Upgraded the horn on my Ninja

Grn99Kawi · September 26th, 2009, 10:12 AM

The stock horn never really bothered me much... sounding more like the Warner Brother's roadrunner with a sock in its mouth.. but ther other day I had to reach for the horn 3 times.. and once I leaned on it for some ass clown in a Mercedes Benz "courtesy car" who couldnt decide which of 2 lanes he really wanted while taking calls on his cell phone... I showed him where the sky was using a selected finger.. I dont think he ever heard or saw me...

Last night I went to Autozone and picked up the fabled "Freeway Blaster" low note horn for $20.. install was very straightforward. I used the bracket that came with the horn and I used black foam (like those that mount tranny coolers up against radiators) to insulate it like the OEM bracket does with rubber.. I'm not sure if that is necessary, but I did it anyway...

The sounds is louder, but best of all it sounds like a 'car' and not a big wheels.

Some idiots still might not hear me, but at least I have a better fighting chance... I made a quick video showing the difference:

Link to original page on YouTube.

Alex · September 26th, 2009, 10:20 AM

Good job!

andrewexd · September 26th, 2009, 10:25 AM

yeah sounds alot better. The stock horn is useless on the freeway...

noche_caliente · September 26th, 2009, 12:41 PM

Thanks for the comparison!

welcome2thedawn · September 26th, 2009, 12:46 PM

that's awesome!!! i must have one!

bobaab · October 14th, 2009, 01:57 PM

Nice! It sounds way better than the stocker. The stock horn is more of a suggestion rather than a warning...I never use it.

Nemesis · October 14th, 2009, 02:06 PM

I actually want to do this to my bike but I'm usually the one that gets honked at. LOL!

ManyCavies · October 14th, 2009, 02:42 PM

Thats great! Thanks for the info

I still want an air horn to wake up the idiots that seem to aim for me when eye contact is made, target fixation anyone.

g21-30 · October 14th, 2009, 02:48 PM

Good Job! Sounds just like my '09 (Freeway Blaster)

ajaygraci · October 14th, 2009, 06:07 PM

sounds just like a car nowm good job and thanks for that vid ... i thought it would sound like a 8wheel trucker but still its a huge improvement

Nemesis · October 14th, 2009, 06:10 PM

I just saw the vid...I wanna install one of those train horns on mine. LOL!

M · October 17th, 2009, 06:39 PM

I went with a FIAMM low tone. I ended up having to mount the horn to the upper left radiator bolt, so that I can still use the triple tree in conjunction with my front stand.

websniper · November 22nd, 2009, 01:58 PM

I've installed the same horn. It's a marked difference. And, watching the wrench jump when he hit the honker while performing my inspection was added entertainment value!

BlueRaven · November 22nd, 2009, 03:44 PM

i never thought of changing my horn but will definitely look into it for the future. I have a few months to do mods ...darn long canadian winters

Snake · November 22nd, 2009, 04:38 PM

It's definetly alot more of an attention getter.

Rayme · November 22nd, 2009, 06:13 PM

I'd like to get hella supertones, they are hella loud! You dont want to horn it by accident when in your garage/shed :P

BlueRaven · November 22nd, 2009, 06:22 PM

it may cause you to scream like a girl if you were to accidentely hit the horn in the garage ...lol

H.I.D. · June 18th, 2010, 09:15 AM

I noticed that the stock horn draws 2.5 amps, and the freeway blaster
draws 5 amps. Is there any concern about installing the freeway blaster
because it will draw 5 amps. Would it "overheat the wiring" ?

H.I.D. · June 18th, 2010, 09:18 AM

I forgot to mention, the bike that i am referring to is the new gen- 2008 ninja 250

tjkamper · June 18th, 2010, 09:49 AM

Sounds like a good investment of $20 and a Saturday.

jonthechron · June 18th, 2010, 10:57 AM

Dontcha worry bout it, my horn draws about 18 AMPS, air-horn ftw

mrlmd · June 18th, 2010, 11:13 AM

Most of these horns, and that's like a knock-off of a Stebel air horn, CANNOT be directly wired up to the stock horn button and wires. They need to be connected usually directly from the battery to a relay and then to the horn, and the horn button and existing wiring the goes to activate the relay. The Stebel and similar ones are protected by a 20 amp fuse and heavier wires are used to power them from the relay than are used for the original horn wiring. If you run the horn like that you have a risk of burning out the horn button and the wires, or melting them, and in a severe accident, could start a fire.
See the 2 wiring diagrams attached. You should have gotten a relay with that horn, otherwise go pick up a 20 amp rated relay and a 10 or 20 amp inline fuse and do it correctly. That may be only another 5 dollars or so. Otherwise you may not have any horn soon or some other problem with your bike.

