Aftermarket Horn

[deilenberger]

Very similar to the freeway blaster..

FWIW - the stock 1150RT horn(s) are a direct plug/play - but you can only plug one of them in. They are a snail design, not unusually louder than the beeper horn, but a bit more directed I think.

The horn I have - and still can't remember exactly where it came from, but I'm guessing Ebay - is a FIAMM AM80S. AM80 is a standard Fiamm horn. Comes in low and high tone. Dunno which this is. It's pretty much identical to the horns BMW used on the RT.

Here's a photo with the connector:



The horn looks brand new. The connector looks used. I'm guessing I bought this off Ebay (really have to go back and see..) with the connector on it.

[mechanic savant]

I'd like the part # for the wiring repair piece if anyone knows it ..I'm going to use the original feed to sw. the relay (yet to be installed) that will cary the horn load ...or if anyone has a defunct r/t horn & would sell just the connector ???

[deilenberger]

I'd like the part # for the wiring repair piece if anyone knows it ..I'm going to use the original feed to sw. the relay (yet to be installed) that will cary the horn load ...or if anyone has a defunct r/t horn & would sell just the connector ???

The stock RT horn connector is molded to the horn - it can't be removed. Been There, Tried That, Didn't Work (BTTTDW?) - Which is why the connector from Nippy Normans is of interest (which I suspect IS a repair connector - but we don't know the BMW PN, and I bet Nippy isn't telling..)

[celticus]

Does this horn require a relay?
Mark

[deilenberger]

Does this horn require a relay?
Mark

If you mean a single RT horn - no. Plugs right in, makes noise.

I haven't tried a pair of RT horns (but I will..) I suspect they shouldn't need a relay since they are usable on an RT (which has both connectors in place, but only one used apparently..) but dunno - have to try it.

[deilenberger]

Umm... I guess people are gonna be pissed at me.. but - that's happened before.

I found I had all the parts I needed right in my grubby hands to add a decent set of Fiamm horns to the bike.

I had already added a FIAMM that was from an R1150RT wreck (and I'd also gotten the connector going to that horn, with about 8" of wire attached..) That horn had been installed in place of the stock beeper horn, on the stock bracket, and the stock wiring plugged right in. Piece'a cake.. I think I covered this months ago...

But - when the horny discussion started again - and the great info on the connector available from Nippy Norman in the UK popped up.. it somehow motivated me to look in the garage at the pile of project junk I had for the Roadster, where to my amazement - I found the horn shown below - complete with a female connector on a pigtail (like Nippy's) attached that the stock wiring harness plugged into.



I have NO idea where I got this horn, and don't even remember ever getting it. I'm totally clueless on how it came into my possession - but there it is, as I got it..

Well - remember the connector I got with the horn off the wrecked RT? I spent some time this AM, and put it to good use:



That's the new horn - with both a male (black) and female (white) connector - both on pigtails. Just took a bit of work with a soldering iron, a lot of shrink-fit tubing, a professional crimping tool. Normal stuff. Took about an hour to get it to this shape.

So - then - where to mount the new horn?

I'd been eyeballing the left side of the tank, and spotted an empty hole left from when there used to be a charcoal canister mount. It looked as if it had room to mount the horn, with no interference from surrounding stuff or the fork tubes, so I gave it a shot:



Mounted just fine (and the horn had come with the strap used..)

From the other side of the bike, I now connected all the wiring (and you can see both horns..):



And it worked fine. The original horn was "meep.. meep" - the single Fiamm was "Beep.. beep" the pair together - "BEEP! BEEP!" - I rode to a friends shop and BEEP'd them as I pulled in the driveway.. he came running out to see why a truck was pulling in.

Mission accomplished.

For everyone who was waiting for me to order the pigtails from Nippy Norman and distribute them.. I don't think I'll be doing that. I did Email Nippy if someone wants to pick up the cudgel and carry on..

Nippy agreed to a 15% reduction in the asking price (which is the VAT tax amount - which we wouldn't have to pay) and he agreed to shipping 4 of them for 20 UK Pounds (which is gonna be about $40 USD, or $10/each.) If someone does want to pick up the project, just PM me and I'll forward you the email fron Norman.. he was quite prompt in replying so I think it could be pretty simple to set up.

[celticus]

What did you do with the hoses that came off of the charcoal emissions cannister? just plug them?
Mark

[deilenberger]

What did you do with the hoses that came off of the charcoal emissions cannister? just plug them?
Mark

No - you have to do the right thing with the hoses..

One is a vent for the fuel tank. If you plug this one - it will be a very bad thing - since the pump is capable of sucking a big vacuum on the tank (possibly collapsing it..) There is another hose off the cannister that is a vent for the cannister - that one runs down to behind the left side foot-peg.

You connect the tank vent hose to the cannister vent hose, basically converting the vent for the tank into one going to air behind the footpeg. A small plastic hose coupling works fine for this.

There is a third hose to the cannister - which is the one from the vacuum valve that connects to the left throttle-body. I plugged this hose, and left the valve in place and the hose from the valve to the vacuum body in place.

[digga]

Ummm.... much the same thing going off in the 1150 forum..

Nippy Normans do have another horn, again a STEBEL, but this one is 136db as opposed to the compact which is 139db.

The latter is phsically bigger ( but still called compact-go figure!)than the other.. the 136db one will fit easily in the position as shown in the pics..

