>> Last Updated: 05/24/2007 07:34 PM Central Time <<

7. Horns                (Back to Topics)

OEM Replacement  Upgrade: Relay Required  Upgrade Electric  Upgrade Air  Add 2nd Switch

1. OEM Replacement (updated 05/24/07)

    

   1. WARNING - BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO MOUNT A HORN WHERE THE STOCK HORN IS LOCATED - BE SURE TO CONSIDER HOW IT WILL/WILL NOT CLEAR OTHER PARTS (FENDER!!)  WHEN YOU ARE SITTING ON THE BIKE (FRONT COMPRESSED) AND WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS (FRONT MORE COMPRESSED) - OTHERS HAVE FAILED TO DO SO AND HAVE SCRATCHES, DINGS AND DENTS ON THE "OTHER PARTS" - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

       

   2. Replacement & Relocation Using Harley Horn (For 650, but does work on 1100)  Jeff Sweigart

      DODGE33PD did this on his 06 - here's a pic of the result (he used a relay!)

       

   3. Direct Replacement

      -- porkchop  -  I added a Fiaam electric horn as a direct replacement. Available for around $10 from your local auto store or JC Whitney. At least as loud as the loudest car electric horn,

       

      -- t bone (tbone_spirit) -- mounted a $35.00 jc whipme oogah horn on an L bracket from a bolt on my crash bars at the top, used the regular horn wires, loud as hell and everyone looks wondering where the model T with drag pipes is LOL

       

      -- Replacement Horn on Steroids  - Daddo (DaddoCFL)
      
      Are you tired of the feeble sounding stock horn that has been supplied by Yamaha? With very little effort you can replace it with a 120 decibel Fiamme “Highway Blaster” electric horn. The benefit here is that you can, with care and attention, mount it in the stock horn location. Mine lived there for a few years until I mounted it in an unused air cleaner housing. Take care not to let the body of the horn extend more then one inch to the front of the frame tubes in that location. This will still clear the fender on a fully compressed fork by about 1”.
      
      I found mine at an auto parts store, but they sell the things all over the planet. Just make sure you get the “Highway Blaster” not the Fiamme “Blaster” model which is not as loud.

       

      Because of the substantial current draw of this monster, you will need to wire a relay with direct fused power from the battery to power it up. Although they don’t list the power draw of the Highway Blaster, I can tell you that it will fry a 10 amp fuse, and I had to go to a 15 amp version to make it happy. Pick up a plastic body, generic 30 amp relay at any auto supply store. The stock Yammie Horn plug wires will both power and supply a ground for the relay. Polarity is not important so it does not mater which wire goes to each or the two switch controller posts. Use crimp-on spade connectors for the wire ends. (See relay wiring diagram, discussion)
      
      Most auto supply stores sell in-line automotive style fuse holders. Run a hot (fused) wire to one of the switched posts on the relay, then run a power wire from the second switched post on the relay to the horn. Run a ground wire from the second connector post on the horn to ground. If you blow the power fuse when you blow the horn, just reverse the power and ground wires on the horn and you will be good to go. Fiamme of course does not give you any indication regarding which is the input post and which is the ground.
      
      When you are done, I would recommend that you completely seal all of the openings in the bottom of the relay housing with either GE Silicone seal or something similar. Plastic tie all of the wiring to the frame under your tank and you are done.
      
      Now when you press that horn button, you will activate the magnetic switch inside the relay. That will send power to that “WAKE UP and WATCH WHAT YOUR DOING” monster horn that you have. This horn has already caused individuals to jump when they were standing near the bike and I hit the horn button.
      
      If you choose to relocate the horn to another location, it is a simple matter of just extending the wiring to wherever you decide to put it.
       

      I remounted mine “sort of” inside my old Baron’s BAK filter housing which still lives on the right side of the bike (after MaxAir). If you will refer to the attached photos you will see the 2.75” hole that I cut in the aluminum backing plate. I then used an epoxy adhesive to mount the circular portion of the horn body into the filter backing plate. When the epoxy had set up, I replaced the teardrop K&N filter and then screwed on the chrome face plate for a perfect fit.

      
      Positioned where it is, it projects most of it’s sound to the front and right side of the bike (right at the driver’s window of an offending cage who is about to enter my lane and try to kill me).
      
       

       

      Another way - Stebel Air Horn - Separation & Mounting

       

      And yet another - in the Dog Bowl - Dipstick - (pictures coming) -

      I installed mine in my unused dog bowl. It was a tight fit but it worked out great. Once the chrome cover is installed, it does muffle the sound slightly. But still load enough to wake any cager. This is the Wolo horn from Harbor Freight for $44.95.

