Member Contributer Dutchy Posted April 14, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 14, 2008 After last winter's "mechanical" mods (Wilbers rear shock, front springs) I really felt empowered by doing stuff myself.I've started my 1st electrical mod.......Me being a Finance Mgr with no electrical training whatsoever, I 've scoured the Net for info and began today.Then the rain came and with no garage that means STOPSo please let me know if my steps/logic makes sence.....Right, the bike is a 1997/4th Gen.and before I start any work, disconnect the battery.The OEM horn is fed from the horn switch housing unit by two wires:DARK green (positive)Light green (negative)polarity established by hooking up the FIAMM unit and it went MMMMWAAAP!!!! (Cheers Veefer!)I found some room for the units (discarding the plastic red shrouds and chopping the trumptet a little)Yes, you see black 2.5mm wire; it should be red for positive I know..... why waste good wire. (besides, I will know how it is wired.....)So I'm running the positive terminal on the bottom oneto the top oneand from there the (black positive) will run to the relay. (earth provide by bracketting the horns to the metal parts of the bike)The relay has 5 terminals:87 this is where the positive wire running from both FIAMMs will go87A the terminal in the middle: no use for this one is there?30 This will have the 10ah fuse running to the positive terminal on the battery86 the OEM horn's original positive wire85 the OEM horn's original negative wireNext time I will have time to work on the bike will be Thursday, so keep the tips coming!If I already did something BAD let me know, got plenty wire and connectors!thanks in advance."El Noobo Electricadas" :tongue: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightwad Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 87A would be for something you want powered when the relay isn't active.....so no use for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted April 14, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 14, 2008 87A would be for something you want powered when the relay isn't active.....so no use for it. but otherwise, my "plan" is sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Be careful if you do any modifications to the horn shell as you had already done with the top one. TRUE STORY!!: I drilled a smaller than 1/18" hole on the back plastic body of one of my Fiamm snail horns some years ago to provide a way for water to drain midway down the snail body, for some reason and to my surprise, it completely ruined the tone of the horn and made it sound wimpy/horrible. It must be that the snail body is so tuned that the slightest deviation from the normal shape affects it. I plugged the little hole with a little silicone it it came back to normal volume and tone, proving that the little hole caused the problem. You might be OK cause you cut off areas towards the end of the bell, but I think you should check it. Good luck on the great Hi/Lo Fiamm install! Tell us how it goes! BTW, also make sure that you do not let the horn contact the side of the fairing or any other engine components too much. You have to let it vibrate and attenuate on it's flexible leaf spring metal mount like a bell to get full volume. Otherwise it will sound damped and not loud enough. Beck 95 VFR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted April 14, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 14, 2008 Be careful if you do any modifications to the horn shell as you had already done with the top one.TRUE STORY!!: I drilled a smaller than 1/18" hole on the back plastic boy of one of my Fiamm snail horns some years ago to provide a way for water to drain midway down the snail body, for some reason and to my surprise, it completely ruined the tone of the horn and made it sound wimpy/horrible. It must be that the snail body is so tuned that the slightest deviation from the normal shape affects it. I plugged the little hole with a little silicaone it it came back to normal volume and tone, proving that the little hole caused the problem. You might be OK cause you cut off areas towards the end of the bell, but I think you should check it. Good luck on the great Hi/Lo Fiamm install! Tell us how it goes! BTW, also make sure that you do not let the horn contact the side of the fairing or any other engine components too much. You have to let it vibrate and attenuate on it's flexible leaf spring metal mount like a bell to get full volume. Otherwise it will sound damped and not loud enough. Beck 95 VFR Okaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy...... The bottom one is "intact" and hanging "free", the top one is euhmmmm not longer stock and is not completely "free".......... The chops were made to have it recede more inot the bike, avoiding conntact with the louvre slits..... The proof will be in the pudding when all is wired up..... If it is Hi-tone I :pissed: up, I can always ditch it and hook up the OEM "MEEEP MEEP" to work with the Lo-tone........