Car Horn Upgrade on BMW GS Adventure. Is it worth it?
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
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In this episode, I will show you how I upgraded my stock horn on a BMW R1200 GS Adventure to the OEM “Low Pitch” Car Horn. Then I will compare the performance of the two. Is it worth it?
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Product Links:
BMW OEM Low Pitch Horn - Part# 61338381271
I don’t have a preferred source for this. Check wherever you buy your BMW parts.
Third Party (Vemo) copy of BMW horn: amzn.to/2QmiZEk
Hex ezCAN: amzn.to/2BEkzOu
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DISCLAIMER: The Information provided in this video IS NOT professional advice. It is simply a demonstration of how I performed this task and is for informational purposes only. If you are not comfortable performing this type of work, seek professional assistance. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when performing maintenance or installing parts and equipment.
I just installed one (BMW auto horn) with out removing ANY of the panels/fairing. Easy. Just remove the existing horn only, not the brace. Bend back the brace a bit for final fit. Fit new horn in existing brace. Plug n play. Sounds great, did it in 15 min. 2021 GSA 1250
Right after I watched the video I ordered the low tone one. Today installed at my 2018 R1200RS 😁. Wow, below 20€ and really the sound I missed at all my previous bikes. Thx for this tip.
Did the change last Sunday on my 2019 1250 GSA ... wow what a difference, and super easy ... brilliant and highly recommended! Thanks!
I will have my GS in November and intend on doing the same. Thanks for sharing.
I will attempt to only loosen the 13mm nut and replace the horn part and not the bracket, this way one don't have to remove all the body panels.
I did your horn upgrade on my new to me '13R1200GS LC. Wife and I love it being there. My traffic anticipation skills have been growing since 1981, so I rarely use the horn. Now my age and my cockpit distractions are the challenges.
Tim I just replaced my stock horn on my 2016 s1000 XR with the BMW 5 horn. It was a 30 minute job thx to your video and huge improvement over the road-runner "meep meep" sound of stock. Thx for the help
Thank you, just ordered a new horn
I received my BMW car horn today and intalled without a hitch as per your video. The hardest part is removing all the body work. While I was in there is cleaned the air filter. Thanks Tim.
Hi Kim, I'm glad the video helped. I really like that horn. And you're right, that BMW bodywork is the hardest part. - Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Great video. Perhaps it sounded louder because of the low tone and the plastic horn directing the sound forward, in one direction, for the most part.
The dB meter is an indication, not logic why the new horn is louder at larger distance. For automobiles the tone is more important than the sound level. Nice with a quick solution without rewiring a part of the bike and no errors from the CAN bus
What an intelligent product test and a well video'd presentation. I did not know there were utubers with such clear pictures and clear, organized English presentations. Well done.
Ordered mine after watching the video, (2020 1250 GSA) did the swap last week and I really like it, horn is loud and does not sound like a toy anymore:)
I have just installed a horn from a 5 series BMW car. The cars have two horns a high tone and a low tone. They are a mirror image of each other. I found the high tone one fitted in place with the horn pointing down. High and low tone are written on the horn. otherwise they have the same markings.
Hi, thanks for this info. I will need to take another look at that mounting option.
I always appreciate the thoroughness of your demonstrations, Tim. Coincidentally, I fitted a Soundbomb to my R1200GS LC only yesterday. It required an additional lead to fit to the canbus wiring but, otherwise, was a straightforward installation and was achieved without having to remove any bodywork. It's incredibly loud too.
Thanks again.
👍
Hi Keith, I was really tempted to buy a Soundbomb. Thanks for the info on how it installed.
excellent horn,.. I put it on and its "LOUD" !!!! I love it!!! cars KNOW now when I am there and it no longer sounds like the "Acme Road Runner beep, beep" I don't feel chased by Keily Coyote anymore lol Great upgrade !!!
Hey 31acruz, thanks for the comment. I love this horn, it is much better than the OEM in my opinion. I'm glad this was helpful.
