Horn electrics

[chuckycheese]

OK

I appreciate all the fast responses but it makes for mix-ups!

I understand about black/white wires.....no such thing going to my horn...my green goes to the ground.

I have a good horn....as I said, quite loud when I hook up with a good ground!!

Thanks, again!

[Billy Ricks]

My wiring diagram shows a black/white wire going to the horn button and a green wire coming out. There doesn't need to be a ground wire at all though. It's likely the diagram just shows a black/white wire going in to denote that this is a ground circuit. All the horn button needs to do is make contact with the handle bars when depressed. That's why they don't run a positive wire to the button, so you don't short the system if something goes wrong with the button.

[Billy Ricks]

Try cleaning the contacts on the horn button. That's all you can do to get a better ground.

[chuckycheese]

Different

Well, I guess the colors are often different...My colors to the horn are Dark Green and Green/Red...with the former being the ground.

I'm still sort of excited to find out why my horn works so well when I ground it to the battery........

Stay tuned!!

And thanks to all!!

[Billy Ricks]

Chuck,

Just the fact that the horn sounds when you hook up an extra ground should tell you something. What it tells you is that the ground is the switched part of the horn circuit. Short of using some sort of an aftermarket horn switch and running a hot wire through it instead of a ground, or using a relay and knowing how to hook it up there is nothing you can do other than installing a louder horn. You could use a relay hooked up so the horn button activates the relay to get power straight from the battery to the horn.

[Evil Hobbit]

Try cleaning the contacts on the horn button. That's all you can do to get a better ground.

I need to get around to doing this one of these days. My horn sounds sick most of the time and I'm sure it's the contacts. I had the assembly off one day to look and put it right back on because after looking at it from the back of the circuit board I decided I didn't have enough time then to clean it. Maybe a project for the next rainy day. OOps I'm in Cincinnati in the spring, that will be tomorrow.

[chuckycheese]

Thanks

Many thanks for your patience!! I think I understand now. Thanks, again......

[Mr. Jiggles]

Several months ago I made the switch to dual Fiamms and a horn relay. The horns are painfully loud.

Jeff

[rodcwer]

Re: Thanks!

se" but if the horn is hot all the time and pushing the horn button completes the ground circuit....why in the world wouldn't the horn sound when I push the button and the key isn't in the ignition??

the horn hot wire is hot with ignition on only, you dont complete a circuit with out a hot wire

[rodcwer]

i guess i should have kept reading it looks like you got your answer ..sorry

[Anonymous]

Several months ago I made the switch to dual Fiamms and a horn relay. The horns are painfully loud.

Jeff

I second that! I put dual Fiamm horns on my ratbike a while back and they are in fact OMFG LOUD! I really need to pull them off and stick em on the GS instead. It's a world of improvement over stock, no doubt about it.

[argonsagas]

Sometimes, and I stress the word sometimes, you can modify the output of a standard horn by adjusting it.

You will find a small bolt with a lock-nut on it. Loosen the lock-nut and turn the bolt a small amount. Try the horn. Adjust in either direction until you get what you want. Use ONLY small adjustments.

In many cases you will get no difference, or the horn may quit completely unless you have it at the original setting.

Sometimes you can improve the results and, occasionally, you can even wake up what looked like a dead horn.