       

           

    

2. Upgrade - Need For Relay   (updated 05/24/07)

    

   Discussion:  (SilverBack)

    

   The existing horn activation circuit will begin to fail if you install after market horns such as Rivco Electrics or Rivco Air Horns without the use of an auxiliary relay. (I know from personal experience that failure occurs if the Electrics are used without a relay). 

    

   Relays are available from the supplier of your after market horns, and also from auto parts stores. Also from Radio Shack - part # 275-226 (30 amp, 12 volt relay) price was around $6.00.  Click here to see a typical relay wiring diagram - if you are not wiring in air horns, the lines that go to the compressor will go to your new electric horns.  (Note: the  (-) wire from the compressor  must go to ground - any bolt on the frame. or direct to the battery (-) post).

    

   I mounted a relay for my Rivco Electric Blasters behind the bracket to which the stock horn was attached.  Once it was wired, I wrapped it tightly in black electrical tape, and then held it in place behind the bracket with a black zip-tie.  Almost impossible to see.  I used the stock horn wires (which had terminated with a plug at the bracket) as the trigger portion of the relay and a live all the time wire from the battery as the "triggered: feed to the horns, which I located on the upper bolts of the Yamaha "crash" bar.  - See my set-up here. http://www.sloneservices.com/SilverBack/My-Ride-Pics.htm

    

   More Discussion: drayman86

   
   Never having dealt with 12V DC relays, I found the above diagram to be a bit confusing (NOTE: since fixed - but the word here are good!). I had mine wired wrong at first, until I went back and re-read Larry's description on wiring the relay. His instruction that "The stock Yammie Horn plug wires will both power and supply a ground for the relay" are what got me to the correct wiring.
   
   How about adding something like this:

   
   -- "Most four-pole 12V DC relay posts are numbered 30, 85, 86, and 87. Connect the relay, upgrade horn, and power supply as follows:
   1. Unplug the stock horn. There will be two wires in this connection: a pink ground wire and a brown "hot" or positive wire.
   2. Run the fused connector directly from the battery to post number 30 on the relay.
   3. Use male spade crimp connectors in the stock horn wiring locations (16-14 AWG size), connect the pink wire to post 85 on the relay, and connect the brown wire to post 86 on the relay.
   4. Using female spade crimp connectors (16-14 AWG size), connect the upgrade horn positive to post 87 on the relay, and connect the horn negative (i.e. ground) to a ground location on the bike. Since the tank is off, you have easy access to the bolts on the right-side frame bracket that holds the rear cylinder fuel line and air cleaner housing."
   
   With those male crimp connectors in the stock horn wiring harness, there's no need to cut any of the stock horn wiring.

    

   An upgrade link with pictures: http://s180867979.onlinehome.us/links/docs/AirHornWiring.pdf

    

    

3. Upgrade - Electric

    

   SilverBack's Rivco Electric Blasters

    

4. Upgrade - Air (updated 1/18/06)

    

   1. Rivco Air Horns

       

      -- Bayman (BlueStar2001) -- located where the air filter housing used to be (I have MaxAir) and installed the compressor in the tool box compartment on the left side (with the AIS pump removed)

      -- EarsFlappn  -- I've got the Rivco air horns. If you want I can snap a pic and send the link

       

   2. Others

       

      -- Todd (toddgregg):

      I installed a Stebel Nautilus Compact Dual Tone Air Horn. ($36 at this link - has pictures)

      It has both horns and the pump in a single compact unit. It is 139db. A train horn at 159db is listed as the loudest on the planet.

       

      I attached it to the top triple tree with the horn openings just below the bottom of my Windvest windshield. Had to drill a 1/4 hole in the front of the tree. That will probably sound like a weird place but it actually looks like it belongs there. It did require a relay which is included in the package. I mounted the relay under the seat. You will need some wire and a fuse holder w/20a fuse. Power straight from battery and relay triggered with horn wire.

       

      It is so loud that it hurts my ears going down the highway with my full-face helmet on. And it will clear your lane when someone starts drifting over. For all they know there is an 18 wheeler bearing down on them so they instantly jerk back into their lane.

      

       

   3. Where to Locate Air Pump

      -- In the Bag - some users have literally put the air pump in the bag on the bike.

      -- If the AIS has been removed, there is space in its former location to mount the air pump

      -- Many warn to NOT put it low down on the front of the bike (near starter) as it is exposed to too much "weather" there.

       

5. Add Another Horn Switch

    

   This mod adds a switch to the side of the left control box, making it easier to locate.

       http://www.vstar1100.com/Horn%20Modification.pdf

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