Author Topic: Horn Relay Question  (Read 2643 times)

Offline Cigars

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Horn Relay Question
« on: June 16, 2018, 05:03:54 PM »
I have a 2011 Concours1400 police version. Interesting bike, it's been fun removing all of the police wiring, radio and Whelen set up.
Problem I'm having is that while there is a factory horn button, there is no factory horn or pig tail for it. I get that, being that they kind of had the whole lights and sirens thing so no problem. Obviously I don't have the cop lights or bloop-bloops so I need to get that horn button working. 
Would anybody know where the actual relay is for the horn itself? I've already done voltage checks on the other relays and couldn't find anything. Next thing I will do is pull the left side controls apart and see what colors the wires are to the horn switch. Does anyone know what colors the leads to the horn itself are or what part of the wiring harness the horn leads come from?

Thanks!

Offline maxtog

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2018, 05:24:08 PM »
There is no horn relay.  The puny stock horn is driven directly through the switch.  This is why when you add a "proper" horn (like my Nautilus air horn) you have to install a relay....  just too much current for the little horn switch and wiring.  (I run the Nautilus WITH the stock horn).

It is likely they were also using vastly upgraded horns and disconnected the OEM puny one completely in favor of a relay somewhere.
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline maxtog

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2018, 05:31:47 PM »
15 is the horn.  The cable, 17, runs through 16 and 21 on the right side.  Front of bike faces in the direction of arrow 20.  None of it is terribly clear.
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline Cigars

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2018, 05:45:56 PM »
Ahhhh that makes sense. I will just have to get into the harness a little bit and see what's there.
Or if that's the case I can just wire it to one of the batteries. There's two batteries on the cop version and plenty to connect to. There's also extra buttons under the clutch lever for lights and sirens which I can use.
I decided to hook up the dual horn from my old C10. While not quite the air horn, it puts out some noise.

THANK YOU!

Offline maxtog

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2018, 08:20:09 PM »
While not quite the air horn, it puts out some noise.

I consider very loud horns to be a critical safety feature; which is why I upgrade every bike with something much, much louder.  It is no substitute for attentive, predictive, and defensive driving; but it is a very valuable tool.

It is also much more satisfying when someone cuts you off...
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline Cigars

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2018, 08:32:01 PM »
I tend to agree. Unfortunately I have this sick obsession with returning such vehicles back to stock configuration, then I start with the upgrades. I have an ex police Tahoe. Same deal. Lol. 

Offline Cigars

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2018, 01:28:54 AM »
Just for grins and giggles, here are a couple of pics of the excess wiring that I have removed from this thing so far.  There is still an extra 3 feet of police harness made by Kawasaki that literally has no place to go.  It used to fit nicely in the police trunk with the radio and strobe equipment but since I removed all that and put a factory seat on I had to get creative.  Luckily I came across a LNIB Vetter trunk from an old Gold Wing.  Once I mounted that, I just cut a hole in the bottom and snaked the extra harness into it.  C14 with an old Vetter, worlds colliding.  LOL.
 

Offline Conrad

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2018, 07:35:48 AM »
Ahhhh that makes sense. I will just have to get into the harness a little bit and see what's there.
Or if that's the case I can just wire it to one of the batteries. There's two batteries on the cop version and plenty to connect to. There's also extra buttons under the clutch lever for lights and sirens which I can use.
I decided to hook up the dual horn from my old C10. While not quite the air horn, it puts out some noise.

THANK YOU!

Two batteries? Where is the 'extra' located?
Northern Illinois   Silverdammit '08 C-14 ABS

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Offline PlaynInPeoria

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2018, 09:51:52 AM »
You should definitely keep the extra battery, it serves as ballast to keep the featherweight C14 from floating away. /s
2012 "root beer" C14 - unlinked brakes, reflash, LED headlights, Walmart orange city lights, LOUD horn, Laam seat, radar detector for ahem, reasons.
2013 Aprilia Tuono, 2009 CRF-150F

Offline Cigars

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2018, 12:55:26 PM »
Two batteries? Where is the 'extra' located?

Under the cowling below the right handlebar.  I am leaving it in.  I will eventually have my ham radio powered off it.