Thanks for watching.
The Denali Sound Bomb is the bomb! The OEM Low Pitch sounds fantastic too. I hope BMW addresses this for the US market in 22. With these bigger displacement GS/GSA bikes being used more on the super slab it’s imperative to have a way better horn. Ear piercing it should be. Way too many distracted drivers on cell phones and in-cR tech. As well I’d also like to see “backlit handlebar switches” for night riding and an electric windscreen. Put it all in a Option 719 package and call it The Highway package. I’ll buy it! Ride safe and ride often.
I agree. I believe you have got a great horn there.
Useful - thank you 😊
Thanks Tim. From one bike you tuber to another. I’m a Denali stockist and installation specialist but I do believe in having options and I will be looking at this as an option for buyers who want to be heard but not going all way with the air horn soundbomb.
Denali products are good stuff. But it's always nice to have options.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
I have a Sound Bomb but the bike I have is a Factory Lowered R1250 GSA. Twisted throttle says it's not possible to mount that horn between the forks as shown on their website. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Michael Glasman I’ve fitted the soundbomb to many factory lowered 1250s. It fits fine, however they may be referring to the clearance when the suspension is fully depressed.
well done Tim2Wheels!
I wonder if you could have found a place to add the car horn, keeping the stock one working also. Two is better then one! Unless you need to count amperage. Also noted at 13:20, you rotated the horn down to get the sound out. That would also be important to let water get out! I'd guess you could catch some wetness on a rain day trip. If the horn was aimed up, no place for the water to escape.
Thanks for the video - I'm going to do this on my new GSA
Thanks for the comment Michael. I've been very happy with this upgrade.
@@Tim2Wheels and the Road Runner clip is great.
Excellent video and thanks for taking the time. I have a 2018 BMW K1600 GTL. The OEM horn is earth shattering and even wakes up Italians in Sicily. Anybody that's ridden there will know what I mean.;-) Am not transiting from the GTL to a new 21 GSA. The horn on the GSA is utterly pathetic. God knows what BMW were thinking....or not as seems the case here.
Great instructional video - duly appreciate your sharing the result of your research in this matter as well as the installation process. Thanks!
Great video, Tim. I am getting a 1250 GSA in a week or so. When I was watching your video, I was really excited about using the car horn, rather than the Soundbomb. But the results were not encouraging. I have read the comments from other viewers and they make sense to me. One last piece, though. I noticed that the car horn was louder at 20 ft. than at 10. That surprised me. I also would question the Denali claim that it makes 120 DB. Perhaps in a controlled environment with a better recording device? I am thinking that I may try out the car horn option, as the lower tone would have value. Since my new GSA has LED Auxiliary lights, I may not go with putting in a Cansmart system.
In any event, thanks for the video, Tim. I will search your other videos to see what other info I can pick up. There is a huge difference on the motorcycle videos
Hi James, sorry for the delay in responding.
I'm not sure how accurate an app on a phone is for truly measuring the sound, but to me and everyone else who hears it, it is much louder. It may be the lower tone, but the sound does seem to carry better. I'm very happy with it. I hope it works for you too.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
This is great, man! I have a K1300R. I'm gonna try on that. I presume you bought the same year for 5 series car horn as to your motorcycle? Mine is a 2013. Should I get the 2013 5 series car horn to match?
Great video topic, excellent comparison, thank you for the info provided
Tim, another great vid. Really enjoy the channel. I just got a gen2 KLR and right away I upgraded the horn and the "skidplate" from the ridiculous and underwhelming OEM parts. I was thinking Denali but for draw considerations, chose a pair of PIAA 400/500 HZ horns. I haven't tested for dB, but they blow away the OEM meep-meep horn. Mounting location was the trickiest thing and I put one forward in the bodywork, and one aft under a turn signal to get attention behind me as well. ;) Not as plug and play as yours, but lighter draw and lots of bang for the buck.
