Horn on 06RT stopped working

[motorbob]

Returning home in Montreal area yesterday, we encountered hundreds of Italians blowing horns to celebrate winning the world soccer cup. I could not help joining in (my RT has 2 horns)After a "few" seconds the horns went dead. Looked like a simple overloaded circuit. The canbus system re-established current upon restart. However I wonder why did it cut out. Is this revenge from my German bike ? Should I buy an Italian bike to celebrate with the Italians ?

[gettysburg]

It's a German motorcycle; it didn't want you celebrating the Italian victory.

[RodB]

My horn does not last long enough to be mistaken for a soccer victory celebration (or any other celebration). It's a manufacturer's defect. (the Canbus system shuts down the horn circuit prematurely) It has been posted on these pages in the past. Some people are not bothered by this problem but I feel that it is a serious enough issue and would like for BMW to correct it. If I ever need my horn for more than 1 1/2 seconds, I'd rather not have to stop-shut down the bike-restart for another blast. I don't know if BMW has taken steps to correct it. (I suspect not if your '06 model is still doing it)

Rod

[motorbob]

I will report it at the 10K km service but under normal use it's no problem.

Is this why BMW went to a single horn on later 06 RT ? Lower load on circuit and solve the problem. Your left with a sissy sounding horn just like all Japanese bikes.

[black99S]

My horn does not last long enough to be mistaken for a soccer victory celebration (or any other celebration). It's a manufacturer's defect. (the Canbus system shuts down the horn circuit prematurely) It has been posted on these pages in the past. Some people are not bothered by this problem but I feel that it is a serious enough issue and would like for BMW to correct it. If I ever need my horn for more than 1 1/2 seconds, I'd rather not have to stop-shut down the bike-restart for another blast. I don't know if BMW has taken steps to correct it. (I suspect not if your '06 model is still doing it)

Rod

I'll gladly trade you my single sissy horn for your pair! MFR date Jan'06 came with single sissy horn. My dealer is looking for a RT wreck so I can salvage the dual horns and mounting hardware.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Just bypass the Canbus. Let your horn button run a relay and direct wire the relay to the horns. I would use a pretty hefty wire as well. Battery to fuse to relay to horn(s).

 

Jesus, you would have thought they could get something this simple right. I don't have much use for horns and certainly wouldn't waste time better spent evading a problem by blowing mine. I'm thinking of converting my horn button on the Blackbird to an air shifter actuator. Dont ask.

[Pictou]

I would agree with Ed that this is something that they should have got right. I would also agree with him that I generally have better things to do than worry about trying to blow the horn. Most of my motorcycles have had such pathetic horns it wasn't worth the effort anyway.

[JayW]

I don't have much use for horns and certainly wouldn't waste time better spent evading a problem by blowing mine.

 

I have not had to use my own horn much, but do not agree with this statement, and would be reluctant to ride a bike without a reliable horn. There are situations when a timely blast of the horn may entirely eliminate the need for an evasive maneuver (or allow a less risky one). The dual horns on my RT are indeed LOUD, and could even be the critical element in preventing a crash. I personally would not be comfortable eliminating this option in my quest to not crash.

 

Happily, my horns have never failed , even though I have purposely blown them loud and long (on deserted roads)on several occasions to try to reproduce the cut-out other people have had with their RT horns. I don't know why mine always work while other RT horns don't, but if mine didn't I would figure out a way to fix them, or insist that the dealer do so.

 

Jay

'05 1200RT

[ShovelStrokeEd]

I am glad you can accurately predict what a driver will do upon hearing your horn. I prefer to take evasive action and worry about the idiot after he is behind me. Of course, with all the time I spend on the road, I rarely am in a situation that calls for evasive action in the first place. There is nothing dangerous about it (evasive action) provided you have practiced high speed direction changes. A little road sense, a little alert scanning of your surroundings and there are no problems.

