Horns for Dummies & Headlight Bulb

[DMPLATT]

Well, I need to do some horn work. They've been weak for a while and yesterday My nephew was riding with me and using my GS. He was playing with the horn and killed the battery? WTF?
I'm thinking there is a short, I'll surely check the wiring.

My Dummy questions are: For a cheap fix, would any automotive cheap horn work? Or will I need a Relay?

Next: I've read about many people using relays. Not having seen or done this before, can someone give me step by step, to include WHERE to put the relay? Is it near the horn? Or by the battery?

Thanks.


Also, why we are at it. My Headlight is really dim. Gary Einstein mentioned it and now that I've seen it first hand, it really is. According to Bike Bandit, I have the unit with the replaceable bulb. I've read a few comments about the Automotive replacement. Anyone know which one I need? Or do I just take it to Autozone and compare connectors? Do they OR Wally World sell the "Other" one that many on here have gone to? I think it's the Silverstar (?).

Thanks again.

[marvinsc]

Hey Dave, I got one at Wal Mart last month. It was really easy, just 3 screws in the lens retainer, remove the bulb holder and Plug it in. I think You will be surprised at how much Brighter it is.

[Guest]

Dave, Check out the review on Fiamm horns. I got a pair from Harbor Freight added a relay. They're great. Ray

[LW_Icarus]

Id think it was an H4 bulb if the bulb itself is replaceable. thats what mine is, and so was the one in my vetter when it was on anyway.

Im using a relay for my coils, I mounted it on the crossbar under the seat by the rear inner fender, its tucked near the turn signal relay/box on the right side of my bike, and the original tool tray still snaps into place, I put a fuse between battery power and the relay in case anything went wrong in the future, and ran a lead from there to the coils.

the horns are essentially the same deal, just find a place to put the relay that looks like suzuki put it there, and that lets you route the wiring alongside the factory harness.

[Mr. Jiggles]

Dave - for info on installing a pre-made relay harness check out :

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/horn-relay/motorcycle-horn-relay.htm

Here's a relay kit that features a solid state relay (anyone heard about their reliability when used on a bike??):

http://www.comagination.com/relay-kit-motorcycle.htm

So far I've installed two relays on my 1100 - one for the horn and one for my H4 headlamp. I've somehow managed to stuff both into the headlamp bucket but it is very cramped in there. You can install the relay in the aft part of the bike, like the tail section but you'll need to extend the primary switched wires, i.e. the orginal horn wires, to whereever you place the relay. For the relay I just used a regular automotive type that came in a kit for installing auxilliary cage headlights. The end result is worth it. I'm running dual hi/lo fiamms that scare the sh!t out of cages when I fire them.

Over the next week I'm going to try out the eastern beaver relay harness on my ZRX1200. Even the new bikes have pathetic horns. Why haven't the bike manufacturers learned that a crippled or dead customer is less likely to give repeat business??

[DMPLATT]

Thanks guys. The Headlight is done. I got new Quartz something or others and man, what a difference.


Ok, lets get Technical. The Thread Title is Horns for Dummies. Thanks Mr. Jiggles for the read.

Here's what I found.



Now, here's what's on the Relay. Bear with me here. Sorry, this one is a little dark. I'll have more on this pic later.



Here are the Connections:



Ok, now here is a diagram from the Article that Mr. Jiggles posted:



Ok, so here's where I'm at. I have this relay, top picture. It has a schematic, 2nd picture, and 4 connectors, 3rd picture.
After reading the Info and seeing a diagram, 4th pitcure, I'm done.

Sooooooo. On MY Relay,,,,,, Looking at the 3rd Picture, the Bottom left connector (labeled as 30) should be the Input from the Positive side of my Horn Switch?

2. The Upper left connector on my relay (labeled as 85) should be a designated Ground?

3. The Bottom right connector on my relay (labeled as 86) should go to the positive on my Horn?

4. The Upper Left connector on my relay (labeled as 87) should got to?????

OR

He$l, I'm lost. When did I get this electrically Challenged?

Thanks for any step by step I can get. Sorry to be this ignorant.

[Mr. Jiggles]

I can't locate my manual at the moment but I seem to remember that our horns (or at least mine) are switched ground ( battery (+) -> horn -> switch -> ground). If that is true then you will have to wire both horn wires to 85/86. I don't think that polarity matters but test it before taping everything up.

When I did mine I made a point of using an inline fuse between the relay and the battery (+) just in case I screwed something up.

Good luck.

Jeff

[DMPLATT]

I can't locate my manual at the moment but I seem to remember that our horns (or at least mine) are switched ground ( battery (+) -> horn -> switch -> ground). If that is true then you will have to wire both horn wires to 85/86. I don't think that polarity matters but test it before taping everything up.

