Ducati Monster Forum

I have a 2011 696.. After the stock horn not doing much in drawing attention of cagers... I have decided to do this..

I got the Stebel Nautilus Compact Motorcycle Air Horn.. The thing is small, but not small enough to fit on the Monster..
And because it needs to be vertical, I could not find any mounting locations.. Ended up returning it and started looking again..

Anyone out there installed a louder horn than the stock?
Where did you purchase?
Where on the bike did you install?

Thanks for the advise/help  :)

 [Dolph]

Fiamm and Hella both make louder than stock horns that are practically plug and play.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-horns/ (http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-horns/)

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=21649.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=21649.0)

I'm thinking about a low tone Fiaam,  and Unge's thread gives me hope that it will fit without modification.  I hope I don't need to run a relay, but I guess it's not too bad if I have to...

i put this on recently.  very happy.  super slim and loud as hell
http://www.monsterparts.com/p/200251/PIAA+Slim+Line+Sports+Horn.html (http://www.monsterparts.com/p/200251/PIAA+Slim+Line+Sports+Horn.html)

does it need a relay?

i don't think so.  speeddog put it on.  iirc it draws about the same juice as stock.  but i'm wrong about most everything so maybe he'll chime in.

Hey ungeheuer, Thanks for the link. That's a pretty cool install and nice write up. Is that a 2011 696?
When I checked in that space, I had a metal fin like thing blocking on the left side... Do you have that too? Did you make the bracket yourself or buy it?

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=49877.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=49877.0)

That was the other route I was thinking.. And the guy at the dealer said, that is pretty much the only option I have.. This thread is giving me some hope before I turn mine into a ......

There is no "plug and play" horn that is much louder than stock.


None.


Anything that will make you (and more importantly, people in a car a ways in front of you where it matters) take note will require a relay.






The Piaa is louder than stock...  But from a car it's 20% (and that's being generous) depending on where you mount it and how you power it.

I've also tried 2 different plug and play Fiamm...  Just not much louder, different tone was all.


I like the stebel, but it's not louder than the twin Hellas and theyve had inconsistent durability.  Webbikeworld did a test and their tester failed and my stebil failed on my hyper...   I also don't like The idea of blocking even more wind from a bike with no cooler...  But thats not as important for some folks as it is here in Arizona...


Days end, I did the loudest durable horns I could find mounted in the loudest place possible.  There are pretenders but if you want BIG sound.  Car shocking sound...


(http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/charles/mid3.jpg)
(http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/charles/mid4.jpg)



If you find this location too eye shocking, have someone make you a couple of frame mounts and stick em on the green spot...

(http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/charles/mid6.jpg)

There's room, and they will still be WAY loud.

I guess we have different definition of louder or much louder.



I've got a single low-tone Fiamm on 3 of our 4 bikes right now (the Guzzis and the Harley) and I think they are fine. No they are not ear splitting, but I've not needed ear splitting in 2 decades of riding so I'm not gonna lose sleep over it.

Anyway, I guess I need to break out the wiring diagram and decide if I need to go through the trouble of a dedicated relay.


I did on my Guzzi Breva because the power feed for the horn was straight through the switch (and it was expensive switch gear). I didn't on the Harley cause parts are cheap so I didn't even bother to look at the diagram and I didn't on the Guzzi Jackal cause Guzzi was nice enough to power the damn thing through a relay stock.


Guess I'll report back when I finally try a Fiamm on the 696.

Obviously YMMV

My plan was to mount them under the headlamp, so its not staring at you..

Where did you get the mounting brackets??

You cant fit these horns under the headlight.  You'll either block the light or not let the fork travel enough...

That was my first placement choice and I was OK with custom fabd stuff to do it, but it wont work.



The fork clamps are available from a few places, but to install these and get the full sound you need to make sure you use the stock straps that come mounted to the horn.  I had these custom fabricated, but you may be able to fashion another L piece like them...

(http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/charles/MID7.jpg)

Take note that the tripple layer piece that comes off the horn is mounted just off the L bracket with a washer so it can vibrate.  The whole mechanism is made to vibrate and cast sound and pulling off the original mount will eliminate volume and change the tone.

Thanks for the pic.. I'll look into fork clamp options..

