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Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ?

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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 21:40 - 25 Oct 2016    Post subject: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
After lots and lots of close call with braindead drivers and cyclists with headphones, I have decided I would really like a louder horn on my BMW F800R. Mr. Green

What would you recommend?

Is there a maximum dB limit? If there is, is it in the highway code or is it one of those obscure things councils can regulate?

Has anyone tried the Denali soundbomb? Any good?
https://www.rg-racing.com/browsetype/Denali_Sound/

Thanks! Karma
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Pete.
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PostPosted: 21:51 - 25 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Londoner2015 wrote:
After lots and lots of close call with braindead drivers and cyclists with headphones, I have decided I would really like a louder horn on my BMW F800R. Mr. Green


You might want to look at why you're having so many close calls instead of blaming 'the rest of the world'.
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Pjay
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PostPosted: 21:52 - 25 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Pete. wrote:
You might want to look at why you're having so many close calls instead of blaming 'the rest of the world'.


London.

I ride with a loud exhaust and they still come at me.
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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 22:01 - 25 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Pjay wrote:
Pete. wrote:
You might want to look at why you're having so many close calls instead of blaming 'the rest of the world'.


London.

I ride with a loud exhaust and they still come at me.


Yep!
Pete, may I ask where you ride and what your experience with the Nazi-cycle-lobby in London is?

I don't think I can be much at fault when cyclists try to cut me off, despite my wearing hi-viz, riding a relatively loudish bike and always riding within the speed limits.

I don't blame the rest of the world; I blame those geniuses who try to cut me off and struggle to hear my horn, and my compliments on the virtue of their mothers Laughing , because they are listening to music on headphones while cycling.

Can we go back to the original question now? Much appreciated. Thumbs Up
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ADSrox0r
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PostPosted: 22:02 - 25 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
I just put a Hella Supertones on the Viff, sounds like a big 'ole truck horn.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hella-3AG-003-399-801-Horn/dp/B000CRZXPI
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Pete.
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PostPosted: 05:43 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Londoner2015 wrote:

Yep!
Pete, may I ask where you ride and what your experience with the Nazi-cycle-lobby in London is?


19,000 miles on my current bike since last summer every inch of it filtering into and out of London.

Standard exhaust on my bike too.

A loud horn is not going to stop your near misses because if you've had to blast it in anger the danger has already appeared - or are you going to ride down all the roads with your thumb on it? A noisy exhaust might help some of them giving your perceived adversaries some audible notice of your proximity but if you're having 'lots and lots' of near misses then the common factor is not cars and bikes - it's you.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 07:02 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/37/made

"continuous and uniform and not strident"

Your guess is as good as mine as to what "strident" means in this context. There's no explicit limit on volume.
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pompousporcup...
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PostPosted: 07:27 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
i've fitted the denali soundbomb mini (plug n play one) to both my bikes purely because the old ones were too quiet.

they are great. loud but not ridiculous and easy to fit. not relays/extra wiring to sort out.

one thing though, you wont really use your horn in an emergency, like if somebody cuts you up and you need to brake hard. the horn wont do much in that situation.
it may help notify fuckwits who are rolling backwards toward you or simply to join in with the car drives honking at somebody who has blocked a junction
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Hawkeye1250FA
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PostPosted: 08:00 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Londoner2015 wrote:
After lots and lots of close call with braindead drivers and cyclists with headphones, I have decided I would really like a louder horn on my BMW F800R. Mr. Green

What would you recommend?

Is there a maximum dB limit? If there is, is it in the highway code or is it one of those obscure things councils can regulate?

Has anyone tried the Denali soundbomb? Any good?
https://www.rg-racing.com/browsetype/Denali_Sound/

Thanks! Karma


I've had Denali sound bombs on all three of my bikes - i've had no problems from the police, and I use mine when filtering gridlocked traffic on the motorway (a short beep every 10/11 car lengths to let people know i'm coming).

I agree with Pete for most part, if people are regularly cutting you up to a point where its dangerous enough for you to warrant sounding your horn at them - then you have let them get too close. But that's besides the point.

If you want a loud horn, the sound bomb (or the equivalent ones on Ebay) is the way to go.

I paid £12 for my most recent one from a shop on ebay and its around 129 decibels (apparently).

It does the job nicely when people have poor lane discipline and start getting a bit close.

One guy even swerved back into his lane after hearing it, which NEVER happened with the old horn. (They would just acknowledge it and carry on their maneuvre into my lane!)
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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 09:13 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Hawkeye1250FA wrote:

I've had Denali sound bombs on all three of my bikes


The standard one or the mini? Have you tried / heard both?

Hawkeye1250FA wrote:

I agree with Pete for most part, if people are regularly cutting you up to a point where its dangerous enough for you to warrant sounding your horn at them - then you have let them get too close.