When I did mine I made a point of using an inline fuse between the relay and the battery (+) just in case I screwed something up.

Good luck.

Jeff

Ok, so I'm still confused. Sorry. So, I understand then that terminals 85 / 86 would run to the horn (polarity not an issue?). Would I just leave the Horn Switch alone? Then run the Horn Switch wires to the relay? I'm thinking that I need to run an additional wire (With in-line fuse) from the Battery Positive (+) terminal to terminal 30 on the Relay?

[Mr. Jiggles]

Working from memory: I disconnected the wires at the horn itself and connected them to 85 + 86. You can extend these wires if needed. Again, I'm not certain about the polarity issue. 30 went to the battery via an in-line fuse wire and 87 went to one terminal of the horn. I attached a ground to the other horn terminal.

Let us know how it works out for you.

Jeff

[earlfor]

Re: Horns for Dummies & Headlight Bulb

After the starter motor, the horn has the greatest electrical consumption rate on the bike. Playing with the born will kill the battery on any bike quickly. Adding a relay will not make the horn any louder or reduce electrical consumption. Actually, dding a relay slightly increases electrical consumption. If you have a weak sounding horn, either the voltage available to the horn is less than normal, or the horn is out of adjustment or has internal corrosion and should be replaced. Any 12 volt horn will work, but power consumption can ary greatly and is usually higher with horns intended for automotive use.

I would check voltage on the horn circuit and then verify horn operation by connecting the horns directly to a battery before I would consider adding a relay. Adding a relay may not be a solution.

Earl





[quote="DMPLATT"]Well, I need to do some horn work. They've been weak for a while and yesterday My nephew was riding with me and using my GS. He was playing with the horn and killed the battery? WTF?
I'm thinking there is a short, I'll surely check the wiring.

My Dummy questions are: For a cheap fix, would any automotive cheap horn work? Or will I need a Relay?

[Mr. Jiggles]

I think it depends on the horn and the condition of the circuit. I can imagine situations where the resistance through the switch and existing wires would be the limiting factor. This would be espeically true for an automotive horn.

A few weeks after getting the Kaw I tried swapping out the wimpy stock horn with one of the Fiamms from the GS. On the Kaw, the Fiamm suddenly became wimpy too. Placement of the horns is nearly identical; both have 12V systems. The only difference as far as I can tell is that I have a relay on the GS. I'll know for sure once I install a relay on the Kaw and test it with the stock horn.

[DMPLATT]

THANKS ALL. I THINK IT'S WORKING FINE NOW.


Oh, sorry for shouting. Kinda hard of hearing now. Wife say's 1 mort TOOT and I'll be at Earl's house.

Wow, I understand this MOD perfectly now. Why didn't I do this a year ago? Hmm. :roll:

[Joe Nardy]

THANKS ALL. I THINK IT'S WORKING FINE NOW.


Oh, sorry for shouting. Kinda hard of hearing now. Wife say's 1 mort TOOT and I'll be at Earl's house.

Wow, I understand this MOD perfectly now. Why didn't I do this a year ago? Hmm. :roll:

Nice work, Dave! Now that you understand relays there are two more you might consider: one to cut the headlight out when the starter button is pushed. This frees up an additional 55 watts of power to turn the starter motor and power the ignition. Also one that bypasses the ignition switch for main system power. The contacts on the ignition switch are tiny and drop about a volt of the system voltage. Adding a relay gives you back that extra volt.......more voltage to the coils, ignition, lights, etc. I added these two relays to my GS and it has never turned over as fast or started so easy.

Joe

[earlfor]

I just turn off my headlight and tail light switches. :-)

Earl

[quote="Joe Nardy"]
Now that you understand relays there are two more you might consider: one to cut the headlight out when the starter button is pushed. This frees up an additional 55 watts of power to turn the starter motor and power the ignition.

[DMPLATT]

Nice work, Dave! Now that you understand relays there are two more you might consider: one to cut the headlight out when the starter button is pushed. This frees up an additional 55 watts of power to turn the starter motor and power the ignition. Also one that bypasses the ignition switch for main system power. The contacts on the ignition switch are tiny and drop about a volt of the system voltage. Adding a relay gives you back that extra volt.......more voltage to the coils, ignition, lights, etc. I added these two relays to my GS and it has never turned over as fast or started so easy.

Joe

Thanks Joe. I noticed the ZZR's headlight cuts out while starting it. Good idea.

Earl, You still have that Fancy Tail light switch you hooked up for our last ride?