Jump to content
IGNORED

The 18 RT Horn


Sandlapper

Recommended Posts

Horn arrived and installed. Took a short ride today so no earplugs. Honked the new horn on the freeway to hear it. Wow, it even hurt my ears a bit. It’s loud. 

Link to comment
13 hours ago, TEWKS said:

 NEXT! :grin:

 

That made me smile. That was my bread and butter job in my earlier life!

The title says 'right side view', me thinks it's a left hand view!

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Screaming Banshee's Shockwave

 

Well it came in.  I spent 3 hours in Texas heat today trying to find a way to make it fit.  I could mount it, but there was no way to turn the forks stop to stop.  I made a couple of brackets trying to make it fit but I can't figure it out.  Back it goes.  The mfg says it will fit, but I have no idea how.

Link to comment
6 hours ago, Skywagon said:

Screaming Banshee's Shockwave

 

Well it came in.  I spent 3 hours in Texas heat today trying to find a way to make it fit.  I could mount it, but there was no way to turn the forks stop to stop.  I made a couple of brackets trying to make it fit but I can't figure it out.  Back it goes.  The mfg says it will fit, but I have no idea how.

 

That is why I opted for the 5 Series car horn.  Truly plug and play and if you go very slow and careful it can't possibly take more than 20-30 minutes to install 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
fourteenfour

oddly, 61338381271 while is plug and play on the 19RT it is too wide to let the forks swing side to side if placed where the original flat horn is.

Link to comment

On my ‘17 RT I had to swivel the horn a bit to avoid contact with my fork tube but it fits. I don’t know the difference between the 17 and 19 in that aspect. I did have to rotate the horn and it mostly faces the inside of the dash. It probably reflects a lot of the sound back to me while riding. It is loud. It is humid as hell here and I just don’t want to fiddle with it at this time. 

Link to comment
18 hours ago, Rinkydink said:

On my ‘17 RT I had to swivel the horn a bit to avoid contact with my fork tube but it fits. I don’t know the difference between the 17 and 19 in that aspect. I did have to rotate the horn and it mostly faces the inside of the dash. It probably reflects a lot of the sound back to me while riding. It is loud. It is humid as hell here and I just don’t want to fiddle with it at this time. 

 

Fit perfect on my 2018 GSW but as noted I did have to swivel it a bit. 

Link to comment
Quote

1997-2003 BMW 528i E39 5 Series Low Tone Pitch Note Horn OEM D2

 

Finally got around to installing this horn on my bike and I'll have to say I was disappointed with it....I believe that the  RT OEM horn is louder. I'm going to pull it back off and see if the person I bought it from will refund, otherwise does anyone here want a used horn?

s-l200.jpg

Link to comment

Sandlapper...  is that the 5 series horn described earlier in this thread?  If so your results are same as mine.  I’m back to meep meep

Link to comment

Bass sound penetrates better than treble or midrange, when there is a car around with those big bass speakers you can hear that bass sound at quite a distance, do not hear the rest of the music. We are used to high pitched horns in North America which sound loud to the user, not necessarily to the person in a car you are trying to warn.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
On 6/26/2020 at 8:17 AM, gary45 said:

Bass sound penetrates better than treble or midrange, when there is a car around with those big bass speakers you can hear that bass sound at quite a distance, do not hear the rest of the music. We are used to high pitched horns in North America which sound loud to the user, not necessarily to the person in a car you are trying to warn.

 

I understand that, but what I'm saying is that IMHO the car horn seemed to be about same pitch as the RT horn but definitely not as loud.....the site I bought had a low and high pitch for sale and they were marked as such(BTW they refunded)....I also have a LT and that horn will get your attention, hell if it will fit might look in that direction

.