Offline Cigars

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2018, 01:08:43 PM »
UPDATE:
Ok, so screw trying to find the pigtail for the OEM horn.  I eventually took the left controls apart so I could see what color the horn wire was (it was light blue for hot and black with yellow stripe for ground).  As much as I dug down and moved crap around, I couldn't locate the factory horn lead.  Instead, I just ran a power lead to the battery junction post (always hot) and wired it into one of the former lights/siren switches which are on a bracket right next to the defunct horn button.

I've read about how wimpy the OEM horn is.  I never had that problem on my old C10 so I ordered a dual horn off a later model C10 from ebay.  IT IS LOUD AND PIERCING.  No need to go with an air horn if you go this route.  It seems louder than the one I had on my old C10.  I did use a stock C14 horn bracket, also off ebay. 


Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #11 on: June 25, 2018, 03:18:27 PM »
Under the cowling below the right handlebar.  I am leaving it in.  I will eventually have my ham radio powered off it.

WHAT THE.....  :censored: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :nuts:

No wonder all the bad rap we see about the people that did the Police Bike Conversions.... that's absolutly rediculous.. the WORST possible place you could have a battery, other than bolted to the header pipes...

that is guranteeeed to roast... get it outta there..  and whats with that external auxiliary relay/starter solenoid????? what the.... ::)

oh man, after seeing that, I'll say a prayer for you...

you don't need 2 batteries to run a simple radio. :doh:

46 YEARS OF KAW.....  47 years of DEVO..

Offline maxtog

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #12 on: June 25, 2018, 03:53:36 PM »
IT IS LOUD AND PIERCING.  No need to go with an air horn if you go this route. 

Having not heard it myself, I can't make any real determination.  But I will say that air horns, even small ones like the Nautilus, are generally much, much louder than non air horns.  So really it is just a matter of how loud is loud enough?

One big disadvantage of the Nautilus on mine is where it is mounted.... exactly where your aux battery is.  So a good portion of the sound is trapped behind the fairing.  Make no mistake, plenty of sound gets out the top and side and bottom areas of the bike... but it is far from ideal.
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2018, 06:59:45 PM »
I agree, the WOLO Badboy, and all similar permutations of the Nautalus (which are all identical) farrrrr outblast anything... but, keeping it mounted nicely, so it doesn't collect water, forces its location.. not to say it can't be disassembled, and pieces parts relocated using some rubber hose...
or, you could cut holes in your fairing and aim it frontways, out the hole, like the first guy that mounted one did... but that wasn't a sharp decision on his part...heheheheheh

46 YEARS OF KAW.....  47 years of DEVO..

Offline Cigars

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #14 on: June 25, 2018, 09:21:17 PM »
WHAT THE.....  :censored: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :nuts:

No wonder all the bad rap we see about the people that did the Police Bike Conversions.... that's absolutly rediculous.. the WORST possible place you could have a battery, other than bolted to the header pipes...

that is guranteeeed to roast... get it outta there..  and whats with that external auxiliary relay/starter solenoid????? what the.... ::)

oh man, after seeing that, I'll say a prayer for you...

you don't need 2 batteries to run a simple radio. :doh:
They definitely could have located the second battery in the cop trunk. It's securely mounted where it is though. I don't think it will take much more heat than where the stock battery is. Nothing under any plastic on that bike stays cool very long anyway. 

Offline Cigars

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #15 on: June 25, 2018, 09:25:50 PM »
Having not heard it myself, I can't make any real determination.  But I will say that air horns, even small ones like the Nautilus, are generally much, much louder than non air horns.  So really it is just a matter of how loud is loud enough?

One big disadvantage of the Nautilus on mine is where it is mounted.... exactly where your aux battery is.  So a good portion of the sound is trapped behind the fairing.  Make no mistake, plenty of sound gets out the top and side and bottom areas of the bike... but it is far from ideal.

I will get one of those sound meter apps and measure the decibles. I'm telling ya this thing is obnoxiously loud.

Offline connie_rider

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Re: Horn Relay Question
« Reply #16 on: June 26, 2018, 08:09:52 AM »
Cigars has a point.
The 2 ea. C-10 horn's are quite an improvement over the 1 ea. C-14 horn.
I don't think their quite as loud as the Piaa's etc, but they are pretty loud..

Ride safe, Ted