Stock HORN Upgrade...

19033 Views 83 Replies 34 Participants Last post by Chris<CJ>, 3 d ago

RedHeadBoxer

Discussion Starter · Jul 5, 2018

Hello All,

Has anyone upgraded the horn on your R9T? I am running a trick'd out custom 2017 Pure errr NOW ROADSTER (pics will follow soon) and want to replace the anemic horn that sounds like I am on a scooter... Anyone???

I am looking for the best, loudest and ease of install. I know the Denali Mini SoundBomb is out there, not sure if its the right one for me.

Thanks... Mit Besten Gruben

21 - 40 of 84 Posts

pistonlegs

· #21 · Mar 6, 2020

pistonlegs said:
Hi there, Looking to upgrade the stock horn, I got the Denali Sound Bomb Mini. Unfortunately quite disappointed. Not louder than stock and sounds like it caught a cold. Maybe it is defective? Could not upload video as MOV extensions are not allowed. Appreciate your comments if you have installed the DSBM. Cheers

Zanderk said:
Cost effective horn replacement

A pretty rubbish Sunday's weather drove me to the garage to work on my 9T. One of my jobs was to upgrade the frankly hopeless and embarrassing horn to a cost effective alternative. Happy to admit I’m not as mechanically competent as some forum members so I went for a replacement that would fit in the same space as the original without modding. Chose a single note AM80S FIAMM which cost a whopping £12 and came with two fitments, pin and spade, the former fitted straight to the original loom connector. The horn fitted onto the original bracket with a little persuasion and I just had to change the nut to fit the FIAMM threaded bolt. (6mm I think) A bit fiddly because it’s tight in there (I raised the petrol tank to give better access) but well worth it for a much louder sound. Will post a video of anyone is interested to hear.

Clarkson said:
Gotta get me one of these. The horn that comes with the bike is very embarrassing. I cannot believe BMW would want to associate a heritage bike with that emasculated mmeeeeep ...
You glide down the road with that impressive boxer engine sound, only to undo your grand entry with a honk comparable to a vespa.

Agree with you. But dont waste money on the denali mini. The denali proper seems to be a real bomb. But install a bit more involved.

Clarkson

· #22 · Mar 6, 2020

pistonlegs said:
Agree with you. But dont waste money on the denali mini. The denali proper seems to be a real bomb. But install a bit more involved.

Thanks for the heads up, Pistonlegs! I am a bit challenged with these things (reason why I take much more out of this forum than I give

). I'll look into the proper Denali and have it installed by folks that know what they are doing!
Cheers

BlitzSchnell

· #23 · Mar 7, 2020

I used the oil cooler rock guard and re-enforced the aluminum with a galvanized steel strip.
The 12vdc Relay sits where the original horn sat. I ran a 12g copper wire directly from the bus bar under the seat that ties directly to the positive side of the battery. It feeds both legs of the relay. I installed an inline 15A fuse under the seat to allow easy access if it blows. The horns are properly grounded as is the relay. The relay is STDP so I used one leg for each horn. The relay is tripped by the power directed to the original horn with the original horn button. Just one more way to skin this cat. They sound like a small truck ! In traffic they are like a American Express card, PRICELESS ... I’m very satisfied.
ADDENDUM At the suggestion of of a fellow 9Ter I aimed the horn opening down. Bugs !

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Reactions: 2

pistonlegs

· #24 · Mar 7, 2020

BlitzSchnell said:
I used the oil cooler rock guard and re-enforced the aluminum with a galvanized steel strip.
The 12vdc Relay sits where the original horn sat. I ran a 12g copper wire directly from the bus bar under the seat that ties directly to the positive side of the battery. It feeds both legs of the relay. I installed an inline 15A fuse under the seat to allow easy access if it blows. The horns are properly grounded as is the relay. The relay is STDP so I used one leg for each horn. The relay is tripped by the power directed to the original horn with the original horn button. Just one more way to skin this cat. They sound like a small truck ! In traffic they are like a American Express card, PRICELESS ... I’m very satisfied.
ADDENDUM At the suggestion of of a fellow 9Ter I aimed the horn opening down. Bugs !