[Mudman]

I am with both Jay and you on this. I put a much higher priority on early detection of a hazard and avoidance techniques, but while rarely used I still like an adequate horn that can wake someone from their distraction or fatigue. For example a driver drifting into my lane while I am about to pass would first warrant an evasive maneuver and after I am clear I would like to hit that driver with a horn if I am clear and still to the rear. No way am I honking when next to the car, he could startle and swerve into me. Another example might be a gas station scenario where someone has not seen you and is backing into where you are parked. Having said all of this I have to say I am pretty disappointed in the tweety single horn that came in my 2006 RT. Very pathetic, I will have to replace it with something similar to a real horn capable of waking the dead

 

I don't use the horn much and it is low in the list of defensive tools, but when I need it the darn thing should be LOUD

[Richard G]

My '05 RT still does this.

 

I just got used to giving 1/2 second blasts

which usually is enough to get someones attention.

 

When I take it in for my 6000m checkup I will ask about it.

 

Rich

[JayW]

SCENERIO: You pull up and stop behind another car at a stop light that just turned green, not aware that the driver 2 cars up is a teenager who is having trouble getting the car moving again in his/her new manual transmission car. The woman just in front of you gets impatient and starts to back up to give herself room to go around. She can't see you on your bike because she has been using her rearveiw mirror to put on makeup. What "evasive action" will you take?

 

This is an example of when a horn can save the day, and is hardly a one-in-a-million situation.

 

Your point is well taken however, and I am in no way discounting the value of your skill of anticipating problems before they occur or getting out of harms way quickly. Also, I agree that there are times when a horn can make things worse, and may not even be heard on a typical Japanese bike. But this is the Hexhead section and the RT has a REAL horn (when it works). I say we should be well-familiar with getting to it quickly when the situation warrants it.

 

Just my $0.02

 

Jay

[gettysburg]

I don't have much use for horns and certainly wouldn't waste time better spent evading a problem by blowing mine.

 

I don't see my horn as a way to evade a problem, but rather a way to wake up a driver who's in a zombie state. If some one is drifting out of their lane into mine, I'm going to lay on the horn; I'd expect someone to do the same to me if I were driving/riding erratically.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

And when you lay on the horn and their startle reaction causes them to swerve further and much more violently into your lane, what then?

 

As to the person backing up at a light, don't stop so close and more importantly get the hell out of the tire tracks or center of the lane. Since my rear end incident back in December, I always position myself as if I was going to filter to the front. They can back up all they want, I'l just be along side them.

 

I don't know what is so special about the horn on your RT, I have had a new BMW on the average of every two years since about 1986, some are louder than others, I really find that my left turn signal is about as effective and gets hit just about as often as the horn button.

 

The thing is, first, they have to hear you, then they have to locate the source of the sound, no trivial matter in a modern car with the windows up, AC on and the stereo going, and finally, you have to hopw that they will react properly to the stimulus. Properly being defined as your desired result. No thanks, I'll just arrange not to be there.

[TowJam]

And when you lay on the horn and their startle reaction causes them to swerve further and much more violently into your lane, what then?

In many areas, it is a violation to use your horn except in situations to avoid an accident. (My city for one example.)

[Pictou]

Obviously a horn can help in this situation but as I found out the hard way it is no guarrantee. I was in a parking lot in my car and a person started backing out straight toward me. I couldn't back up because of traffic behind. I hit the horn and blared it for several seconds (I am guessing more than five, maybe even ten). Nevertheless he plowed into me. I am just glad I wasn't on my bike.

 

SCENERIO: You pull up and stop behind another car at a stop light that just turned green, not aware that the driver 2 cars up is a teenager who is having trouble getting the car moving again in his/her new manual transmission car. The woman just in front of you gets impatient and starts to back up to give herself room to go around. She can't see you on your bike because she has been using her rearveiw mirror to put on makeup. What "evasive action" will you take?

 

Just my $0.02

 

Jay

[Joe_Rocket]

Illegal to use your horn?

Now there's a fine example of high quality legislation.

 

Joe

 

 

And when you lay on the horn and their startle reaction causes them to swerve further and much more violently into your lane, what then?

