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Denali Split Soundbomb Install

salishmoto

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Installed the new Denali Split Soundbomb tonight with the separate wiring harness you can get. Used a custom mounting bracket from 3/16 steel by 1 inch. It's otherwise straightforward. The hardest part is snaking the wires down from the battery compartment, and I used a welding rod to show myself the route the wires should take and then a 90 degree pliers to help grab the wires and pull them through. You have to cut them down quite a bit, but the Denali instructions and packaging comes with what you need with new connectors. I did the install that keeps the OEM horn, so you use the provided connectors to connect the new wires to the original so the Denali horn is activated in concert with the OEM horn and switch.

The first photo is of the mounting bracket I made for the compressor part of the horn. I used a U bolt on the frame member and it fit perfectly. Everything that has bare metal is coated in ACF50. All electrical connections are coated in ACF50. The mount in that nook on the R Gaza crash bars worked perfectly for the horn.

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Let me tell you right now, that thing is so loud it is astonishing! I had one on my Concours 14 but this sounds even louder. It screams! My wife knows, you aren't riding to make friends with drivers, and if someone threatens you, you blast them loud and long. It's so loud that if you do it with the bike standing still, it hurts your ears even from behind the horn! Thank you Denali.
 
It's nice to have a loud horn but I'm sure you are teaching your wife to use foresight and defensive positioning to stay out of threatening situations.
 
I have installed louder (than stock) horns. But, I find that in threatening situations that I commit all my resources to evasive maneuvering, and forget at that point that I even have a horn. I do honk at squirrels to get them to move off the road early, rather than when I almost reach them, but that’s about it.
 
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As an MSF Rider Coach with years of teaching experience, I understand better than most the need for a wide range of skills and strategies. Among those skills is the importance of seeing and being seen. High Viz helmets and clothing, lights, loud horns, lane positioning and so forth. How many riders do you see wearing white or yellow helmets? On those rare times when you need a loud horn, you need a loud horn. We live and ride here in the dark and wet rainforest of the PNW. Visibiility is at a premium. Sometimes, cagers just miss us in the dark and rain. A loud horn is a vital resource here. Yes, my wife has been properly trained and coached, and not just by me, because as I've said in another thread, the rate of death among riders taught by "friends" is far higher than among those who take professional classes.

Everyone should get professionally trained at first, and then keep taking classes as a lifelong learner!
 
How many riders do you see wearing white or yellow helmets?
Add me to the list.
White helmets only!
The only helmet I own now is this HJC RPHA 90.

I actually added a Stebel horn to my NC also.
Way better than the feeble kazoo that Honda slapped on at the factory.

HJC-RPHA-90-Helmet-Feature.jpg


Not me personally, but you get the idea.
 

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How many riders do you see wearing white or yellow helmets?
I do notice from a great distance riders wearing white helmets. I also do eventually see many more riders wearing dark helmets, but they are not as obvious.

I wear only white, yellow, or hi-viz helmets. When shopping for a helmet, the vast majority of the color choices are “lo-viz” (black, grey, etc.). I just don’t understand that.
 
I went with the Denali Soundbomb Mini with the 113 decibels. That Denali air horn with 120 decibels is killer but it makes people freak out, oh yea that is why you got it. The horn is last on the list after hi-vis, evasive maneuvering. I almost never use my horn in the car or truck but when I am riding I use it all the time. If the autos do not come to a complete stop, shifting lanes(no turn signals), or are moving erratically I hit it. Not sure about anyone else but Honda should have never reversed the horn and turn signal locations. In a panic the natural location for the horn is closer to your thumb not up above the turn signal.
 
I went with the Denali Soundbomb Mini with the 113 decibels. That Denali air horn with 120 decibels is killer but it makes people freak out, oh yea that is why you got it. The horn is last on the list after hi-vis, evasive maneuvering. I almost never use my horn in the car or truck but when I am riding I use it all the time. If the autos do not come to a complete stop, shifting lanes(no turn signals), or are moving erratically I hit it. Not sure about anyone else but Honda should have never reversed the horn and turn signal locations. In a panic the natural location for the horn is closer to your thumb not up above the turn signal.
I so agree on the horn location on the Honda. It's bigger, but in the wrong spot. Those of us here on the West Coast, and especially the PNW, are known to be polite (read passive aggressive (compared to Boston or NY. As a rule, I basically never honk my car horn.