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer Madness Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Okaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy......The bottom one is "intact" and hanging "free", the top one is euhmmmm not longer stock and is not completely "free".......... The chops were made to have it recede more inot the bike, avoiding conntact with the louvre slits..... The proof will be in the pudding when all is wired up..... If it is Hi-tone I :pissed: up, I can always ditch it and hook up the OEM "MEEEP MEEP" to work with the Lo-tone........ Looks good so far.... :huh: And NO, I am NOT going over there to hold your ANYTHING!!!!!!! :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CitizenOfDreams Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 87 this is where the positive wire running from both FIAMMs will go87A the terminal in the middle: no use for this one is there? 30 This will have the 10ah fuse running to the positive terminal on the battery 86 the OEM horn's original positive wire 85 the OEM horn's original negative wire The 10A fuse is right on the borderline. I would recommend 15A. Everything else looks right so far. Not bad for a finance manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4 Rosso Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Some relais have a build in tamping diode (between terminal 85 & 86) and need terminal 86 wired to ground (horn negative wire). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer keithbob Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 87 this is where the positive wire running from both FIAMMs will go87A the terminal in the middle: no use for this one is there? 30 This will have the 10ah fuse running to the positive terminal on the battery 86 the OEM horn's original positive wire 85 the OEM horn's original negative wire The 10A fuse is right on the borderline. I would recommend 15A. Everything else looks right so far. Not bad for a finance manager. I blew a 10A fuse first time I used my dual Flamms in anger. A 15 has held fine. Also, if hook your stock horn up through the relay with some bigger wire it will about double it's volume. The third note will sound horrible but really get attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I was cheap and lazy and just connected my single low tone Fiamm snail horn to the exsting horn wiring without any negative effects, after at least ten years now. So, I would say that if you only plan to go with a single Fiamm horn, you do not really need to have a relay MVC-010F.JPG There's the horn right below the left grip, under the fairing. Beck 95 VFR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CitizenOfDreams Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 So, I would say that if you only plan to go with a single Fiamm horn, you do not really need to have a relay You don't HAVE to have a relay for a single horn, but it will work much better with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Correct me if I'm wrong here guys, but I think Dutchy has his positive and negative wiring colors backwards. Dark green is always ground on Hondas. Light green should be your hot wire. Most horns (and a lot of other electrical devices) will work with the wiring backwards. I think that even includes electrical relays. Just don't want you doing other things to your bike thinking dark green is a hot wire. It is the ground. Sometimes you will find green wires with silver bands around them (not a silver tracer mark) but dark green is GROUND. The dark green with silver bands is what you will find in the infamous 6th Gen blue connector. To be doubly sure and to learn a little bit more about your bike, check to find where the main wiring harness grounds to the frame. On a 6th Gen it is at the left rear of the gas tank. You will find a bundle of dark green wires bolted to the frame. The battery grounds to the frame on a 6th Gen a few inches away on the other side of the shock bolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4 Rosso Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 You are correct. Good thing at someone is paying attention :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted April 16, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 16, 2008 Correct me if I'm wrong here guys, but I think Dutchy has his positive and negative wiring colors backwards. Dark green is always ground on Hondas. Light green should be your hot wire. Most horns (and a lot of other electrical devices) will work with the wiring backwards. I think that even includes electrical relays.Just don't want you doing other things to your bike thinking dark green is a hot wire. It is the ground. Sometimes you will find green wires with silver bands around them (not a silver tracer mark) but dark green is GROUND. The dark green with silver bands is what you will find in the infamous 6th Gen blue connector. To be doubly sure and to learn a little bit more about your bike, check to find where the main wiring harness grounds to the frame. On a 6th Gen it is at the left rear