Well, if a cyclist drifts into my lane and doesn't hear my horn because he's wearing headphones, what are my options? That's the main reason I'd want a louder horn.

Hawkeye1250FA wrote:

One guy even swerved back into his lane after hearing it, which NEVER happened with the old horn. (They would just acknowledge it and carry on their maneuvre into my lane!)

That's the other reason. I haven't carried out a 'scientific' study to back this up, but my impression is that people tend to take you more seriously the louder you are. "Oh, sugar, if it's so loud it might be a huge truck - better get out of its way" Smile
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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 09:19 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Pete. wrote:

A loud horn is not going to stop your near misses because if you've had to blast it in anger the danger has already appeared


Sure. It does, however, help, in all those cases where a cyclist with headphones and suicidal tendencies starts to slowly drift into my lane and would not hear my ordinary horn. What do you suggest in those cases? mm, maybe pulling over and waiting for the truck behind me to go ahead with Darwinian selection might be an option Laughing

It will also help generally, if my impression that the louder you are the more seriously they take you is correct.


Pete. wrote:
but if you're having 'lots and lots' of near misses then the common factor is not cars and bikes - it's you.

In about 10 years of riding, 2 of which in London, I have never fallen off the bike nor hit anyone/anything. The only time someone tried to sodomise me was when a Deliveroo cyclist hit my topbox. It was broad daylight in London, excellent visibility, I was wearing hi-vis, and I was stopped at the Lambeth bridge roundabout, with my foot down, as I had to give way.
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Hawkeye1250FA
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PostPosted: 09:20 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've only used the proper Denali soundbomb. Never tried / heard the mini.

Having not ridden in London, I havent experienced it. Smile The question is will they hear a louder horn through their headphones / London noise anyway?

Yes, this is definitely the main positive to come from having it. It's probably only had to be used in that way 3 or 4 times on my current bike in 12 months, but it avoided a fairly close call for those times.

The main one that springs to mind is the A5 / M6 Toll roudabout near Tamworth, 1 lane leaves to the Toll the other 2 carry on past, Mr Volvo was in the 3rd of 3 lanes and realised he actually wanted the Toll, so cut up the other cars and went straight across (instead of simply putting his right indicator on and doing a loop of the roundabout).

I was in the Toll lane occupying the space he wanted to get into. He got 129Db through his open window.
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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 09:49 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
sharpe2002 wrote:
i've fitted the denali soundbomb mini (plug n play one) to both my bikes purely because the old ones were too quiet.

they are great. loud but not ridiculous and easy to fit. not relays/extra wiring to sort out.


Thanks. Have you tried / heard / compared the mini with the ordinary sound bomb?

I wonder: could the sound scare a cyclist so much to knock him off his bike, and could he then sue me? Smile
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DrDonnyBrago
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PostPosted: 09:54 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
I had a stebel nautilus in my car, looks very similar to the denali soundbomb.

It was very loud, but not crazy, more lorry than freight train.
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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 09:57 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Rogerborg wrote:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/37/made

"continuous and uniform and not strident"

Your guess is as good as mine as to what "strident" means in this context. There's no explicit limit on volume.


Thanks. In fact, I haven't managed to find anything about motorists being fined or warned for having too loud a horn.

I found a story about Dorset police fining a car taking newlyweds to their reception because it had a musical horn - which did not emit a 'continuous' sound: https://www.carsforstars.co.uk/news/newlyweds-feel-the-force-of-the-law-in-dukes-of-hazard-wedding-car/2292/
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pompousporcup...
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PostPosted: 10:08 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Londoner2015 wrote:
sharpe2002 wrote:
i've fitted the denali soundbomb mini (plug n play one) to both my bikes purely because the old ones were too quiet.

they are great. loud but not ridiculous and easy to fit. not relays/extra wiring to sort out.


Thanks. Have you tried / heard / compared the mini with the ordinary sound bomb?

I wonder: could the sound scare a cyclist so much to knock him off his bike, and could he then sue me? Smile


I can only compare the mini to the average modern hatch Laughing but its as loud if not louder than a ford focus horn.

The "proper" denali soundbomb is like a fog horn, which is awesome but i couldnt be bothered with changing wiring. i wanted plug n play

Mini:
https://youtu.be/faiwdmJdypg?t=4m40s

Proper:
https://youtu.be/ktWFJKH0hbE?t=27s


the mini is still loud enough for a horn to be(imo) Thumbs Up
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 10:48 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Londoner2015 wrote:
Well, if a cyclist drifts into my lane and doesn't hear my horn because he's wearing headphones, what are my options?

Kill him and wear his skin as a warning to others. What other choice do you have? Sharing the road, like some sort of communist? Laughing
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Hawkeye1250FA
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PostPosted: 10:56 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
The wiring took around 45 minutes to be fair.

Nothing more complicated than cable-tieing the new provided relay under the seat - near the battery - and then pushing some wire through the fairing / frame to the front.