Just got these clamps. They hopefully fit right..

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AI6YU6 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AI6YU6)

Mine was a 2009.  I made the (simple) bracket.   Metal fin??  Post up a picture if you can....  

This is true.  I've fitted a Stebel Nautilus to my M696 and it worked fine for as long as I kept the bike.  I've also fitted a Stebel Nautilus to my M1100 and it continues to work just fine too.  But you're right, there are reports of inconsistent reliability.  

Its a great horn.  It also seems like if they dont fail fairly early, you're good to go.  I just had double whammy bad luck and then the second return was crappy from a vendor that didnt want to deal with it.

Well, I had some other things to order from Aerostich today so I added a low-tone Fiamm to the list. Will report after install, but I'm still thinking it might be plug and play.

That's the horn I had.  It's a different tone (better I think), but the db level is pretty much stock.

Which, the Fiamm low tone?

I don't THINK the tone is the only difference - like I said, I've got 3 of them on other bikes and side-by-side with the stock Duc horn, the Fiamm SEEMS louder for sure. But I will admit that I don't have a decimeter and it could be an illusion caused by the deeper tone.

I know it's no air cannon, but like I said, I've found em sufficient over the decades.

I'll report back, but I think it probably comes down to preference.

Might also help that we're pretty much in rural PA horse country and don't spend much time in/around Philly (at least on this bike).

So I installed the Fiamm - without a relay - just plug-n-play.

It's basically in the same area as the original horn, though I bent the bracket that came with the horn slightly down and forward to position the horn so it wasn't contacting the voltage regulator or ignition coil.

Sound is better than stock, but yes, not a whole lot louder. It's definitely a deeper tone which is pretty much what I was looking for (no longer sounds like an economy car, sounds more like a truck - which I think will be heard better and more importantly is more likely to be responded to).

Either way, I consider a horn as more a secondary or tertiary safety device, the primary being your head, and the various controls (brakes, throttle, bars etc).


RIDE SAFE all,

Kev

+1 for the Fiamm low-tone. Definite improvement over the "meep meep" stock horn. Inexpensive also.

Not impressed by the hella's look.. Decided to go to the local auto store and picked up these. Finally put on the bike. Still need to wire them..
Don't love the look, but I guess I could live with it..

Pics coming soon...

(http://i55.tinypic.com/29pf8dc.jpg)
(http://i54.tinypic.com/14bi844.jpg)
(http://i55.tinypic.com/9ve2qu.jpg)
(http://i56.tinypic.com/2l8uijr.jpg)

Bumping an old thread here but as an update to my previous post I recently put in a Stebel Nautilus and wow this thing is loud  [thumbsup]

Here's the install thread, props to ungeheuer! http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=21649.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=21649.0)

Those horns sticking out the sides are functional I'm sure, but damn that is ugly as sin. [evil]  What did your poor 696 deserve to be treated that way?   :'(

It has been given a life saving device!

My next mod.
Loudest air horn on motorcycle (And Portable) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=EQ0Jrc05rIo#)

After a long evening of mounting the air horn.. This is where it ended up at.. Its pretty big that I cannot get the mesh back on..

(http://i46.tinypic.com/157yt6f.jpg)

(http://i48.tinypic.com/2yxhtgn.jpg)

(http://i46.tinypic.com/sl32ia.jpg)

(http://i45.tinypic.com/35nahq9.jpg)

(http://i47.tinypic.com/i4qzgn.jpg)

Few questions now...
Any ill effects of not having the mesh there?
Those of you that have installed this, how did you manage to get the mesh back on?
The instructions say that it needs to be close to vertical when mounted, have you guys seen any issues having it at that angle?
The heat sink looking thing in the last image above (I'm thinking that is a regulator..) , does it get hot? The plastic portion of the horn is really close to that, and I'm sure it would touch when the bike is running and any vibrations..

Proably not. It might help to keep a little road crap out of the horn....  Main ill effect is the aesthetic one  ;).

aha... now I see the "metal fin thing" you were talking about... thats your voltage regulator.. and yes my '09 M696 had one in the same location.

did you entirely remove the plastic shroud to mount you Stebel and then refit the plastic covers (inc volt reg) afterwards? 

it is tight for room under there, but I had no issues getting my Stebel to hide behind the mesh screen, so I'm guessing your mounting position needs a little work if you want it all to fit unseen.