View attachment 129827

Man, you lost me. You are at another level of skills. Good for you. My only concern with such a loud horn is if it would be taken as road rage by others, and hence increasing a different risk. Of others doing something stupid out of behing hot headed. I saw some leave the stock on and seens to be the only one it works in a dash beep. Safe riding.

BlitzSchnell

· #25 · Mar 7, 2020

pistonlegs said:
Man, you lost me. You are at another level of skills. Good for you. My only concern with such a loud horn is if it would be taken as road rage by others, and hence increasing a different risk. Of others doing something stupid out of behing hot headed. I saw some leave the stock on and seens to be the only one it works in a dash beep. Safe riding.

I’m tend to think that a horns positive or negative impact is somewhat dependent on how it is used. The frequency of use, the duration of noise, ...how you honk, has a great deal to do with how it’s interpreted. If you watch to see if the intended recipient reacts ..which is a good indication that they heard you and at that moment stop honking, most time there’s no harm done and you don’t get run over. Of course if you stand on you horn even when it’s obvious they heard you.. then you can expect a negative reaction. In my experience, its all in the honk and not the volume. Volume only assures you they heard you the first time you honked and not the second or third time after they’ve almost run you over. Using your horn defensively instead of offensively has an enormous effect on how it is taken an thus acted upon. Be courteous not corrosive. StayAliveUpOn2 my friend. I have an enormous amount of power available to me on this moto that I sometimes use fully ... I want the same option with my horn, great potential and power used with intelligence not belligerence will go a long way. It keeps me alive an well in traffic UpOn2 ... what more can I ask.

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Reactions: 1

speedm

· #26 · Mar 7, 2020

pistonlegs said:
Man, you lost me. You are at another level of skills. Good for you. My only concern with such a loud horn is if it would be taken as road rage by others, and hence increasing a different risk. Of others doing something stupid out of behing hot headed. I saw some leave the stock on and seens to be the only one it works in a dash beep. Safe riding.

Zanderk said:
Chose a single note AM80S FIAMM which cost a whopping £12 and came with two fitments, pin and spade, the former fitted straight to the original loom connector. The horn fitted onto the original bracket with a little persuasion and I just had to change the nut to fit the FIAMM threaded bolt. (6mm I think) A bit fiddly because it’s tight in there (I raised the petrol tank to give better access) but well worth it for a much louder sound. Will post a video of anyone is interested to hear.

@Zanderk 's solution was cheap and easy to install, just loud enough to be effective but not overly LOUD. Works perfect for me.

Reactions: 1

Boomerswany

· #27 · Mar 7, 2020

I love my Denali Soundbomb...!!

Surbyness

· #28 · May 31, 2020

As I was changing the battery and had raised the petrol tank, I thought I should have a go at changing the feeble horn.

With the tank raised, it took me 10mins to install a Denali Sound Bomb Mini. I purchased the Mini with the Spade to BMW Canbus connector. Works like a dream. I just wanted something easy to install, something louder and deeper sounding that the stock horn and something that wasnt on show. The Denali Mini fitted the bill.

Fitting was simple, just had to use the Nut that came with the Denali to secure it to the BMW bracket.

Reactions: 1

BaldyDave

· #29 · May 31, 2020

@Surbyness

Any photos of the process including the final install position of the new horn?

Surbyness

· #30 · May 31, 2020

Denali Mini fitted in exact same place as standard horn using OEM horn bracket (bent it back slightly to accomodate Denali Mini). It seems to fit nice and snug in the same place as OEM horn.All I had to do is use the Denali provided nut and Denali BMW Canbus connector.

Reactions: 1

Surbyness

· #31 · Sep 5, 2020

I'd say that the Denali Mini Soundbomb is a decent uplift in sound quality/loudness, but I know the Denali Soundbomb does sound louder. I just dont want the horn on show, as it would spoil the look of the bike,

The Hack

· #32 · Sep 5, 2020

Surbyness said:
As I was changing the battery and had raised the petrol tank, I thought I should have a go at changing the feeble horn.

With the tank raised, it took me 10mins to install a Denali Sound Bomb Mini. I purchased the Mini with the Spade to BMW Canbus connector. Works like a dream. I just wanted something easy to install, something louder and deeper sounding that the stock horn and something that wasnt on show. The Denali Mini fitted the bill.

