Loud horns - Pros and cons?

My stock horn is a little quieter than a car horn - not bad but I have had to use it a couple of times to warn some distracted cagers and was less then impressed. I purchased another one rated for 132db which is louder but not a huge difference.

So I decided to hook it up with my existing horn. The combined horns are LOUD.

So here is the question what do you folks think of using a LOUD horn :?:

I have read stories of loud horns starling cagers into doing strange things like slamming on the brakes.

I already drive like I'm invisible and understand I should never have to use it. I hope to never use my helmet but still want a high quality helmet.

 

Air horns!
Absolutely necessary for heavy traffic situations.
They'll save you from getting run right off the road by some guy on a cell phone, looking at his GPS, laptop going on the passenger seat, and text messaging somebody else on his iPhone while piloting his nearly soundproof SUV on the freeway.

You can get replacement plastic horns from most manufacturers cheap.
Get an exta High Note.
Bag the Low Note.

Get heard when you need to warn somebody!!!

 

Boy, the stock horn on my XJ650J wasn't any near a car horn (at least not the ones on a piece of American steel).

I added a Wolo Bad Boy to my XJ in addition to the stock horns. A great improvement.

My Venture had a chrome horn stock on each side of the fairing. I replaced them with 2 of the Bad Boys (chrome in this case). They really wake people up.

I have since come across a site selling the chrome Stebel Nautilus for about $36 which is a much better deal than I've found on the Bad Boys.

I'll post the link tomorrow (I have it at work).

 

I would love to replace mine. Any ideas on horns that are direct replacements, so I don't have to re-wire?

 

Interesting MiCarl Maybe mine was replaced at some point.


NursePadawan - Any replacement auto horn will work. If you use an air horn you will need to add a relay and direct connection as they draw more current. I purchased a Flamm Freeway blaster for $16 from Advance Auto. It can be a direct replacement for your horn also but you need a place to mount it.

I wired it in parallel with my current horn - the current draw of a regular horn is not enough to worry about using two.

For the curios I used the included bracket and bolted it to one of the unused holes for the oil cooler. I had to drill out the hole in the bracket and make a y cable for the horn wiring but that was it.

 

I did a Y cable on mine too. I had bags on mine so I hid the air horn under there. The Bad Boy comes with the relay, I just needed some wire and a fuse holder.

 

after i do that air shock mod, im going to put on a compressor, mini tank, and air horns.

 

Here's the link to the place I bought my chrome Stebels

http://www.bikerhiway.com/stebel-magnum ... p-280.html

They come with the relay and it's a pretty easy job to wire them.

They draw WAY too much for the stock switch to handle (something like 20Amp IIRC)

Run at least 14 ga wire or you will get some performance drop.

 

So Mike you use the current hot wire for the horns to colse the relays then the power comes from the Barr correct.

 

Yup. As mike noted the current on the larger horns is too much for the existing wiring and button so you use the existing wiring to trigger a relay and the relay controls another circuit to power the horn. Make sure you put a fuse in that line also.

 

OK, I'm a wiring dummy so when I get these I'll have to ask I'm sure, lol

 

The link I had is no longer good. Apparently they no longer carry the chrome Stebel compact horn.

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CST&Product_Code=Stebel11135&Category_Code=horn is the link for the black one.

 

This could be good for us "not so wrenchy or electricky" types http://www.runbikes.com/Dimension-Chrom ... 9000000000 :lol:

 

A big con for me would be that I've accidentally bumped my horn while cancelling a turn signal before 6:00 AM in my neighborhood a few times. So I think if I put on a louder horn, I'd look for another way to trigger it.

 

The pros definitely outweigh the cons on this one. Bill mentioned a big con being that a loud horn makes people do stupid things. Unfortunately, they're already doing something stupid, otherwise no need to use the horn and we're already in defensive mode to begin with.

--off topic-- Love your band stormofthecentury. That music rocks. Dunno if they're close to you, but a band from up in New York played down here in KY not too long back. God Fires Man. Check them out on myspace, think you'll like their sound.

 

:lol: I have done the same thing. After a while you get use to the switch placement and it happens far less

 

Bill,
I've been riding for years and still hit the horn when trying to cancel the turn signal. I guess my aim is poor. It always happens when someone is close enough to hear and they give that WTFlip look. I just shrug and give that "I'm a bonehead" look but something gets lost in the translation through a full facer. I'll blame the lack of dextarity on the head inuries.

I too though am looking to get louder. The info you guys have provided will help make my choice more informed.....and possibly make me just alittle more annoying.

The Buff

 

:lol:
I should be clear that I have gotten better at it - not completely eliminated the problem.

I kind of like being annoying.

 

I have the opposite problem. I usually hit the directional when I go for the horn.

One of these days I want to get a loud horn for my bike. THen I'll be hitting folks up for the trick about using the horn button to trip a relay.

mikeg

 

After being ignored by a cager in a Beamer and on a cellphone the weekend before last as she pulled up next to me, me beeping away with no results, I went to Schucks and bought a WOLO Bad Boy.

Installed it last week, and it actually doesnt look bad where I mounted it. Took a short ride to 'test' it out. Went through the city park where they were having a shindig, saw a friend and honked.

It works, everyone stopped what they were doing and started staring, even got a couple of thumbs up.

I will say that the instructions included do make the install a snap. Just remember to use a heavy enough gage wire for the new wiring. I used 16 gage.

 

It seems louder is better. I haven't needed them yet but I think I like the louder option.

 

I was looking for black-finish horns to replace the stockers on my Seca and stumbled upon these: http://londonbikers.com/news/6012/acume ... cycle-horn Supposed to be "threshold of pain" loud while still the orig style. I'll let you know.

 

Yes let us know.
Thise look close to stock.