In praise of air horns

[MiCarl]

A few weeks ago I replaced the stock horns on the VR with air horns. Today a guy started to swerve into my lane when he got stuck behind a stopping truck. A blast from the pair of 118db horns sent him back in a hurry, he almost rolled he jerked back so fast. Then he sat there for a long time before changing lanes.

 

I think he may have actually soiled himself:)

Edited June 13, 2008 by MiCarl

[AZSpyder]

Gotta love it!

[KeithR]

I can relate to what you are saying. I installed a Stebel horn this year and I have had to give a few drivers a blast. Sure makes them pay attention!

 

Keith

[Rocket]

A blast from the pair of 139db horns sent him back in a hurry, he almost rolled he jerked back so fast.

 

Glad you got his attention & back into his lane.......

[Guest ReinyRooster]

Keith...love the "signature"...very nice. Looking forward to tipping a pint with you.

[lonestarmedic]

Where did you end up installing the horns on your 1st Gen. I have been thinking

about mounting one on each side just under the driving lights on the Squidley driving light brackets.

 

JB

[Dano]

And where's the best place to get them?

[Venturous Randy]

I put a set of airhorns under the upper fairing and they look ok. I used to have chrome ones, but over years they went bad, so I bought a cheap set from Harbour Freight and painted the red horns gloss black. I also have a compressor for each horn rather than splitting and they are even louder. I have no doubt they have saved me from serious injury or death. It is amazing how many people do not pay attention to what they are doing while driving.

RandyA

[MiCarl]

Where did you end up installing the horns on your 1st Gen. I have been thinking

about mounting one on each side just under the driving lights on the Squidley driving light brackets.

 

JB

 

I mounted them pretty much in the stock location. Because I didn't want them sticking out real far I swept the brackets I made back about 30 degrees.

 

I removed the stock horn and brackets. I had some of the connectors that join sections of a garage door laying around. I cut one at about the 2/3 point, the short piece is used on the right and the long piece on the left (the mount on the horn is off center). The holes that were in the brackets worked perfectly. I bent them about 30 degrees where they attach to the frame to sweep the horns back (without the sweep they hit the lower cowling - unless you stick them out way far). I added a small hole in each to engage the locating hole on the frame tab to keep them from sagging.

 

The horns are made by WO-LO http://www.wolo-mfg.com/air.htm. I got mine from J.C. Whitney, Northern tool and Harbor Freight also carry them. Stebel has one that seems to have identical packaging.

 

I'll put up pictures over the weekend.

http://images.kodakgallery.com/servlet/Images/1944276755/photos3675/5/37/66/48/99/0/99486637514_0_BG.jpg

[Tatonka]

Thanks guys for reminding me about the most important things when riding:

 

1) Be seen

2) Be heard

3) Be safe

 

I always thought I was a good defensive driver (in my younger days I had crashes with 6 cages and naturally lost), but I found out again it just isn't enough. The day after I picked up my 98 RSTC this April, a cage ran me off the road on the I-4 heading towards Tampa. I'm always looking for free space to the front and sides, so I didn't argue with him and just took the small concrete strip on the left side of the highway as an escape route. I thought the bike was loud enough with straight through slash cuts, but he definitely didn't hear or see me. To be honest, I never had time to think about my horn which wouldn't have helped anyway.

 

I didn't even get mad, just said a prayer of thanks and pointed towards my eyes as I drove past him on the right side after I got back on the road.

 

I like that idea with the dual air horns with two compressors. Is there a problem with electrical load at all?

[Venturous Randy]

.

 

I like that idea with the dual air horns with two compressors. Is there a problem with electrical load at all?

 

Not that I can tell. Also, electric motors in general do not take a lot of amps compared to a lightbulb, which technically is a dead short to ground. I just had a couple of compressors where I had bought several horn sets over the years and it was just easier to run one short hose to each one rather than a "Y" and splitting it. It also has more "umph"

I will try to take a picture of how I mounted mine and post it later.

RandyA

[Tartan Terror]

I agree. The airhorns teamed with the headlight modulator has gotten the attention of many a few that would have hurt me. I use the Rivco horns as it makes the side of the bike a little cleaner and they mount underneath the swingarm but any of them are a must do mod on these bikes!!!

[MiCarl]

Ok, some pics of the mounts.

 

Sorry, rained on the ride home tonite........

[BEER30]

I have the HF 135+ decibel air horns as well . Mounted one trumpet under each drivers running boards . Mounted the compressor under the scoot on the 45* tab on the cross-bar where the center stand would be located . Only had to re-drill one of the 2 holes the next size up on it to bolt on the compressor . It's relay tied into the stock horn , so I have air horns and stock .

 

BEER30

[Guest ReinyRooster]

I've got the Rivcos and I have had to laugh on a few occasions when I've used then and could swear the gager's next stop was to change his shorts.

[AKRefugee]

My son was riding with me one day and we got behind this guy with his window down, his arm half hanging out and him yakking on his cell phone. We followed hIm through the neighborhood for about 6 blocks till he finally just stopped in the middle of the street for no reason, still yakking on that damn phone. I started to go around him and gave a blast on the horns to just let him know for sure I was there. Three things happened Qquite quickly when I did that.

 

1st The cell phone jump out of his hand, out the window and under the car.

 

2nd he jumped so much his foot must have came off the brake because the car lurched forward, ran over the phone and then died with the rear tire sitting on top of the phone.

 

3rd his head snapped around like a rotor blade on a helicopter looking to see where that horn came from.

 

Even when we went by him laughing our behinds off he still didn't figure it was just our little ole motorcycle .

 

My son and I still get a laugh whenever either of us mention it. :rotf:

 

I LOVE MY HORNS