What I'd really like is one that sounds like the old Cadillac.....As soon as Denali gets the "CanSmart Controllers" back in stock gonna probably spring for the Sound Bomb

Link to comment
On 6/26/2020 at 8:00 AM, Skywagon said:

Sandlapper...  is that the 5 series horn described earlier in this thread?  If so your results are same as mine.  I’m back to meep meep

 

yep

Link to comment

I’ve been waiting to see if others had the same results as me after I installed my 5 series horn. I was sort of underwhelmed by the result, I get the low frequency argument gary45. It was an easy installation, and wasn’t too expensive thanks to the link, but to me, dual tone or air horn is the path to awareness. YMMV.

Link to comment
On 6/27/2020 at 9:17 AM, Janky59 said:

I’ve been waiting to see if others had the same results as me after I installed my 5 series horn. I was sort of underwhelmed by the result, I get the low frequency argument gary45. It was an easy installation, and wasn’t too expensive thanks to the link, but to me, dual tone or air horn is the path to awareness. YMMV.

 

As I posted earlier ... this solution is certainty not the loudest horn you can buy.  The Sound Bomb (not the mini) or using dual horns are probably both a bit louder solutions.   However,  THIS solution is louder and better than stock and is truly plug and play with super simple installation.   I have it on both my bikes and am very pleased.   To me it's kind of like comparing Clearwater Darla's  to the Sevina's .... the Darlas will certainly add to safety and get you noticed but are not the brightest light made.   But for the cost they are a great solution.   And of course YMMV. 

Link to comment

I tried that same horn on my RT it was no louder then stock.  Did not even bother on the GS, just do the Sound Bomb and be done with it.  Those little horns are no better then stock.  At first when I tried it I thought I had ordered wrong or got a defective one, nope IMHO a waste of money for sure.

 

Link to comment


Well as they say YMMV. But everyone I know who has tried this swap has seen significant improvement.  In fact just got a nit from another on this site saying this Series 5 horn saved his bacon when minivan started to move into his lane.  
 

The Soundbomb (not the mini) airhorn is louder but it a more complicated install.

Link to comment
On 6/17/2020 at 11:35 PM, Skywagon said:

Screaming Banshee's Shockwave

 

Well it came in.  I spent 3 hours in Texas heat today trying to find a way to make it fit.  I could mount it, but there was no way to turn the forks stop to stop.  I made a couple of brackets trying to make it fit but I can't figure it out.  Back it goes.  The mfg says it will fit, but I have no idea how.

Odd, I got my Screaming Banshee Shockwave to fit my 2018 R1200RT and 2020 R1250RT. It is very vtight but it does fit.

Link to comment

TJRL...Pictures would be nice.  I could mount mine, but could not find a way to clear the forks when turning lock to lock.  i mounted it high, low, original, made a 90 degree short bracket, 90 degree long bracket, and gave up.  Anxious to see what you did and if you can turn your forks lock to lock.  When I did the fork would hit the horn.

 

 

P.S.  Is it really loud?  worth the effort?

Link to comment

I've got two Stebels mounted on the 06 RT,.....don't know how much difference in room there is between my bike and wetheads, but I managed to stuff both in there.

Link to comment

For those with some clearance issues, you should watch the Stebel install video from Hornig.  If you pay attention, you don't actually use the OEM horn mount bolt.  You move up to one of the fairing mount bolts.  That little added extra height may help a lot.

Link to comment
Sandlapper

Got my SoundBomb over the weekend, I'm gonna  wait on the CanSmart and D2s before installing....

 

Talked with a sales rep from Denali/Twisted Throttle about the CanSmart and he says that they are on back order but they do get them in in small batches, so all that come in are already sold from orders.......He said that if you want one you need to order one and wait....they do not charge your card till they ship.

Link to comment
8 hours ago, Sandlapper said:

Got my SoundBomb over the weekend, I'm gonna  wait on the CanSmart and D2s before installing....

 

Talked with a sales rep from Denali/Twisted Throttle about the CanSmart and he says that they are on back order but they do get them in in small batches, so all that come in are already sold from orders.......He said that if you want one you need to order one and wait....they do not charge your card till they ship.

Well you can go right to the source and order a HEX ezCAN.  They make the CanSmart for Denali. And it is just rebranded for Denali.  Both outfits I really like and support fully, but if you want something on a timetable you may try for a ezCAN somewhere.

