Adding a real horn

[madmax-im]

Well got these shiny but stock type aftermarket set of horns on the bike now but they are just too pathetic for me to keep 'em...I am going to get a STebel Nautilus 139 db dual air horn...I'll also get an Eastern Beaver wiring harness and relay to wire this horn... I had this setup on my ST1100...
Question I have...Has anyone else mounted this horn to their XS/XJ?...I am just concerned with how to mount it. IIRC the nautilus had one bracket tab with a drilled hole for mounting...on my ST this hole was useless as i had bodywork in the way...so for those who have the STebel how hard was it to have it fit?

[fredintoon]

.I am going to get a STebel Nautilus 139 db dual air horn...I'll also get an Eastern Beaver wiring harness and relay to wire this horn... I had this setup on my ST1100...
Question I have...Has anyone else mounted this horn to their XS/XJ?...I am just concerned with how to mount it. IIRC the nautilus had one bracket tab with a drilled hole for mounting...on my ST this hole was useless as i had bodywork in the way...so for those who have the STebel how hard was it to have it fit?

Hi Madmax,
got me one of those as a father's day gift. Christ is it LOUD!
I made a 7-shaped bracket from 1/8" thick aluminum sheet that bolts to the right-side lower triple tree which puts the horn "In yer face" sticking out to the right side of the bike.
Now the square-headed M8 mounting bolt in the package is supposed to stick out to the back of the cast-in mounting bracket through a U-shaped notch. I found this out by whining to the mfrs about the M8 fastener not fitting through the 6mm hole in the top of the casting and having to drill it out to 8mm to get the bolt through it to mount the horn.
This led to me finally turning over the "you must use a relay" WARNING label in the pack and looking at the installation drawing on it's other side.
Had I known sooner I would have twisted my bracket through 29º rather than bend the top over through 119º.
Solo riders beware! This placement will make the horn vulnerable to road rash on a solo machine but it's well sheltered on a sidecar rig.

[thewiz]

Don't know what brand these are ...

my buddy calls 'em 'Dolly Partons' ... you can probably see why[IMG][/IMG]. They sound like a freight train out front ... really gets their attention .... and I don't hesitate to use 'em.

[madmax-im]

They may sound like a Dolly Parton but they look like a Twiggy...LOL...My stock horns are not audible(to me) with me running the bike at speed...the only time I can hear them is when I do the pre-ride check...
A couple things I have learned about the STebel Nautilus...1st ALWAYS mount the horn vertically...that is with the cylindrical portion vertical and the trumpets (where the sound exits) down and pointed to the side. There is a little motor in the horn that could tend to fail early if the horn is mounted horizontally.
2ndly...ALWAYS use a separate wiring harness and relay...this horn draws so much current that if you used the stock wiring ...it will fry it sooner or later.
3rd thing I learned... NEVER test this horn in a confined space like a garage...DAMHIK

[thewiz]

I think the reference to 'Dolly' ...

was a bit enthusiastic ... they are somewhat more conspicuous than the originals.

They'll flat hurt your ears if you're standin' out in front of 'em though ..

[madmax-im]

was a bit enthusiastic ... they are somewhat more conspicuous than the originals.

They'll flat hurt your ears if you're standin' out in front of 'em though ..

Interesting how they look like they mount exactly like the stock horns...pls inquire your buddy to find out who makes them and perhaps I could find a set...Thanks

[madmax-im]

Interesting how they look like they mount exactly like the stock horns...pls inquire your buddy to find out who makes them and perhaps I could find a set...Thanks

OH... I neglected to read carefully...LOL... ok you have no idea who makes them and they're on your bike...they look great and if they really are as loud as you say then I'm sure I'd be happy with a set of these too.I will do an ebay search...ya never know...

[thewiz]

OK, Mad ...

just looked at 'em. They say on them "NIKKO", made in Japan. I have the box they came in somewhere with the factory horns in it. Next to my F with factory horns, these Nikkos blow 'em outa' the water, excuse the pun

[TopCatGr58]

Hey BNE,

Just did a search for NIKKO HORNS and found that www.Z1enterprises.com sells 2 versions, a 2.5 amp and 3.0 amp, 105 and 110 db's respectively under the electrical section for our bikes, 2nd or 3 page....not the ECONOMY horns!

