Fuggedabout What I Said About Mounting a Steibel Airhorn

Unless you are a lightweight rider! Yesterday, I had to do an unexpected, rapid stop, with a pavement drop. Heard a loud 'clunk', but since no bits fell off, I continued to ride. Got home and investigated what happened. Conclusion is that, given my weight (250#), the additional fork compression of the stop and pavement drop caused the Steibel to bottom out on the front fender, causing a crack in the plastic! I was able to use plastic weld to repair the crack and, with all respect and props to DennisB, I made my own version of a light bar. Since Sears was out of MIG wire, I bolted it together, so the horn is outside and clear of the body. Doesn't particularly bother me that it isn't as clean a job as before, but it works, and that's what counts! Sorry if I lead anyone down a false trail!

Rick

You found out the hard way that on a dynamic system you have to consider all possibilities of flex, and distortion of everything involved not just how things fit at rest. Don't feel too bad about it, lots of folks forget that things on a vehicle aren't static but tend to move.

exavid wrote:

You found out the hard way that on a dynamic system you have to consider all possibilities of flex, and distortion of everything involved not just how things fit at rest. Don't feel too bad about it, lots of folks forget that things on a vehicle aren't static but tend to move.

You are so right, but the funny thing is that I really bounced with my full weight on the center stand and it didn't bottom! Guess the cumulative effect of three variables was too much!
Another check in the box "Lessons Learned The Hard Way"!

Rick

Honda designed stuff to work....add junk to bike and sometimes there is conflict/touch/break. Ouch. Think hard braking trying to avoid something /swerve and steering locked---hit and more ouch and maybe pain.

john grinsel wrote:

Honda designed stuff to work....add junk to bike and sometimes there is conflict/touch/break.  Ouch.  Think hard braking trying to avoid something /swerve and steering locked---hit and more ouch and maybe pain.

That's correct, just wish they would have put a horn on the bike that U. S. drivers would respond to! But it is the same with every Japanese designed car I've owned! A little peep, peep just doesn't wake up the lane drifting driver on the phone!

Rick

I don't know why Honda installs such weak, "meep-meep" horns on their bikes. I had to put a pair of Rivco air horns on my 1500 Goldwing to get any respect. The OEM horns on the 1800 on the other hand are very loud. My '95 BMW K bike has a factory set of electric horns that sounds like a '59 Buick on steroids. However my '13 BMW 650GT scooter has the meeper horns. I have a set of old style two tone K bike horns on order from a salvage yard to correct the scooter's lack of beep.

Spent the day removing Tupperware and remaking horn connections! After working perfectly yesterday and during the morning coffee run, it quit on the way home! Checked the relay for problems, remade the ground, all I get is a click from behind the gauge cluster, and the schematic doesn't show a horn relay there!
Went to an old, trusted 'swag' source - "Griot's Garage". Became aware of that company back when I was a member of VSCDA, " Vintage Sports Car Driver's Association". Griot's carrys some fine stuff, including a 118db electric horn! Don't ask me the price - forgot it that fast! Old age, I guess?
Well, tomorrow is another day, and since it is supposed to rain, Illl be tracing wires and hopefully, reinstalling the t'ware!
BOTHER!

Horn is made by Hella and is under $66.99. Apparently, no relays or extra wiring to deal with.