FIAM Horns are the BOMB!!

[TopCatGr58]

I just ordered mine yesterday, but I ordered a few LED strips to get the FREE SHIPPING, but it's SLOW, so mine won't arrive till next week, but still time to be able to install them before my rally trip in a few weeks! I had already hooked up my OEM horns with a RELAY to get the full battery power to them to make them as loud as they could have been, so they should be close to P-N-P install for me!

I'll also be taking a short video with sound to try to document the comparison of the OEM's to these.

T.C.

[Tat2demon]

I haven't had anything to do to my bike so Ive been bored as hell. Spent the extra $9 for overnight so I have something to do tomorrow night.

[Cobia]

TopCat,
Hope you get them in time. They should be a snap to install.

Tat,
Let us know how it went.

[Tat2demon]

Put them on last night. Ill get some pics and a before/after video posted tomorrow. They sound great.

[Tat2demon]

The video doesnt pick up the loudness of the new horns. I think it overloads the mic on my phone but at least it gives the tone.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlFA5tatJsg

[CatatonicBug]

I think I'd be concerned about water getting up in there and corroding the internals in that position. At least turning them upside down, so the "bell" is on the bottom of the spiral, you might be able to drain them a bit.

[jwhughes3]

That looks nice. Sounds good.

I have not yet seen a fork brace like your upper aluminum one. Was it on when you bought the bike or added? If added, from where?

John

[Tat2demon]

It was on there when I got it. I think someone said its off a honda. I had originally put the horns on the brace with the brackets going up in between the two halves. It looked great but the first time I stopped they banged into my fender. Ill be replacing that with a Tkat this winter.

Rain isn't a concern for me. I wont take the bike out if its raining or just finished. I personally don't care if I get wet but I want the bike to stay dry. I may flop them over for dirt and sand though.

[TopCatGr58]

Update

Hey folks,

Okay, did a bunch of stuff to my bike getting it ready for SE rally, changed the oil/filter, bypassed the RLU for my HID mod, and installed the FIAMM 74100 El Grande Horns on the bike. I also took and made a comparison video of the old horns vs. the Fiamms. Now, my old horns were not necessarily OEM's, but I think I had gotten some from MikesXS or such, and they are being driven directly from the battery/aux terminal via a RELAY. I took samples from ~10 feet away with just the horns and again with the bike running for background noise! Surprisingly the FIAMMs didn't actually sound much louder than the MC round ones, but the TONES are quite different!

The OLD MC ones sound more like the road runner....beep, beep, whereas the FIAMMs are a lower toned "HORN" sound. The video is linked thru/from YouTube.




Horn Comparison Video

T.C.

[Bassman]

got mine put on and they look and sound great! I love having an excuse to try them...but I don't think the neighbors do

[Tropic-al]

Install glitch?

I just installed my Fiamms' and did everything like I thought it should go.
They work great, real loud. The problem is the first time I used them the spring in the button must have broken. Is it by coincidence, or burned/melted by too many amps? It does not pop back out when pressed. Still works but is real sensitive as it stays mostly inside the switch.
I did bring a new power cable with a 10 amp fuse from the battery to the relay and connected the original 2 cables to the relay also.
Can anyone post a diagram/picture of the correct wiring to/from the relay.
Thanks for your help or advise.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Al,

Your switch just broke from age, corrosion and such, not from any new power stress. The 10amp load is carried by the relay straight from the battery to the horns, the oem harness wires just carry a little load from the + side of the horn circuit/harnes to the trigger + side of the relay, then the - terminal goes to the horn button where it completes the circuit to ground when it's pushed! The spring behind the button may have rusted and partially broke, or the metal plate the horn button contacts may have also corroded and broke/fractured?? You should take the switch assembly off the bars and inspect it.

I could try to draw an ASCII type wiring diagram in this message, but they rarely look right once you submit the post, it doesn't preserve the spacing!!

So....I'll just describe it instead. Large power wire from battery terminal to Relay. Other end to the actual physical horns + connectors, the horns are grounded via their mounting.

IIRC the pink horn wire...you can test it to see if it's the 12V+ wire, it goes to the trigger + terminal of the relay, and the other (-) harness wire to the (-) side of the relay that is grounded by the horn button.

T.C.

[Tropic-al]

Thanks for the reply and advice TopCat.
I was wondering if I had connected something wrong. I will do your test as soon as I can and take the switch apart to look for something broken.
I do have the insides of another switch to use if needed.
Thanks again for the insight.

[Tropic-al]

Thank you TC !!

You were correct. Installation was not the problem, it was the button spring. Somehow the small end (ring) got stuck inside the bigger one at the other end and so could not push the button back. It stayed collapsed, so to speak. The horn worked but the button was just loose in the casing.
As I had another switch I put that spring in. It's perfect now and LOUD !
Thanks.

[MPittma100]

Stebel Nautilus Horn

These FIAM horns look ok and apparently are loud. But, if you want a REALLY LOUD horn that gets everyone's attention, you need to look at the Stebel Nautilus. Pretty much the same as far as wiring goes (uses relay). I mean this horn is LOUD!

A friend installed one on his bike and you most definitely do not want to hear this one indoors (garage). Test it outdoors. It blasts 139 DB! Comes in black or chrome and you do NOT need but one.



MP