jonthechron · June 18th, 2010, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrlmd

Most of these horns, and that's like a knock-off of a Stebel air horn, CANNOT be directly wired up to the stock horn button and wires. They need to be connected usually directly from the battery to a relay and then to the horn, and the horn button and existing wiring the goes to activate the relay. The Stebel and similar ones are protected by a 20 amp fuse and heavier wires are used to power them from the relay than are used for the original horn wiring. If you run the horn like that you have a risk of burning out the horn button and the wires, or melting them, and in a severe accident, could start a fire.
See the 2 wiring diagrams attached. You should have gotten a relay with that horn, otherwise go pick up a 20 amp rated relay and a 10 or 20 amp inline fuse and do it correctly. That may be only another 5 dollars or so. Otherwise you may not have any horn soon or some other problem with your bike.

+1

Always wire things up the proper way, even though it will appear to "work" by simple plug&play, long term reliability may be compromised. Use a relay to wire the air horn, check for the proper AWG, make sure fuses are of correct Amperage rating, etc. If you don't think you can do-this-yourself, have someone with competent electrical experience do it for you.

AgentCircus · July 18th, 2010, 05:13 PM

For those of you with the FIAMM Freeway Blaster, where did you buy it? I checked Autozone and they didn't have it.

gogiburn · July 18th, 2010, 06:47 PM

go to www.autohornsplus.com and get the M80 Stebels.$19 for 2 one hi one lo Awsome orns includes the relays.
Posted via Mobile Device

September 26th, 2009, 10:12 AM	#1
Grn99Kawi ninjette.org sage Name: A Location: Long Island, NY Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2000 Honda CBR600F4 (sold) 1999 Ninja 250 (sold) Posts: 586	Upgraded the horn on my Ninja The stock horn never really bothered me much... sounding more like the Warner Brother's roadrunner with a sock in its mouth.. but ther other day I had to reach for the horn 3 times.. and once I leaned on it for some ass clown in a Mercedes Benz "courtesy car" who couldnt decide which of 2 lanes he really wanted while taking calls on his cell phone... I showed him where the sky was using a selected finger.. I dont think he ever heard or saw me... Last night I went to Autozone and picked up the fabled "Freeway Blaster" low note horn for $20.. install was very straightforward. I used the bracket that came with the horn and I used black foam (like those that mount tranny coolers up against radiators) to insulate it like the OEM bracket does with rubber.. I'm not sure if that is necessary, but I did it anyway... The sounds is louder, but best of all it sounds like a 'car' and not a big wheels. Some idiots still might not hear me, but at least I have a better fighting chance... I made a quick video showing the difference: Link to original page on YouTube. __________________________________________________ 2000 Honda CBR600F4 Silver and Red 1999 Kawi Racing Green Ninja 250 sold

September 26th, 2009, 10:20 AM	#2
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	Good job! __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

September 26th, 2009, 12:41 PM	#4
noche_caliente ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Kim Location: mundo de ensueño Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 250 Posts: A lot.	Thanks for the comparison! __________________________________________________ Progrip tank pad, blue rim stripes, blue Pazzos, Roaring Toyz lowering kit, Puig DB in dark smoke, Cortech sport tail, super mini tank, and saddlebags, OES swingarm spools and Intuitive frame sliders

October 14th, 2009, 02:42 PM	#8
ManyCavies ninjette.org sage Name: Crissy Location: Indio, CA Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): . . . . . . . 2000 Suzuki Intruder VS800 "Suzi", 2008 Kawasaki Ninja EX250 "Yoshi" Posts: 507	Thats great! Thanks for the info I still want an air horn to wake up the idiots that seem to aim for me when eye contact is made, target fixation anyone. __________________________________________________ GO GREEN!! GOT MY PINK ON!!

November 22nd, 2009, 03:44 PM	#14
BlueRaven ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Lil One Location: NB Canada Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Ninja 250 Black Posts: A lot.	i never thought of changing my horn but will definitely look into it for the future. I have a few months to do mods ...darn long canadian winters __________________________________________________ I'm not small, I'm fun sized

September 26th, 2009, 10:25 AM	#3
andrewexd ninjette.org guru Name: Andrew Location: LA Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 07 GSXR600 (N250 sold :( ) Posts: 415	yeah sounds alot better. The stock horn is useless on the freeway...

September 26th, 2009, 12:46 PM	#5
welcome2thedawn ninjette.org guru Name: dawn Location: portland, or Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): 08 ninja 250r modded, 73 honda cl200, 74 kawasaki 400 triple Posts: 255	that's awesome!!! i must have one!

