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Recommend a quality low wattage horn?

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stinkwheel
Bovine Proctologist



Joined: 12 Jul 2004
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PostPosted: 20:58 - 07 Jul 2021    Post subject: Recommend a quality low wattage horn? Reply with quote

My enfields destroy horns, I think it's the vibration. I land up buying a new one every MOT. They either stop working or even shear off their mounting, or both.

I've got a lovely, top quality vintage Solex horn fitted which is decorative, loud and very reliable but it takes a healthy dunt of power to make it sound. With my current batteryless, fairly weedy charging system, it won't actually sound unless you give it some revs. That's an MOT fail.

I'm looking for a fairly small 12V horn that is good quality and doesn't require much power to sound. I'll probably mount it somewhere hidden in addition to the solex so that can sound too if there's enough juice in the capacitor. Ebay is full of shite motorcycle horns that I know will be dead within a month (I'm looking at you "bike-it"!)

Loudness is not my first concern, if you didn't hear my aircooled 612cc single on an un-baffled reverse cone mega coming, a horn isn't really going to make much difference. It just needs to sound when the button is pushed every time.
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Nobby the Bastard
Harley Gaydar



Joined: 16 Aug 2013
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PostPosted: 21:12 - 07 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Honk!
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stinkwheel
Bovine Proctologist



Joined: 12 Jul 2004
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PostPosted: 21:20 - 07 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nobby the Bastard wrote:
Honk!


Be good but it needs to be a pre 1973 bike to have a squeezy-bulb horn.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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WD Forte
World Chat Champion



Joined: 17 Jun 2010
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PostPosted: 00:03 - 08 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I wanted an annoyingly loud horn with low (<1A)
power consumption I'd use a Piezo sounder.
A 500mA one will have you wincing if you're standing close to it.
They're usually quite compact as well and will often run well under the stated/rated votage
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Weisse Schlange
Spanner Monkey



Joined: 09 Nov 2020
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PostPosted: 09:22 - 08 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hella for normal style horns.
Fiamm and Denali for scare the fuck out of bus driver type.
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pepperami
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Joined: 17 Jan 2010
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PostPosted: 10:20 - 08 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know you’re a very knowledgeable chap, but someone has to ask Embarassed .
The horn is rubber mounted isn’t it?
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stinkwheel
Bovine Proctologist



Joined: 12 Jul 2004
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PostPosted: 12:53 - 08 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

pepperami wrote:
I know you’re a very knowledgeable chap, but someone has to ask Embarassed .
The horn is rubber mounted isn’t it?


No, they're mounted on a spring steel bracket, usually on one of the engine bolts. I suppose I could move it elsewhere and try rubber mounting it.

That said, a piezo sounder would probably do the trick and is very concealable.

EDIT: Regs say: "must emit a continuous or uniform sound that is not harsh or grating.". I wonder if the high frequency of most of them would be considered "harsh"? Most car horns are in the rage of 340 to 440Hz. Most sounders are in the 3-4 KHz range.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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wr6133
World Chat Champion



Joined: 31 Dec 2013
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PostPosted: 13:57 - 08 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

My bigger bullet was snapping a cheapo horn every time I took it out (350 no such problem). I found a snail type one made by Bosh in a pile of old parts the entire thing was much lighter and almost entirely plastic, problem went away. I've since moved it under the seat in the area the right side toolbox would have been but that's just for tarty cosmetic reasons. No idea on the power draw though, it was originally a sixty-5 so has the E/S and requires a big battery as an offering to the Sprag gods.
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