Assuming you have a set of cable crimps lying around - if not - head to Aldi.

Smile
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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 11:55 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Jokes aside, I have found this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzWU6mafWgw

which seems better because it is an ordinary horn if you just press it gently, and a get-that-c***'s-ears-to-bleed horn if you keep the button pressed. Having the option to go from gentle to 'get out of my way you ****' sounds convenient.

It's an American toy, but Infinity Motorcycles sell it online.
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tom_e
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PostPosted: 13:15 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Londoner2015 wrote:
Jokes aside, I have found this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzWU6mafWgw

which seems better because it is an ordinary horn if you just press it gently, and a get-that-c***'s-ears-to-bleed horn if you keep the button pressed. Having the option to go from gentle to 'get out of my way you ****' sounds convenient.

It's an American toy, but Infinity Motorcycles sell it online.


Sounds like it would fail an MOT if you get a shitty tester due to having a varying tone.
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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 13:29 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
tom_e wrote:


Sounds like it would fail an MOT if you get a shitty tester due to having a varying tone.


Sugar, I hadn't thought about that.

Maybe I should have two horns? A regular one and a get-out-of-my-way-you-**** one?

What would be more worrying than failing the MOT is the thought of being fined for riding a non-legal bike, or getting into trouble in case of an accident, even if unrelated to the horn Sad

In fact, the official MOT inspection manual, on page 29
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/510388/mot-inspection-manual-classes-1-2.pdf

lists the following two among reasons for rejections:
Quote:

b. a motor bicycle fitted with a gong, bell, siren
or horn which emits two or more alternating
tones
c. in the case of a motor bicycle first used on
or after 1 August 1973 a sound which is
! not a constant note
! not continuous or uniform
! harsh or grating.
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Pete.
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PostPosted: 14:08 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Londoner2015 wrote:
Pete. wrote:

A loud horn is not going to stop your near misses because if you've had to blast it in anger the danger has already appeared


Sure. It does, however, help, in all those cases where a cyclist with headphones and suicidal tendencies starts to slowly drift into my lane and would not hear my ordinary horn. What do you suggest in those cases? mm, maybe pulling over and waiting for the truck behind me to go ahead with Darwinian selection might be an option Laughing

It will also help generally, if my impression that the louder you are the more seriously they take you is correct.


Pete. wrote:
but if you're having 'lots and lots' of near misses then the common factor is not cars and bikes - it's you.

In about 10 years of riding, 2 of which in London, I have never fallen off the bike nor hit anyone/anything. The only time someone tried to sodomise me was when a Deliveroo cyclist hit my topbox. It was broad daylight in London, excellent visibility, I was wearing hi-vis, and I was stopped at the Lambeth bridge roundabout, with my foot down, as I had to give way.


So loads and loads of near misses in London but never been off?
Drama queen then...

As far as the cyclists are concerned you can either ride more appropriately around much slower moving bikes or stop bitching. I have ten times your experience but I can count the number of times I've found it necessary to use my horn at cyclists on my fingers.
The problem is still you.
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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 14:42 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Re: Recommend a loud horn! Is there a dB limit? Soundbomb ? Reply with quote
Pete. wrote:

The problem is still you.

Yes, yes, sure, whatever.
You’re still off-topic. This thread is about louder horns. You have made your point about why you think the problem is my riding and why I don’t need one. I have explained why I beg to differ. You are really not adding much to the discussion by repeating the same, off-topic concept over and over again. If you have anything useful to say about louder horns, please do so and you shall earn my eternal gratitude; if you want to talk about something else, don’t do it in my thread. Thank you. Much obliged. Really appreciated. Ride safely.
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Pete.
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PostPosted: 16:24 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
It's not 'your' thread, you don't own it you just started it. You can't dictate the course it takes - that depends on all the contributors.

Anyway, I have a Stebel horn. You should get one for your bike too, it won't help with your near misses but it's fun to see all those other plebs jumping out of their skin.
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Londoner2015
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PostPosted: 16:30 - 26 Oct 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pete. wrote:

It's not 'your' thread, you don't own it you just started it. You can't dictate the course it takes - that depends on all the contributors.


Oh, I see, so hijacking the thread and shifting the discussion to a totally unrelated topic is totally fine, then? One never stops learning...


Pete. wrote:

Anyway, I have a Stebel horn. You should get one for your bike too, it won't help with your near misses but it's fun to see all those other plebs jumping out of their skin.

Jokes aside, I am worried it may be too loud. People may do unpredictable and erratic things when taken by surprise. I am wondering if it could be counterproductive. I know your superior riding skills mean you never ever ever have to use it Smile so I'd ask the others: have you ever noticed such louder horns to be counterproductive? Maybe something like the Denali soundbomb mini might be a better compromise...
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Old Thread Alert!

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