Link to comment
Sandlapper
18 hours ago, LAF said:

Well you can go right to the source and order a HEX ezCAN.  They make the CanSmart for Denali. And it is just rebranded for Denali.  Both outfits I really like and support fully, but if you want something on a timetable you may try for a ezCAN somewhere.

Hey Lee that's good info to know.......

 

I have looked no farther than just viewing the pic of the ezCan controller, but they have pigtails that I would assume(yeah I know) have to be wired onto the device you are controlling. I’m in no hurry for these lights/horn upgrade but by ordering all components from Denali it is a true plug & play......Of course there is about a $60 difference in price but I guess that is just for the convenience no wiring, soldering, or waterproofing of pigtail connections.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

Finally got all the pieces to install the drive lights and Sound Bomb.....I could not be more pleased. The horn, well it's the bomb(pun intended) very loud and the lights flash when you hit the button

  • Like 3
Link to comment

$60 premium over the generic controller version is a no-brainier to wait for the plug an play system. 

 

I went down the full generic path in 2017 starting with the then gen 1 ezCAN. I found Chinese knock off BMW driving lights on Amazon or eBay (looks like they are from the same manufacturer of OEM driving lights) and a Stebel nautilus horn as I had used that same horn on my '99 RT with great success.  I did splurge on BMW OEM driving light brackets and the Denali sound bomb bracket. Because my standard shop supplies including having all the electrical connectors, shrink tube, and automotive wire, it wasn't an added cost to do my own harnesses, just my time (maybe an hour including coffee refills).  If memory serves the project came in well short of 50% of OEM driving light system which would have left me with the crappy OEM horn.  Not sure what the cost variation was to the Deanlli and  Clearwater system, but at that time what put me off the Clearwater system was that it was implied their controller locked you into their lights and I wanted full flexibility.  So far I have been happy with the ezCAN controller Stebel horn and Chinese sourced lights.  The only small glitch I have experienced was a failed ezCAN firmware update, which was resolved by disconnecting the controller from the CANbus daisy chain and pulling the 30 amp main bus fuse before re-running the update.

Link to comment

The Denali and HEX ezCAN are the EXACT same items!  Not sure where the 60 dollars or the wait for plug and play but they are identical.  As I said HEX makes the Denali.

 

As far as Clearwarter they are outright liars.  A ezCAN or a Denali will control their lights with no issues.  They even went so far as to lie and say the ezCAN would burn up their lights.  HEX went to THEIR light manufacturer, provide specs to their controller and the light board manufacturer said the HEX unit was fine.   It is posted on the HEX web site so not hear say but a fact.

 

I tried to buy a set of lights from them before my Denali D4 and they said my ezCAN would not work with their lights and walked away from me at a show.  Real assholes.  I am so happy they did and I got Denali D4 with yellow covers, they are the bomb.

 

Denali now has a set of lights throwing 15,000 Lumen for 600 bucks and are the brightest on the market.  Go to Clearwater  and price 15,000 lumen lights.  And with Denali lens system you can adjust for 3 different beam patterns just swapping lens out!

 

I guess if Clearwater would have treated me with a bit of respect, and tried to explain to me why they wanted me to use thier unit, but as soon as I mentioned ezCAN they got shitty and said it wont work and literally walked away.

 

Well fortunately I dont need a brand name to feel special or impress people.  And I dont have to justifie why I spent thousands of dollars at Clearwater when for 1/2 the cost I can have a integrated product that works with EVERYONE'S lights, not just the ones marked (liars)Clearwater.

Link to comment

Interesting.  When I was shopping these accessories in 2016, HEX had not yet posted their challenge to Clearwater's compatibility claim. No matter, I am happy with my setup and since I did the paired driving light set up I have the other high current (10 amp) circuit to add high mounted floods should I decide to want them.  Might have to use the low power circuit with a relay if I go with their D7 15,000 lumen units as they look to draw 10 Amps (not sure but that looks like 10 amps each). 

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...