Horn upgrade

[westgl]

Not a good idea to install a high load device like a horn without a relay

 

[Jay Fridays]

I just got the Freeway Blaster "Low Tone".
First thing I did... painted the back black... Just a thin coat as to not supress any/much sound.

As soon as it dries I'm gonna throw it in the original horn's spot. I think I will pair it with the "high Tone" and throw it in the air duct as per your suggestion here....

I wish I could put in the Air Horn from my ambulance... That would wake these "sunday drivers" up real quick...lol

 

[Jay Fridays]

Not a good idea to install a high load device like a horn without a relay

OK... here's the bottom line with the switch rating... To be UL approved and an installation application that is NEC (National Electrical Code) acceptable:
If a circuit is protected by a 7.5 A fuse, Everything in that circut must be rated for AT LEAST 7.5 A.

Therefore, The switch is rated at a minimum of 7.5 amps.

Here's the UL little secret... I know people that work for Underwriter's Laboratory...

To get a rating of 7.5 amps from UL, the switch must actually have a capacity of at least DOUBLE the maked rating.

Being that this is a very intermittently used device. And never held continuously for more than a 1-3 seconds, the switch/wiring will hold a 4 Amp horn's current easily.

Now swap in LED turn signals, and you have even more room on the circuit... you may want to throw in the next larger size fuse (Only the very next trade size is allowed by the NEC)

 

[Jay Fridays]

So, I installed the "LowTone" Freeway Blaster.. Sounds identical (volume/tone) to my Ford Ranger...lol

Guess that's a good start. I'm gonna add the "High Tone" blaster to it next. I will probably just up the fuse to a 15A once I have my LED Front signals in..... all four turn signals will use a combined total of 1 amp/12w. and the two horns at approx 9amps. Though, I doubt I will be using all at the same time. (10amps)

With this wiring/circuit/switch being rated for a minimum 7.5 amps, I think it will still handle 10 amps just fine in flash intervals.... I would not do this with the stock signals though.... they draw quite a bit more power than my 3w LEDs

Stay tuned....lol

 

[westgl]

I have not looked at the horn circuit yet and probably should, Back track through it to see what up stream.

Problem with some other Honda cycles, i have is Honda sometimes wires certain items through the Ignition system, this puts a load on it over time.

If you increase the load at one place, you may be increasing the load on a up stream electrical component, with out a relay.

Goldwings are notorious for this, result is burnt/melted ignition.

Ignition switch, becomes a problem, even kill switch can be a problem.

 

[marcov410]

Can u please put some pictures so that i can try to put my horn in the same sport thanks.

 

[TheEdge900]

Has anyone tried the Fiamm HK9 horn? It has the same 130dB spec as the Freeway blaster (AM80) but has the same form factor as the stock Honda horn and I would assume be easier to mount in the stock location.

Acoustic Devices - HK9 Disc Horn High Note "C" - FIAMM

 

[ncrider]

So, If I have the right info, The Magnum blaster are the Stebel horns....
if you had the low and the high, it's the same as getting the Magnum Blaster set.....
Here is where I purchased 2 sets:
Other Products :: Product :: STEBEL-USA
I installed the Pair in my Piaggio MP3 500 -> it WAS AWESOME

Then I installed my other Pair into my Nissan Leaf -> YEE HAW

I plan on buying a pair, but I want to see if I can install them on the Honda Light Bar.

 

[kpinvt]

I removed the OEM pip-squeak horn and installed a Fiamm Blaster in the air space under the right hand air duct. It is plenty loud for a MC horn. There is lots of space here for bigger horns or to add a second Fiamm. All that was required for this mod was to make up a duplex lead to bring the horn wires up to the new location. I covered the white 16/2 duplex cable with black plastic wire loom that looks like the OEM harness that runs down to the stock horn location.

Snipped...QUOTE]

I know this is an old thread but I have to say thank you for posting this. I now know where I'm going to put the large original Screaming Banshee horn I got through a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign. The thing is huge, mounted to a T shaped steel bar, about eight inches long IIRC.

 

[mwcogburn]

I know this is an old thread but I have to say thank you for posting this. I now know where I'm going to put the large original Screaming Banshee horn I got through a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign. The thing is huge, mounted to a T shaped steel bar, about eight inches long IIRC.

Wow! Please wear ear plugs. That is a loud horn. It is, in fact, loud enough to cause instantaneous hearing damage. With good ear plugs u will still be exposed to 100+ decibels. 100 decibels is still above the level at which OSHA requires workers to wear hearing protection.

I assume the sound is projected in a somewhat directional pattern. This will help protect your hearing as well.

Regardless, 100 decibels with good ear plugs should not cause instant damage.

 

[ncrider]

Thanks for the schematic.