If its too far from vertical its said to adversely effect the life of the Stebel compressor.  But I was prepared to accept that as a trade-off for finding a place to install it out of view. 

The regulator's job is to "waste" excess electrical output in the form of heat, so yeah it can get hot.... but I wouldnt worry about it.  Again, when i installed mine I was able to do so without it contacting the regulator...... so it can be done.

Thanks ungeheuer!

Yeah, I guess I need to work on the bracket. Got a 50mm L bracket and bent it.. I think it needs to move about 15mm to the right (away from the regulator). Don't have a garage, so had to finish it all up in 3 hrs..

Do you remember what the dimensions of your bracket are?

I've been putting this off for a while, but I'm about to finally get a garage, so I think I'm going to try it.  I had my horn installed on my SV and it sounds awesome, but the thing has been sitting in a cabinet for a couple years.  Keep us updated as to your progress.

I installed mine in the exact same location. It was definitely a tight fit but its all in there with some clearance all around except for the mesh. The mesh is intact and installed but its definitely rubbing a little which I can live with. I may not have the optimal angle but that's fine because it fits neatly in place. The bracket I used is the metal bracket used for installing car stereos, had one lying around and it was perfect with the predrilled holes and slots for bending to shape (sorry I have no idea what these are called).

These?
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_125B702KIT/Box-Brackets.html?tp=3203#details-tab (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_125B702KIT/Box-Brackets.html?tp=3203#details-tab)

Bike's been long gone.... but from memory I made the supporting bracket from material around 20mm wide. 

No. Its a longer strip of metal (maybe 8" long, 1/2" wide) with lots of holes and slits for bend/break points. Wish I had a pic to dig up but thats the best way I can describe it. No cutting, drilling or fabricating required.

Maybe something like this:
(http://www.etrailer.com/merchant2/graphics/00000001/pics/d/1/d13063_1000.jpg)

Thanks guys!! Going to go pick up a 2" L bracket and a few 3" and 4" straight ones and see how it comes along.. Tomorrow evening is supposed to be a sunny. What better way to spend it :)

Finally, after a long evening of being raped by mosquitoes while I do this...

Used a 4" L bracket with 2 holes on each side, that I picked up from home depot. Cut off the metal beyond the first hole on one side.
It is the tightest fit I could possibly get, but still cannot get the grill to fit back in place.. I guess it will stay without the grill for now  [thumbsup]

(http://i49.tinypic.com/2roqfzp.jpg)

(http://i45.tinypic.com/2jg8qdh.jpg)

(http://i46.tinypic.com/2dsk7ie.jpg)

(http://i46.tinypic.com/2zs7lgk.jpg)

(http://i50.tinypic.com/29m6n0y.jpg)

Very similar to those strips but with slits between the holes for easy bending/snapping.

Your install looks very clean. Should be able to fit the grill on with a little massaging and flexing of the cowl. Like I said mine was very snug all around and rubbing a little.

If they stop working, then, maybe all they need is a bit of lube inside of the compressor.
The air horn on my daily driver (NA6 Miata) just stopped working today.
( this http://www.amazon.com/Wolo-Model-417-Plastic-Trumpet/dp/B000BNH0I6/ref=pd_sbs_auto_36, (http://www.amazon.com/Wolo-Model-417-Plastic-Trumpet/dp/B000BNH0I6/ref=pd_sbs_auto_36,) and I've had it for about 5 years).

The compressor part is the same as Nautilus.

(http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o420/ZX750E2/NA6%20Miata/IMG_0725.jpg)

Just unscrew the two philips. Easy.

(http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o420/ZX750E2/NA6%20Miata/IMG_0727.jpg)

Inside looks OK.

(http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o420/ZX750E2/NA6%20Miata/IMG_0728.jpg)

The magnet on one side is a bit broken, but no big deal.

(http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o420/ZX750E2/NA6%20Miata/IMG_0729.jpg)

(http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o420/ZX750E2/NA6%20Miata/IMG_0731.jpg)

That's it. It works now.