With that kind of current draw, this is why folks will put a relay in place, using the little 18 ga horns wires to trigger the relay, and run a tap directly from the battery, even from the AUX terminals to drive the actual main power for the horns using much thicker 12 or 14 ga wire!
T.C.

[thewiz]

Thx, TC for doin' ...

that search. These horns were on the bike when I got it, so sorry for bein' so vague. I've had my face burried deep in my bikes for a solid week. Gettin' me a smooth bore education these days. Should be done today and runnin' better than ever.

There has been no relay installed but the leads look like they've been modified at some point ... I'll check a little closer and see if I can see an amp rating on them.

[psycoreefer]

I used a couple of pieces of steel and made a "T" off the horn mounting bracket, then I clamped the "T" to the swing arm piviot putting the horn under the center of the bike pointed forward and slightly down....works great for me, but I don't have a center stand on the bike because of the exhaust system on it, if you have a center stand it might hit the horn,

I used a relay I had left from installing a remote starter in my truck, pulled power from the hot post on the starter solenoid, it was right there and then I don't have to mess with an extra wire on the battery. I fused it through one of the extra spaces on the TC fuse box I installed...Put the relay where the stock accessory fuse mounts.

The relay...


the horn...

[madmax-im]

Hey BNE,

Just did a search for NIKKO HORNS and found that www.Z1enterprises.com sells 2 versions, a 2.5 amp and 3.0 amp, 105 and 110 db's respectively under the electrical section for our bikes, 2nd or 3 page....not the ECONOMY horns!

With that kind of current draw, this is why folks will put a relay in place, using the little 18 ga horns wires to trigger the relay, and run a tap directly from the battery, even from the AUX terminals to drive the actual main power for the horns using much thicker 12 or 14 ga wire!
T.C.

Thanks TC I appreciate that..I will check 'em out...I will most likely want something louder than the Nikkos...STebels' are 139db and quarnteed to wake up that brain dead cager texting or yacking away on the celly...

[madmax-im]

I used a couple of pieces of steel and made a "T" off the horn mounting bracket, then I clamped the "T" to the swing arm piviot putting the horn under the center of the bike pointed forward and slightly down....works great for me, but I don't have a center stand on the bike because of the exhaust system on it, if you have a center stand it might hit the horn,

I used a relay I had left from installing a remote starter in my truck, pulled power from the hot post on the starter solenoid, it was right there and then I don't have to mess with an extra wire on the battery. I fused it through one of the extra spaces on the TC fuse box I installed...Put the relay where the stock accessory fuse mounts.

The relay...


the horn...

Wow interesting installation...I am looking at mounting the horn in the same area as the stock-ers are. With a wiring harness and relay from Eastern Baever...the relay is already wired into the harness and everything connects by plug and play...all you have to do is mount the horn and route the wires and connect oh and all the wire is 14 ga. and the crimps are very best quality......then go out and have some fun

[thewiz]

Once it stops raining ...

I'll pull these bikes out and try to take a movie of them blowing .... then you could have a better idea and a way to make a comparison. Never took a movie yet but I do have the camera manual

Very clever and clean install too, Psycho ... nice!!

[fredintoon]

I used a couple of pieces of steel and made a "T" off the horn mounting bracket, then I clamped the "T" to the swing arm piviot putting the horn under the center of the bike pointed forward and slightly down....works great for me, but I don't have a center stand on the bike because of the exhaust system on it, if you have a center stand it might hit the horn, - - -

Hi psyco,
so you put it under the bike just ahead of the rear tire?
How will it sound and how long will it survive when it's being firehosed with water flung off the rear tire every time you ride on wet roads?
BTW, I have this quite loud horn on my old BSA that was on the bike when I bought it ~17 years ago. Says NIKKO on it.