Horn upgrade.

[koolaid_kid]

Follow this link http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...stall_gert.pdf, it will give you the correct way to wire the horns in detail, and it works!

I agree with this method, and used it on my bike. You can make this as difficult as you wish, but you really only need to send +12V to the positive terminal of the horn. Everything else will take care of itself. The only other issue I have ever seen is poor contact in the actual button, but that is a totally different story.

[GabrielGoes]

Heres what i did that works pretty well i have a nautilus air horn i believe... i got an inline 20 amp fuse holder from the battery to the 30 on the relay, 85 and 86 the existing horn wires go, and from 87 (the top remaining part of the relay) goes to the + on the actual horn, and i just wired the - on the horn to the - battery terminal... it doesnt get easier... just make sure everytime you "test" the horn your fuse isnt blown! i tried for like half an hour going over and over my connections to only find my fuse was blown (30amp) just get the 20 amp and you should be fine

[Steve]

Heres what i did that works pretty well i have a nautilus air horn i believe... i got an inline 20 amp fuse holder from the battery to the 30 on the relay, 85 and 86 the existing horn wires go, and from 87 (the top remaining part of the relay) goes to the + on the actual horn, and i just wired the - on the horn to the - battery terminal... it doesnt get easier... just make sure everytime you "test" the horn your fuse isnt blown! i tried for like half an hour going over and over my connections to only find my fuse was blown (30amp) just get the 20 amp and you should be fine

That's what works because that is exactly what is described above, both by me and the link that DanTheMan posted.

Follow this link http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...stall_gert.pdf, it will give you the correct way to wire the horns in detail, and it works!

Did you notice that is exactly what I described just one post earlier?

That is because Gert was having problems with his horns and asked me for help. After several PMs and e-mails, he got his horns working. In the process, he wrote it all up and sent it to me for proofing before submitting it to BassCliff to be hosted there.

[MikeG]

Thanks to all for their help. I think the diagram in the link was what helped clinch it for me.

Now , why do you suppose the PO decided to take the old green wire and replace it with a black wire...while changing the black wire to a green one at the same time?!?!?!?

I had to pull the horn switch to convince myself. What a difference in volume I took a few days and some bad words but it was worth it in the end.

[1_v8_merc]

Wow this post got brought back from the dead?

But anyways, I also followed the directions from cliffs site about
the horn install, I didn't quite understand HOW it worked exactly,
but I followed the diagram with the relay and fuse, etc, and it worked!

However after hooking various highway blasters up, they were only
loud in the driveway, the wind took the loudness right out of em when
I was on the highway or even at lower speeds.

I did some research and went with an airhorn setup instead.
Ran some Serie 2000 Ferrari airhorns, with a seperate compressor
hooked up in the rear.

WOW, I will never ever use anything without a compressor again, it's just not the same!

Any car or bike i ever get, ripping stock setup out.... And throwing an airhorn setup in, easy and annoying enough to get the police called on you fast.
But it gets your point across, and could save your ass!

[spyug]

Thanks for keeping my post alive folks. Very gratifying.

A year or more later and I'm stilll running without a relay. I had meant to do it early this season but with the Kat project and the new rider mentoring and the house renos and....well you get the picture. It hasn't yet been done. I've added it to the list of coming winter projects.

I haven't noted any problems with it and they are certainly loud enough to get folks attention. With the "student" riding ahead of me, I can get her attention with a toot. I've blasted a cager or two as well and they always seem to get the point so I guess I'm really in no rush.

The bottom line is that a horn upgrade, I think, is still one of the absolute best upgrades you can do. I'd be doing that on any new to me bike from here on in.

Cheers all.
Spyug

[midnightcafe]

I thought I'd make my post here to contribute rather than start a new thread.

Stebel Nautilus Airhorn. 139 dB. Stock horns average at about 97 dB. If you're not familiar with the dB scale, 100dB is the relative sound of a jackhammer from 1m, and the human threshold of pain is 137.5dB. So yes, you will be heard with this!

Mounted on the battery box. Fits behind the air pods, and its position still lets it dump enough sound to be heard from far away-my friends came out of our house when I first tested it, telling me they thought they heard a train... (we don't live near train tracks!)

Very easy to install. It comes with a four way relay, which I mounted on the battery box again. The instructions in the box weren't too helpful so follow this diagram:


This was the safest, cheapest mod I've made on any project. I highly recommend anyone to do this, It costs $40 on Amazon and can remind cage drivers that motorcycles exist.

[midnightcafe]

here's a more appropriate sound clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8JsYLOIOX8&feature=related

scares the bejeesus out of you!

[Mysuzyq]

It's not possible to get the intensity through in a sound clip....this horn generates a sound you can physically feel, if one is brave (or stupid) enough to sound it in an enclosed space. It is a bit bulky for the standard location....I ended up separating the compressor from the horn to be able to mount it normally, but have yet to install it....actually forgot all about it.

[MrZufall]

Exactly the sound I'm after! Thanks!

Been using Fiamms on my 1000 for decades, found that when used the driver in the car starts looking for that truck that's about to run them over. Good investment.

[MAC10]

Please forgive my question-I am confused after reading this thread thoroughly. I am electrically challenged

I have a pair of Fiamm freeway blasters to wire, along with a new horn switch. I will be installing driving lights, and the new button is in the same housing with the aux light switch. It will mount on the handlebar to the left of the original handlebar switch, which still works minus the horn button. The stock horns are toast- worn out after only 33 years on my 78 gs1000.

I am using a relay, and everything works, except I don't know how to connect the new switch. I presume I have to use the green wire from the old horn? There is also a black wire with a white stripe inside the handlebar switch, which looks like it grounds the horn.

The rest of this thread talks about using stock horn wires. How do I wire a new switch with new wires?

[MAC10]

I solved the problem. The stock horn wiring was still in place, so easy enough to tie in to the new switch. After a new loom it looks original.

It looks possible to tie in to the plug above the coils where the harness joins, to get at the green wire power feed, if a person needed to replace the horn switch wiring. I was able to mount the freeway blasters using the threadded holes at the front of the top frame cross member. They are well tucked in, using simple bent steel mounts I cobbled up. Under the frame, where the stock horns were, is plenty of room now. If I go to an air horn, that is where it will go.