Very helpful video. Thanks!
Thanks for watching.
Most cars today use two-tone horns, low pitch and high pitch. My K1200LT came stock with such a setup and it is loud for a motorcycle. Sounds just like most modern cars. I suspect the low pitch horn by itself will be only slightly more effective than the stock horn. However, if you can find room to add an OEM high pitch horn also, you will have a great horn overall. Both of my LT horns have the horn housing on them just as with a car. I actually suspect they are the same parts BMW likely uses on its cars. Just something to think about if you want to take the next step in having a really effective horn sound.
Hi LT, Those fancy K-bikes just have everything! :)
That's good to know and a good idea. I will look into installing both. It would be an interesting project.
Thanks for the idea, and for watching.
I don’t know of a way to post an image here showing the BMW part numbers, but if you look here under electrical system for the LT you will see the part numbers for the high and low pitch horns. Not sure if these are different than what you used. shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51715&rnd=07242017
Hi ! Great video. Just want to add in that the db scale are logarithmic. i.e an increase of approx 3 db actually double the noice level. I just mount a 130db Denali sound bomb copy from china in conjunction with the stock one and it`s ridiculous loud. Guess I will get problem down in Europe if used without caution. Note that bigger horn require some times it connected to a relay or HexEzCan system as sound are close related to effect output. Motorcycles equipped with can bus are also sensitive for large output on wires with fixed amps and could give error code.
it fits also R1200GS from 2011 with some modifications. It is much better than the original one!
Thanks for the information. I really like this horn, it definitely gets peoples attention when needed.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
It is a little bit tricky to mount it on a air cooled GS ADV as the space is very much limited. But I think to mount another horn is even more difficult. So the result is convincing and is worth every dollar or euro as it makes riding safer and you get heard in case of any emergency.
Regards from Germany
Awesome vlog, Maintain the wonderful work. thnx.
Thanks Matt. I appreciate the feedback.
Very interesting Tim. Some of the difference may be that the microphone on your phone may not be able to respond to the transient response range of the sound of the 2 horns. Also, I'm sure it has a limited frequency response range. I'm not a sound technician, but I feel like you would probably get a different result with professional microphones in a controlled environment.
Hi Roy, I think you're right. I'm sure the propper equipment would give a more accurate result.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
This is exactly why.
Phone apps are next to useless for measuring narrow band sounds like a car horn. Only really good for average levels of broad band sounds.
Hi Tim, I've seen your video and it's very interesting, well, everyone you do is, congratulations. I have noticed your rear footrests and I am looking for similar ones, I have already broken 3 of the originals and I would like to try something harder. Can you tell me what they are or where I can order them? If you leave me the link it would be great. Thank you
Quite fascinating, thanks for sharing. So, can you add the same horn to other BMW bikes with canbus? Seems possible, why do not people talk of this solution?
I have put that horn on my GS Adv from 2011. I had to built a holder for it but it was worth it 😊
The best horn on any bike is the one on K 1600 B. I wonder if that is also plug and play for the GS.
You can order a FIAMM Horn. Fiamm 927385 AM80S/L Kit Low Note Single Horn OE Fit. I think BMW 5 series use Fiamm as OE. It comes with 2 connectors and it fits. I just installed it.
Hi, does it come with a BMW connector or is it compatible with the BMW connector? Regards
@@carlosalonso9866 Late reply but may well help others; I just fitted this to my r1250gs, found it (927385) on ebay UK where I live. The box has a sticker on it saying 936003Z and made in China. The Fiamm box say's made in Italy as it did on the horn itself. Not shown in any photo's I saw it came with both older larger and smaller newer BMW connectors, so was plug and play but a tight fit in the space where the OEM horn sits.
Has anyone installed on a liquid cooked R1200R ?
Horn looks hidden so hoping this is the same size of the bike horn.
There's a 135db pair on amazon, why not just give it the max
Great video and topic! Thank you. A side question, the trox wrench we’re using with the swivel head, what’s the brand? I want to get one for the project.