[deilenberger]

Ummm.... much the same thing going off in the 1150 forum..

Nippy Normans do have another horn, again a STEBEL, but this one is 136db as opposed to the compact which is 139db.

The latter is phsically bigger ( but still called compact-go figure!)than the other.. the 136db one will fit easily in the position as shown in the pics..

I have the 139db Strebel, had it on a K75, then my RS.. now sitting on the workbench. Problem is - it would require more wiring to hook up, including a relay setup to power it.. and despite it being loud, it still has a very slight delay as pressure is built up when compared to a standard buzzer based horn (like FIAMM horns).

I may yet put it on, just have to wait until it gets a bit warmer in the garage (and I hang the new cabinets I got - actually - old kitchen cabinets my wife got the new ones.. so I have some room to move in the garage.)

[celticus]

What did you do with the hoses that came off of the charcoal emissions cannister? just plug them?
Mark

No - you have to do the right thing with the hoses..

One is a vent for the fuel tank. If you plug this one - it will be a very bad thing - since the pump is capable of sucking a big vacuum on the tank (possibly collapsing it..) There is another hose off the cannister that is a vent for the cannister - that one runs down to behind the left side foot-peg.

You connect the tank vent hose to the cannister vent hose, basically converting the vent for the tank into one going to air behind the footpeg. A small plastic hose coupling works fine for this.

There is a third hose to the cannister - which is the one from the vacuum valve that connects to the left throttle-body. I plugged this hose, and left the valve in place and the hose from the valve to the vacuum body in place.

Hpw do I tell one hose from another? Follow them back to their origins? Are they all the same size?
Mark

[deilenberger]

Hpw do I tell one hose from another? Follow them back to their origins? Are they all the same size?
Mark

Following them will work - as will blowing through them. If you blow into the gas tank vent hose - it will start to resist being blown into, and when you stop - a nice puff of air with gasoline fumes will come back out. If you blow into the canister vent hose - you'll hear the air exiting down near the footpeg. Connect these two hoses together and that pretty much leaves one hose that you just plug up.

Or follow them. If you're uncomfortable doing this - you might ask someone who has BTDT to help if you can find someone.

[eisen]

First of all, i have to say that the standard BMW horn is a piece of s%$^t
That is true for every bike in their line up apart from the LT - which is so loud it can move continents if you keep your finger on the button

Anyway, about a year ago, I purchased a STEBEL 136db horn from Nippy Normans.
It was supposed to go on my K12R, but there was NOWHERE to put it. So it sat on the shelf and i forgot about it.

Here is the link: http://www.nippynormans.com/prodinfo.as ... =2&mitem=6

Thanks to this thread - i remembered about it and had it fitted it on the R12R.
Here is the result:

Fits nice & snug. If it was even 1mm larger, there would be no room for it


Its big, but not unsightly


No complicated cutting or splicing + i get to keep the original horn button


Another view


I had BMW do the install - as i have NO idea about canbus, relays, etc...
I asked if they could do it, they said yes, and 10mins later i was HOOOONK HOOOONK 'ing everyone
As it is, i have been using the horn for about a week now. It does not rub, touch, move or interfere with any other parts - so i am happy to report that it is a LOUD horn, works great and the install was perfect.

BTW, they told me that fitting a "twin" horn would be out of the question if i wanted to keep the original "horn" button & that finding the space would be very difficult.

If anyone would like a more detailed report about how they installed it - let me know and i'll ask the dealer. I won't understand a word of what he says, but i'll happily pass on the info to you guys.

Regards,

E

[deilenberger]

BTW, they told me that fitting a "twin" horn would be out of the question if i wanted to keep the original "horn" button & that finding the space would be very difficult.

Since you don't have the charcoal cannister - that's just not true. You might print out and show them the photos of my dual horn setup. LOTS of room for a second horn once the cannister goes away.

[celticus]

Don, As you are using a twin horn set up are you using a relay for your horns? I would hate to burn up my stock switch and I am planning on removing my charcoal canister and using a Steibel non air horn.

Mark

[deilenberger]

Don, As you are using a twin horn set up are you using a relay for your horns? I would hate to burn up my stock switch and I am planning on removing my charcoal canister and using a Steibel non air horn.

Mark

No way you'll burn up the switch since the switch just tells the body module ZFE to turn the power to the horn leads on. If the current draw was excessive (it's not - the same ZFE is used with RT's with dual horns) - the ZFE would turn the wire off.

You can try the Strebel horn without a relay - if it works - it's fine. If it doesn't - the current draw exceeds the rated draw for that circuit and you'll have to go the relay route.

HTH,

[celticus]

Really? I never thought of that. I guess if you're using two horns without a relay I should be able to get away with one bigger horn and no relay.
Thanks
Mark

[celticus]

"You connect the tank vent hose to the cannister vent hose, basically converting the vent for the tank into one going to air behind the footpeg. A small plastic hose coupling works fine for this"
Don , You don't happen to remember what size coupling that is do you?
Mark

[deilenberger]

"You connect the tank vent hose to the cannister vent hose, basically converting the vent for the tank into one going to air behind the footpeg. A small plastic hose coupling works fine for this"
Don , You don't happen to remember what size coupling that is do you?
Mark

It's 6mm hose.. so.. (~5/16", or one that starts small and gets bigger..) I had one laying around.

[celticus]

Thanks Don.
Mark