any auto parts store. Run heavy gauge wire(10 or 12 gauge) from the battery to the power pin on the relay. The old horn wiring goes to the "on switch" pin on the relay and get a good ground on it. All a relay is is a big switch. So now the old wiring flips the switch, the new heavy wire does the heavy lifting of actually powering the horn.

It's just like the headlight relay mod and for the same purpose, getting more juice to the horn by bypassing all that crummy little 18 gauge wiring and who knows how many bottlenecks.

 

One word.....Stebel....this is the only horn that you really want, ake it from a cross-country tourer. Be sure to wire it via the relay as the amp draw will overheat your horn button. The relay is wired to the horn button which pulls the relay in connecting your fused connection to the horn. It's a little bulky but 140DB will let you be heard, and felt! LOL

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPER-LOUD-BLAS ... 44&vxp=mtr

jeff

 

Wonder how that would mount on a 750 Maxim. They give all the measurements but how thick it is.

 

I use ones just like that, I get mine from the autoparts store . Mounting is different for each bike but most can be mounted under the tripple tree on the frame. Most XJs have a cross member on the frame at that point.

 

I second the Stebel Nautilus air horn. I have one on my ST1100. Loud horn and will get everyone's attention.

 

My 82 had two horns one high one low. Do the 83's also? I replaced both with similar aftermarket full range horns instead of the high low setup. I don't know the manufacturer. I got them at a bike shop for $12 bucks each and they mount in the factory location. I believe they are 90dB each.

 

If you don't want to go with the Stebels, you can get the 132db FIAMM horns (either a pair of high/low tone or just the high). I replaced the OEM horn in my Toyota with just the high tone model and it was a significant improvement. Do not get the knockoff versions (of either) at Harbor Freight.

 

I recently put a pair of FIAMM ElGrande horns on my XS1100. They sound pretty great.