Just got my '17 1200GSA yesterday and took it out for a spin this PM. In checking out everything I could think of, I discovered that the the horn sounds like one of Little Bo Peep's lost sheep. What recommendations for a horn that would wake the dead or stir the cell phone texter? Thanks, JD
Horn Upgrade?
judgedelta
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At the risk of being a spoiler, I received a Denali Soundbomb for Christmas from my sister-in-law. It died in less than a year. I contacted Denali and they wouldn't honor their warranty without the original purchase receipt, which she no longer had. I have a friend who had a similar experience with the Soundbomb. So, I won't buy from Denali again. Just my $ .02 worth.
Al
Al
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917 Posts
Online Order?
I do the majority of my purchases online now days and save the receipt on my PC.
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1,546 Posts
Most of the time it's the cheap relay that goes bad. A simple relay from your auto parts store should fix it.
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47 Posts
I rarely use my horn ,but when I do I use Dos Equis ...oops wrong forum...I rarely use my horn either but when I do everybody hears it
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1,374 Posts
In California I never bother using my horn since the other driver interprets it as you see them and will avoid letting them hit you.
I've had people change lanes on the highway into me while I was on the horn and they were looking out the side window right at me the entire time and just kept coming.
If anything I want a horn that is about half as loud as the stock unit, so I can use it to alert a driver that's texting that the light has turned green, but I don't want to upset them with a loud horn and get shot.
I've had people change lanes on the highway into me while I was on the horn and they were looking out the side window right at me the entire time and just kept coming.
If anything I want a horn that is about half as loud as the stock unit, so I can use it to alert a driver that's texting that the light has turned green, but I don't want to upset them with a loud horn and get shot.
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257 Posts
Air horn?
I have an air horn, but I am a little ambivalent about it. It is so loud that I am afraid to use it in traffic because I think it will startle people and perhaps cause them to do something dangerously erratic. It definitely makes people jump and is really quite annoyingly loud. I think if I did it again I might consider one of the louder electric options that could be used with the existing mounts and wiring. I wish I could select which horn to use (I left the factory horn in the circuit.)
I was hoping that the loud horn would deter animals (deer, cattle, etc) that I might see on the road far in front of me, but though it gets their attention, they just stare at me, then only scatter as I get very close.
I have an air horn, but I am a little ambivalent about it. It is so loud that I am afraid to use it in traffic because I think it will startle people and perhaps cause them to do something dangerously erratic. It definitely makes people jump and is really quite annoyingly loud. I think if I did it again I might consider one of the louder electric options that could be used with the existing mounts and wiring. I wish I could select which horn to use (I left the factory horn in the circuit.)
I was hoping that the loud horn would deter animals (deer, cattle, etc) that I might see on the road far in front of me, but though it gets their attention, they just stare at me, then only scatter as I get very close.
The horn on my 2015 GS started to become intermittent. Holding the horn button down caused beeping at about 2 per sec intervals -Then stopped altogether. I bought a bmw 5 series horn that had a canbus connector - plug and play. The horn I replaced looked identical and was marked Denali. New horn worked about 2 weeks and then started doing the same thing. Maybe it was the horn relay at fault in the first place???. Anybody know where the horn relay is ?
Most people on GSs seem to use the Denali Sound bomb, but I'm not a fan due to the size. I installed a set of Hella hi/low horns purchased on Amazon for $25. They are compact and easliy mounted them up under my beak using my running light brackets. They come with the same femaie connector socket as the original horn so the connections remains water tight.
I wanted the wiring to look and function as if original equipment, so... I went to a local dismantler, took one of the horns with me and found that the pigtails from a Mini Cooper use the same male connector, $2 later they were mine. I clipped the original single connection, grafted my new pair of connectors with the appropriate length wiring to each horn and they work flawlessly. I programmed my Ezhex to flash my Clearwaters when I use the horn, very pleased with the volume and no issues.
I wanted the wiring to look and function as if original equipment, so... I went to a local dismantler, took one of the horns with me and found that the pigtails from a Mini Cooper use the same male connector, $2 later they were mine. I clipped the original single connection, grafted my new pair of connectors with the appropriate length wiring to each horn and they work flawlessly. I programmed my Ezhex to flash my Clearwaters when I use the horn, very pleased with the volume and no issues.
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161 Posts
I was looking at those. Were you able to install and connect directly, using the OEM mounting and wiring or was some custom parts needed?
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487 Posts
I did a direct swap with a BMW car horn. Plug and play and your bike will sound like a car.
www.autohausaz.com
Clarton 61338381271, 99763520504 Horn - BMW
Find Clarton, 99763520504 Horn 61338381271 at discount prices in our extensive BMW auto parts catalog. AutohausAZ offers a large selection of Clarton parts online. Fits BMW 530i, 525i, 525i Sport Wagon. 997-635-205-04
www.autohausaz.com
it's not 100% plug and play but almost. The horn does not use the BMW connector, you have to cut the wire and install the provided terminal (there is enough loose in the wire harness to keep 1" of wire with the plug, in case you to put the original horn back).
The Denali-Mini is thicker than the BMW, you have to bend the mounting bracket, otherwise it touches the frame.
If you are near Quebec City, drop by and we'll install it at my garage.
I installed the Denali Sound Bomb on my 2008 R1200GS. In June 2021, I rode from Phoenix, Arizona to North Carolina via Tail of the Dragon. A woman four wheeler at a red light in Georgia was asleep or texting on her cellphone when it turned green. She just sat there. I laid on the Sound Bomb. I think she crapped her panties.
At next red light, she pulled her Snub Nosed .38 out on me!!!
Ditto. It's a cheap and easy improvement on the horn BMW stupidly and unforgivably supplied with the GS/GSA, sounding more like a choir boys wet flatulence than a device to wake the odd blind and asleep 4 wheeler.I did a direct swap with a BMW car horn. Plug and play and your bike will sound like a car.
Clarton 61338381271, 99763520504 Horn - BMW
Find Clarton, 99763520504 Horn 61338381271 at discount prices in our extensive BMW auto parts catalog. AutohausAZ offers a large selection of Clarton parts online. Fits BMW 530i, 525i, 525i Sport Wagon. 997-635-205-04
That said it still isn't a patch on the 2018 K1600 GTL OEM horns which are superb and put the fear of Christ up the occasional dozy donkey. And so I'll be installing a Denali Sound Bomb this winter (sadly the GTL horns don't fit my GSA) with a set of Denali D3 lights to again ward of Kamikaze 4 wheelers and friends. If the lights don't wake em up a combination of strobing lights and a horn from the SS United States will ;-)
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I fitted a Denali Sound bomb (the split unit) to my R1200GS LC during May 2015. In Jan 2020 i transferred it to my R1250 GSA and it still performs fantastic! It ensures that the sleeping farts who fill our roads get a rude awakening. It is a worthwhile investment. If you are technically skilled it is not difficult to fit a interposing relay to supply the amps required directly from the battery and still use the original horn button.
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