Fitting was simple, just had to use the Nut that came with the Denali to secure it to the BMW bracket.

Great info, I'm in the same camp. I want something thats easy to fit and isn't the embarrassing chirp of the oem horn.

Reactions: 1

BlitzSchnell

· #33 · Sep 6, 2020

The Hack said:
Great info, I'm in the same camp. I want something thats easy to fit and isn't the embarrassing chirp of the oem horn.

I think, (and that usually gets me in trouble) ...the difference in the sound of a bike horn and an automobile or truck horn is obvious. I don’t know of any bikes with factory two-tone horns but almost all 4 wheeled vehicles have dual tones .. when I have the occasion to honk at auto’s in traffic (Because I have two-tone horns) ...they automatically think I’m a car or truck because of my horns ...I seem to get a much stronger and quicker response ... so I say ..do the upgrade Definitely, but go for the harmony in two tone units. Gives you more respect when people think it’s a truck and not a scooter ... beep beep !! ......Blitz

Reactions: 2

Boomerswany

· #34 · Sep 7, 2020

I Love my Denali Soundbomb. Super loud and not a visual distraction.

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Reactions: 2

The Hack

· #35 · Nov 17, 2020

My SoundBomb mini had been sitting on the garage shelf for a good few weeks, so decided to lift the petrol tank and fit it this weekend. The weather was suitably rubbish that working inside the garage seemed to be the best option.

I chose the Mini along with the CanBus connector as I was hoping it would be a straight swap with the original and mount in the same location hidden under the tank.

Unfortunately there is no way the SoundBomb Mini will fit in the same location as the original horn on my Urban GS, I cut the cable ties of all the cables in the vicinity of the horn so they could be moved out of the way, I also bent the mounting bracket as far as it would allow but there is no way the Mini will fit.

In the end I replaced the original horn while I consider if mount the mini in a different location or go for the full size SoundBomb considering i need to mount it in a different location anyway.

On a positive note the petrol tank was easier to remove than I was expecting, I guess I had been preparing for the worst. And it seemed like a good idea to replace the air filter while I had easy access. So not a completely wasted afternoon.

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Reactions: 1

BlitzSchnell

· #36 · Nov 18, 2020 (Edited)

The Hack said:
My SoundBomb mini had been sitting on the garage shelf for a good few weeks, so decided to lift the petrol tank and fit it this weekend. The weather was suitably rubbish that working inside the garage seemed to be the best option.

I chose the Mini along with the CanBus connector as I was hoping it would be a straight swap with the original and mount in the same location hidden under the tank.

Unfortunately there is no way the SoundBomb Mini will fit in the same location as the original horn on my Urban GS, I cut the cable ties of all the cables in the vicinity of the horn so they could be moved out of the way, I also bent the mounting bracket as far as it would allow but there is no way the Mini will fit.

In the end I replaced the original horn while I consider if mount the mini in a different location or go for the full size SoundBomb considering i need to mount it in a different location anyway.

On a positive note the petrol tank was easier to remove than I was expecting, I guess I had been preparing for the worst. And it seemed like a good idea to replace the air filter while I had easy access. So not a completely wasted afternoon.

When I removed the original horn from Blitz (2015 Classic) Hack, I used the space to hold a simple automobile stock 12vdc horn relay to which I attached the original hot wire from the horn button so when I hit the horn button the relay clicks and closes contacts as long as I’m holding down the button. Then I ran a heavy gage insulated copper wire with an inline 20amp fuse (under the seat so its easy to change if needed) directly from the battery to the new auto relay, from there I split it into two wires of the same heavy gage one to each side of the oil cooler and mounted my dual horns. They are sooo loud... I love it. Saved my butt in traffic more times than I can count. In traffic I use my horns and flash my high beams dozens of times every time I ride (Very short beeps and flashes) every time I see a vehicle that I even remotely think has not seen me. I know it works, I’ve seen them Stop abruptly when they were going to turn casually right in front of me. People aren’t looking for bikes ....
Loud pipes, loud horns, flashing lights ..... Hell.. Wave your arms if that helps .. BE Seen !
Don’t get dead or injured thinking they’ll drive like you would and be paying attention ..
You Get Attention ! .....StayUpOn2 Take an active and aggressive part in your safety, there are way to many pre-occupied stupid four-wheeled nimrod drivers ...... BeWell .....Blitz
P.S. I also have a shelf where parts are sitting, ..I’m thinking about moving that relay to a new place to make room for a Gorilla Thieft Alarm with remote a pager .... this bike has NO space to add anything ... She’s beautiful ..... but ✌😎 Enjoyed your posts Hack ... stay at it Mate.