 

[bigbird]

The harness for the left handlebar control is a difficult place to access the wires. It is a single 14-pin connector that is frame mounted. The best way from what I could determine was to use the wires to the stock horn as the relay power, since they would otherwise be abandoned anyway. You do not have to locate the relay where the original horn was in order to use its wires to power it. You can use flat blade terminals to connect to the horn wires and extend the wires up to whatever location you wish to place the relay. The relay will usually work without any reference to coil polarity - unless there is a tamping diode in the circuit. If you are using a normal Bosch style relay, the coils are numbered 85 and 86. To be safe from a possible diode issue, connect the positive to terminal 85 and the ground to terminal 86. The fused power should be attached to terminal 30 and the load to the new horn should be attached to terminal 87. The terminal 87a is not used.

Here is a "cartoon style" wiring diagram I found on the 'net. For our horns, refer only to the top diagram and only the circuit for the green light. The switch is your horn button and the green light is your horn or horns.

View attachment 904

I just dug up this very old thread while researching installing new dual horns on my bike.
If the relay has a diode protection for the switching circuit (pins 85 and 86), then the negative gets connected to pin 85, and the positive of the trigger circuit to pin 86.
You had it backwards.
A correction to your post and the cartoon diagram is needed.

This is a corrected diagram.

 

[bigbird]

I am in the process of adding a fuse block and dual Fiamm electric freeway blasters to my bike.
I was hoping to be able to mount my new gear in the empty spaces depicted in photos on this thread, but sadly I can find no such mounting points on my 750X.
There is space between the 2 levels of side covers, but the plastic is so thin and flimsy that screwing anything through the covers would be very sketchy.
I assume that the NC fairings were redesigned when the bike went from a 700X to a 750X?

My plan is now to mount the fuse block and horn relay on top of the gas tank.
There appears to be a fair bit of room under the driver seat.
I'm in the process of installing a metal riser where the front of the seat rests to raise it up almost 2".
If that works then for sure I'll have room under the seat.
Regarding the mounting of the horns, inside the side covers is out.
I'll look at mounting them near where the existing horn is, but I'm not sure until I pull the lower engine front plastic off.
If anyone with a 750X has a better idea for the fuse block and horns, please post.

 

[670cc]

I assume that the NC fairings were redesigned when the bike went from a 700X to a 750X?

In the US market, the fairings were redesigned for the 2016 model year. The engine displacement bump occurred for 2018, two years later. I don’t know how it played out in Canada.

 

[bigbird]

In the US market, the fairings were redesigned for the 2016 model year. The engine displacement bump occurred for 2018, two years later. I don’t know how it played out in Canada.

In 2016 we got the 750X introduced.
We never saw the 700X here.

I just finished testing the seat raise procedure.
The 12" Simpson Strongtie and Everbilt 1" rubber leg covers work great.
Now I will have room for the fuse block under the very front of the seat, as well as fixing the even more important complaint of the downward slope of the seat.
I'll be posting more links to videos I'm taking as my mods progress.
Just no more work in my garage until Tuesday.
It's -7F outside and 30F in my garage.
My fingers get too cold to work after about 20 minutes.

 

[Gripanimal]

Now I will have room for the fuse block under the very front of the seat, as well as fixing the even more important complaint of the downward slope of the seat.
I'll be posting more links to videos I'm taking as my mods progress.

Very interested in your seat risers and fuse block location.

 

[bigbird]

I'll start a new thread soon about installing horns and relay on a 2016 and newer NCX750.
This thread only applies to NC's older than model year 2016.
The fairings are completely different.
From my initial stripping of the fairings on my '20, there is nowhere to mount a fuse block, horns, or relays anywhere in or on the side covers.
The only spot for a fuse block or relay is for them to be velcro'd on top of the very front of the fuel tank, but likely only if the driver seat is raised up at least an inch at the front of the seat where it clips under a bracket.
I fabricated a higher bracket to both raise the front of my seat and provide adequate room for the extra electricals.
As for dual horns, it looks like the only place is down low on the front of the engine where the stock horn lives.
I'll be getting to that soon.

 

[dduelin]

I'll start a new thread soon about installing horns and relay on a 2016 and newer NCX750.
This thread only applies to NC's older than model year 2016.
The fairings are completely different.
From my initial stripping of the fairings on my '20, there is nowhere to mount a fuse block, horns, or relays anywhere in or on the side covers.
The only spot for a fuse block or relay is for them to be velcro'd on top of the very front of the fuel tank, but likely only if the driver seat is raised up at least an inch at the front of the seat where it clips under a bracket.

That's too bad as there was a lot of useful space inside the side cowls and air ducts. Price of fashion I suppose.

 

[bigbird]

My quest to install two Fiamm electric horns on my '20 NC750X has now ended.
I installed just one, replacing the original kazoo horn; plug and play.
There was no room to mount a second horn without interference from the lower engine cover or side covers.
I don't need a relay, as the stock horn drew about 2A and the Fiamm draws about 3A.
And that Fiamm is loud.
As I was bench testing it, my wife yelled "you cannot use that horn on your motorcycle. It wil scare anyone driving near you."
Perfect!

 

[frog13]

Hopefully the "scare" doesn't make the near by driver panick and swerve towards you.