of the gas tank. You will find a bundle of dark green wires bolted to the frame. The battery grounds to the frame on a 6th Gen a few inches away on the other side of the shock bolt. Cheers Pete :rolleyes: I'll continue tomorrow at some point and keep you posted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted April 17, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 17, 2008 correctemundo!!! dark green is earth..... She hoots really loud...... with the side panel off.... with the panel on, the panel pushes against the top horn.... and now the sound is horrible..... so........ time to relocate, make another bracket... but they hoot! :pissed: nothing burning :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Obviously you've given your horns the "Smoke Test". The Smoke Test is when you make a modification to an object, you turn the ignition on, and the vehicle either goes up in smoke or operates properly. Sounds like you passed the Smoke Test OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted April 18, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 18, 2008 Obviously you've given your horns the "Smoke Test".The Smoke Test is when you make a modification to an object, you turn the ignition on, and the vehicle either goes up in smoke or operates properly. Sounds like you passed the Smoke Test OK. yeah, I dreaded this.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Obviously you've given your horns the "Smoke Test".The Smoke Test is when you make a modification to an object, you turn the ignition on, and the vehicle either goes up in smoke or operates properly. Sounds like you passed the Smoke Test OK. yeah, I dreaded this.... Dutchy: I don't think I have ever seen a better example of a bike failing the Smoke Test. That pic should be in the Modification Hall of Shame. You made my day. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Hoover Posted April 18, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 18, 2008 The Smoke Test is when you make a modification to an object, you turn the ignition on, and the vehicle either goes up in smoke or operates properly. Sounds like you passed the Smoke Test OK. I've had a XS650 fail the smoke test. Due to a past crash the tank was slightly bent and needed a larger gasket for the petcock. I poured some gas in the bike. Saw it start to leak and imediatly stoped. before I knew it fumes got into a halogen light a few feet away. Boom. The bike went up in flames over 12 feet high and burned to a crisp. Lesson 1 Never use a halogen light as your light source when pouring gas. Lesson 2 after doing a minor rebuild on a bike pour the gas in the bike when its outside and not inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted April 18, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 18, 2008 Done!! :fing02: No more <MEEP MEEP> now it is MWAAP MHWAAP!! The one on top of the coolant tank moved down, with the bracket mounted on a different position so the horn could vibrate/resonate to its heart's content! As I took of the OEM horn, two nice bolt holes became available and with some trial and error, found the correct inclination. No touching anything, no matter how much a try to dive the front. The little tie wrap to keep a check on whether or not the lot will drop over time.... And to do Tightwad proud, proper heatshrinks Thank you for guiding me along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightwad Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Mmmmm, Pretty....... the heatshrink that is.....I can't decide if I like heat shrink or zip ties more. Nice work, glad to hear the horn is not a wimp anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmythecop Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 I posted earlier about my Volvo horns I got from the junkyard for 5 bucks. Your mod moved me to dig 'em out and mount them. Your pictures gave me good ideas. Mine are not in fact Fiamms, but the say KLAXON Made in France on them. I'll honk soon and you tell me if you can hear them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer Madness Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Done!! :unsure: No more <MEEP MEEP> now it is MWAAP MHWAAP!! The one on top of the coolant tank moved down, with the bracket mounted on a different position so the horn could vibrate/resonate to its heart's content! Don't you think you lowered your bike a little too much? :biggrin: :huh: What if the 'Dikes' burst? :ph34r: :ohmy: And to do Tightwad proud, proper heatshrinks Thank you for guiding me along! Uh...... Leon; You might want to mount that relay somewhere INSIDE the fairing. Unless of course, there's one out on the other side to 'balance' it off..... then it's ALL GOOD!!!!!! :wheel: :laugh: I heard you Dutch Folks like to wear that stuff, with a blow dryer...... :dry: :491: So you use it for that too???? :idea3: :fing02: How 'BI-CULTURAL' of you!!! :beer:(*) :goofy: (*)Sorry, no Scotch emoticon..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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