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Bovril

· #37 · Nov 18, 2020

www.ebay.co.uk

BMW 3 X1 X5 Series E53 E84 E90 E91 E92 E93 Low Tone Pitch Horn Signal 7159421 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BMW 3 X1 X5 Series E53 E84 E90 E91 E92 E93 Low Tone Pitch Horn Signal 7159421 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

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This is what I fitted. Straight swap, tank bolts loosened but not removed and some skinned knuckles but done in about 15 minutes and massively louder. The plug is the same so no splicing or changing of connectors.

Reactions: 5

The Hack

· #38 · Nov 18, 2020

BlitzSchnell said:
When I removed the original horn from Blitz (2015 Classic) Hack, I used the space to hold a simple automobile stock 12vdc horn relay to which I attached the original hot wire from the horn button so when I hit the horn button the relay clicks and closes contacts as long as I’m holding down the button. Then I ran a heavy gage insulated copper wire with an inline 20amp fuse (under the seat so its easy to change if needed) directly from the battery to the new auto relay, from there I split it into two wires of the same heavy gage one to each side of the oil cooler and mounted my dual horns. They are sooo loud... I love it. Saved my butt in traffic more times than I can count. In traffic I use my horns and flash my high beams dozens of times every time I ride (Very short beeps and flashes) every time I see a vehicle that I even remotely think has not seen me. I know it works, I’ve seen them Stop abruptly when they were going to turn casually right in front of me. People aren’t looking for bikes ....
Loud pipes, loud horns, flashing lights ..... Hell.. Wave your arms if that helps .. BE Seen !
Don’t get dead or injured thinking they’ll drive like you would and be paying attention ..
You Get Attention ! .....StayUpOn2 Take an active and aggressive part in your safety, there are way to many pre-occupied stupid four-wheeled nimrod drivers ...... BeWell .....Blitz
P.S. I also have a shelf where parts are sitting, ..I’m thinking about moving that relay to a new place to make room for a Gorilla Thieft Alarm with remote a pager .... this bike has NO space to add anything ... She’s beautiful ..... but ✌😎 Enjoyed your posts Hack ... stay at it Mate. View attachment 137832

Thanks for the detailed info Blitz, great idea to use that space for a relay, the dual horns on your oil cooler look awesome I'll need to decide if I attempt to replace the original again or go full out with something like you have done.
Safe Riding Hack

Reactions: 1

The Hack

· #39 · Nov 18, 2020

Bovril said:
BMW 3 X1 X5 Series E53 E84 E90 E91 E92 E93 Low Tone Pitch Horn Signal 7159421 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BMW 3 X1 X5 Series E53 E84 E90 E91 E92 E93 Low Tone Pitch Horn Signal 7159421 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

This is what I fitted. Straight swap, tank bolts loosened but not removed and some skinned knuckles but done in about 15 minutes and massively louder. The plug is the same so no splicing or changing of connectors.

Great tip thanks, if i decide to replace the OEM I'll definitely be going this route.

laalves

· #40 · Dec 17, 2020

Bovril said:
BMW 3 X1 X5 Series E53 E84 E90 E91 E92 E93 Low Tone Pitch Horn Signal 7159421 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BMW 3 X1 X5 Series E53 E84 E90 E91 E92 E93 Low Tone Pitch Horn Signal 7159421 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

This is what I fitted. Straight swap, tank bolts loosened but not removed and some skinned knuckles but done in about 15 minutes and massively louder. The plug is the same so no splicing or changing of connectors.

Thanks for the info about the BMW car horn that is a straight fit! I just bought this same model one that comes with free shipping and looks like it's in good condition:

www.ebay.com

BMW 3 Series E90 Low Tone Horn Signal 7159421 for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BMW 3 Series E90 Low Tone Horn Signal 7159421 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Reactions: 1

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