October 14th, 2009, 01:57 PM	#6
bobaab ninjette.org member Name: Bob Location: Park Ridge, IL Join Date: Jul 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2001 Kawasaki Ninja 250 Posts: 74	Nice! It sounds way better than the stocker. The stock horn is more of a suggestion rather than a warning...I never use it.

October 14th, 2009, 02:06 PM	#7
Nemesis CVMA #74 WSMC #750 Name: Nemesis Location: On the track Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): All of them Posts: A lot.	I actually want to do this to my bike but I'm usually the one that gets honked at. LOL!

October 14th, 2009, 02:48 PM	#9
g21-30 ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Sam Location: Northern Virginia Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R 2009 Posts: A lot.	Good Job! Sounds just like my '09 (Freeway Blaster)

October 14th, 2009, 06:07 PM	#10
ajaygraci ninjette.org member Name: Angelo Location: North New Jersey Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 ninja 250r, black, carbon fiber full exhaust...2000 toyota 4runner Posts: 136	sounds just like a car nowm good job and thanks for that vid ... i thought it would sound like a 8wheel trucker but still its a huge improvement

October 14th, 2009, 06:10 PM	#11
Nemesis CVMA #74 WSMC #750 Name: Nemesis Location: On the track Join Date: Oct 2009 Motorcycle(s): All of them Posts: A lot.	I just saw the vid...I wanna install one of those train horns on mine. LOL!

October 17th, 2009, 06:39 PM	#12
M ninjette.org member Name: M Location: Oklahoma Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 x2, Ninja 650R Posts: 165	I went with a FIAMM low tone. I ended up having to mount the horn to the upper left radiator bolt, so that I can still use the triple tree in conjunction with my front stand.

November 22nd, 2009, 01:58 PM	#13
websniper New rider Name: Jarrod Location: Ephrata, PA Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2001 Ninja 250 Posts: 42	I've installed the same horn. It's a marked difference. And, watching the wrench jump when he hit the honker while performing my inspection was added entertainment value!

November 22nd, 2009, 04:38 PM	#15
Snake ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Rick Location: Alexandria, Louisiana Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 05 Blue Ninja 250 Posts: Too much. MOTY - 2017, MOTM - Jan '19, Oct '16, May '14	It's definetly alot more of an attention getter.

November 22nd, 2009, 06:13 PM	#16
Rayme ninjette.org guru Name: Remy Location: Moncton Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '04 sv650s Posts: 438	I'd like to get hella supertones, they are hella loud! You dont want to horn it by accident when in your garage/shed :P __________________________________________________ There's 2 types of people in this world, those who complain and those who act.

November 22nd, 2009, 06:22 PM	#17
BlueRaven ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Lil One Location: NB Canada Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Ninja 250 Black Posts: A lot.	it may cause you to scream like a girl if you were to accidentely hit the horn in the garage ...lol __________________________________________________ I'm not small, I'm fun sized

June 18th, 2010, 09:15 AM	#18
H.I.D. ninjette.org member Name: Rob Location: toronto Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): "None yet" Posts: 16	I noticed that the stock horn draws 2.5 amps, and the freeway blaster draws 5 amps. Is there any concern about installing the freeway blaster because it will draw 5 amps. Would it "overheat the wiring" ?

June 18th, 2010, 09:18 AM	#19
H.I.D. ninjette.org member Name: Rob Location: toronto Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): "None yet" Posts: 16	I forgot to mention, the bike that i am referring to is the new gen- 2008 ninja 250

June 18th, 2010, 09:49 AM	#20
tjkamper ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Travis Location: Warwick, RI Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	Sounds like a good investment of $20 and a Saturday. __________________________________________________ Addicted to anything that has an engine and rolls.

June 18th, 2010, 10:57 AM	#21
jonthechron ninjette.org sage Name: Jon Location: Usa Join Date: Jan 2010 Motorcycle(s): magHitVE Posts: 650	Dontcha worry bout it, my horn draws about 18 AMPS, air-horn ftw

July 18th, 2010, 05:13 PM	#24
AgentCircus ninjette.org member Name: Michael Location: Los Angeles Join Date: Jul 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: 41	For those of you with the FIAMM Freeway Blaster, where did you buy it? I checked Autozone and they didn't have it.

July 18th, 2010, 06:47 PM	#25
gogiburn ninjette.org member Name: RIP Location: nj Join Date: Jun 2010 Motorcycle(s): have 24 Posts: 53	go to www.autohornsplus.com and get the M80 Stebels.$19 for 2 one hi one lo Awsome orns includes the relays. Posted via Mobile Device

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