But on my bike, when I throw my leg over I say to myself every time: I love my life and love my wife! I would say I use my horn every other trip along I5 if I am going through Seattle/Tacoma. Not so much further afield.

I did a rather epic and incredible ride yesterday on my Moto Guzzi Stelvio, about 360 miles and a loop over two Cascade Passes and through Yakima Canyon. Incredible scenery. Coming back through the Seattle area, I had a guy cut me off dangerously close and suddenly. It's just the hazard of urban driving. Road rage.

We have to be careful to not infuriate people, a la the smoke and noise riding crowd, since we always lose fights between our bikes and cars.

FWIW, besides ATGATT in high Viz, I always ride with a Helite Airbag Vest.
Can't recommend them more highly. Will save your bacon in many an accident, most importantly because it reduces the chance of breaking your neck, which is the #1 way people wearing helmets die, I believe. Protects internal organs and your back too. Watch some videos and you will see the idea.
 
I am a fan of your horn! I have a FIAMM Freeway blaster in low tone and it is sufficient for my needs. I’m still considering your setup because I need (want) something louder.

I also am in the category of white helmet. I notice white helmets from a further distance than I do other colors.

Being in NY I admit I hear a lot of horn honking, however my use of horn is very limited to other vehicles because I tend to focus on stopping or moving out of the kill zone. Afterwards I’ll give a tap tap to the horn to let them know I was there.

My primary focus with the horn is to warn off deer that frequent my areas. I ride at night due to my work schedule.

I’ve broadsided a deer at 55mph and learned a horn would have made little difference because I didn’t see it. What did make a difference was a slightly louder exhaust. A sewing machine quiet exhaust would cause a lot of deer to suddenly lift their heads and look at me when I was within striking range. A louder exhaust allowed for me to see their eye shine due to lifting heads and looking at me from a reasonably safe distance that allows me to slow to safe passing speed. If the deer don’t move, a honk honk of my freeway blaster causes them to run away.

Just my experience.
 
I do notice from a great distance riders wearing white helmets. I also do eventually see many more riders wearing dark helmets, but they are not as obvious.

I wear only white, yellow, or hi-viz helmets. When shopping for a helmet, the vast majority of the color choices are “lo-viz” (black, grey, etc.). I just don’t understand that.
Dark helmets look better to most people, so they get stocked the most. My next helmet though will be white. I find I spot other riders from a much further distance when they have a white helmet.
 
Dark helmets look better to most people, so they get stocked the most. My next helmet though will be white. I find I spot other riders from a much further distance when they have a white helmet.
Yes. It's not just your opinion, research shows this clearly. Again, we should read people like David Hough, who are experts and have decades of study and research behind their recommendations.
 
Yes. It's not just your opinion, research shows this clearly. Again, we should read people like David Hough, who are experts and have decades of study and research behind their recommendations.
Does Mr Hough have a book, website etc?
 
Does Mr Hough have a book, website etc?
Yes, quite a few books. This is probably the single most comprehensive. Proficient Motorcycling. I've read most of the safety and instructional books out there, and David Hough is both the best written, in my opinion, and well documented. He wrote an article for decades on safety for a leading magazine.
 
Installed the new Denali Split Soundbomb tonight with the separate wiring harness you can get. Used a custom mounting bracket from 3/16 steel by 1 inch. It's otherwise straightforward. The hardest part is snaking the wires down from the battery compartment, and I used a welding rod to show myself the route the wires should take and then a 90 degree pliers to help grab the wires and pull them through. You have to cut them down quite a bit, but the Denali instructions and packaging comes with what you need with new connectors. I did the install that keeps the OEM horn, so you use the provided connectors to connect the new wires to the original so the Denali horn is activated in concert with the OEM horn and switch.

The first photo is of the mounting bracket I made for the compressor part of the horn. I used a U bolt on the frame member and it fit perfectly. Everything that has bare metal is coated in ACF50. All electrical connections are coated in ACF50. The mount in that nook on the R Gaza crash bars worked perfectly for the horn.

View attachment 48560

View attachment 48561

Let me tell you right now, that thing is so loud it is astonishing! I had one on my Concours 14 but this sounds even louder. It screams! My wife knows, you aren't riding to make friends with drivers, and if someone threatens you, you blast them loud and long. It's so loud that if you do it with the bike standing still, it hurts your ears even from behind the horn! Thank you Denali.
What route did you take the wires to get to the horn?
 
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