In many areas, it is a violation to use your horn except in situations to avoid an accident. (My city for one example.)

[gettysburg]

I really find that my left turn signal is about as effective and gets hit just about as often as the horn button.

 

Your statement either implies that use the horn a lot, or you use the left turn signal rarely.

 

I try to avoid getting into situations where a horn is required, but that's not always possible. Since I've had my RT(March '06), I've used my horn maybe twice to get a driver's attention. My Left turn signal, on the other hand, probably gets hit 30-50 times a day.

[black99S]

If it (horn) comes with the bike it should work. Anytime, anywhere, for what ever reason - like weddings or the Italians winning the world cup.

 

Whether you choose to use your horn or not is your perogative.

 

How you choose to ride -- e.g. how you position yourself in lanes whether stopped or moving, corner, leave yourself escape routes, sit at intersections in-gear ready to move, practice SIPDE (Scan, Interpret, Predict, Decide, Execute) to stay out of or avoid pending trouble, will no doubt be of far more use than a loud horn and will help you ride better and longer. You may never find the need to use your horn too.

[skinny]

I seem to remember a previous post with the same problem, which turns out to be a bug in the ZFE canbus thingy. Dealers are supposed to have a firmware upgrade that cures the problem. My HP2 did the same thing last Sunday (horn quit) while trying to scare some buzzards off the road. One would think that BMW would have caught this bug well before shipping several thousand motorcylces

[ShovelStrokeEd]

No, my statement implies nothing. I was referring to the ease with which BMW controls can be confused by an errant and hasty thumb. There is many a member here who has given a miscreant a healthy blast of left turn signal when the horn button was the intended control.

 

I indicate on each and every lane change and turn thank you very much. A practice much to be desired and often overlooked by cage drivers in need of a blast of horn.

[onedae]

I do it all the time. Nothing like a blast of left turn signal to wake up a brain dead driver.

[Pictou]

This is right on. The thing should work whether you choose to use it or not.

 

If it (horn) comes with the bike it should work. Anytime, anywhere, for what ever reason - like weddings or the Italians winning the world cup.

 

Whether you choose to use your horn or not is your perogative.

 

How you choose to ride -- e.g. how you position yourself in lanes whether stopped or moving, corner, leave yourself escape routes, sit at intersections in-gear ready to move, practice SIPDE (Scan, Interpret, Predict, Decide, Execute) to stay out of or avoid pending trouble, will no doubt be of far more use than a loud horn and will help you ride better and longer. You may never find the need to use your horn too.

[marcopolo]

I've got an '06 RT (Feb 06 production), and I just experienced the problem of the horn cutting out after a few blasts (OK, beeps) while I was at the MOA rally in Vermont. I have the single, somewhat wimpy, horn. Obviously I'll have to bring it to my dealer's attention. It sure didn't take much before it cut out.

[gadgetgaz]

So can anyone confirm whether a software update fixes this for definite?

The R12RT-P I used today on the Tour of Britain cycle race has a dodgy horn. When we pull up behind the bike in front we give two toots of the horn to let him know he can pull away. After just a few toots the horn stoppped working until I reset the ignition. This is really bad!

 

ps with regard to legislation on the use of horns, in the UK it is illegal to sound the horn when stationary.

[gettysburg]

I have an '05 RT with dual horns(load as a car horn), and it has yet to fail. I havn't tried laying on the horn for 30 seconds or anything so extreme. But on a number of occasions, I've done several 2-3 second "honks" in succession go scare off an animal standing in the road, and it's always worked.

[Doug31]

You bought a horn, you paid for the horn, you should have a horn. I had the same problem w my o5 RT. Under warranty, they ordered and installed a new horn. Malfunction in the design.

 

I think the real problem is the displacement of the horn - easier to get to the turning signals than the horn. Of course, I'm rarely in a rush to turn my signals but am usually in a hurry to blow my horn. Go figure!

[Satguy]

Yes, CIP 7.0 fixes the horn cutout problem in the ZFE. Take your bike to the dealer and ask for the horn to be "fixed"