Thanks again!
How insteresting the connector of the BMW car is the same as the bike.
Have just done this mod but after a few blows of horn the horn stops working. Once I restart the bike it works again. Do you know how I could fix this?
Search up a horn from a K1200LT, it will out blast anything on the market !!!!!
Hey, thanks for the info. I will look into it.
And thanks for watching.
Back in the day BMW used to have Fiamm electric horns original equipment. The R100RS had dual and it was easy to add one more to my 77 R100S. With the advent of the K-series-1984?-they were using regular ones with a pretty weak sound. Dont know why manufacturers dont address the problem of these pitiful beepers-if you need to use the horn in emergency you want to be HEARD!!!
How does the car horn compare to the Denali sound bomb mini which is 110Db
upgrading your horn is one of the best mod you can do on your bike than revving your engine.
the new horn is easier the loudest it may not be as many desibels but the sound is much louder...btw which meter app did you install on your phone to use ?
I have just changed my scooter horn pain in the ass as the space is tight so opted for a PIAA horn 400mhz and sounds much better and fits in the same space without stopping full handlebar lock... My original idea was to fit a stebel magnum 80 horn but alas was to big nice sound but to big I will use it on my next big bike.
Adding a car horn on a motorcycle is a no -brainer in todays world! Too many testers out there today and sometimes they need to be work up!!
WOKE UP is what I wanted to say.
How does this horn compare with the Denali sound bomb mini
Hi Ian,
I can't compare, because I've not heard the SB mini in person. My original plan was to go with the Denali, but I wanted to keep both high power circuits on the ezCAN available.
I have been happy with this horn, it is better than stock.
Thanks for the question and for watching.
It might sound like a stupid question but... Is it dust/waterproof?
How did u got your Tank painted?
Tim, thank you very much for this topic. Anyway it looks very difficult to find something 100% compatible in France... any advice ?
Same here in Belgium, can't manage finding it. Did you finally find something else that could fit? Thanks
In Germany no Problem
If you have a friend in Germany ....
I found it thanks. I took a bmw e36 car horm. Fit very well with a GS LC 1200 2017
Hi Tim, cery good tip and thanks for the video. Will this horn also fit to a GS? Thanks
Also any alternative ref as after an extensive research it looks very difficult getting this part # here in Europe (Belgium) whereas seems very easy in US. Thanks
Eric Boeckmans
It was easy to get in Germany too
perhaps the iPhone decibel meter wasn't up to snuff.
Yep, I'm thinking a smartphone app can only do so much.
@@Tim2Wheels Either way - great video. Ordered the OEM for my 1250 so thanks!
I don't think you need to remove the top piece dude... just the right side
True, you probably can do this job by only removing the side. However, when shooting a video of the process, it helps to give the camera a better view for the video.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Hi Tim, do you think this horn will work on the f 750Gs?
I think it will. As I understand it, all BMW motorcycles have the same setup. If in doubt, check with your dealer. They should know for sure.
Thanks for watching.
It is likely that you, like most men, have lost hearing in the higher frequencies. I know my hearing is quite bad at 6k Hertz and higher. So, it is quite likely that you simply aren’t hearing all of the frequency content of the stock horn, but you are hearing more of the sound at the frequencies emitted by the low frequency horn. The decibel meter will “hear” based on how good the frequency response is of the phone microphone and I have no idea what its response curve looks like.
I suspect your wife might hear things differently. That is why most cars have two-tone horns. Different tones will be heard better by differently people and will penetrate different ambient noises better.
You have a good point there. The age probably does have something to do with it. And a smartphone was not the best instrument to test with, but we use what we have, right? 🙂
Thanks for the feedback.
G
You can go to a Scrap yard with your Bike battery or a Booter pack ..
You can test horns till you get one with the loudness that suits you .
Installing a horn is not that hard...
Wire connectors and butt connectors.