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Johnnyblade YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 46	Horn 09/02/15 at 13:43:08 Do you guys think a 5 inch diameter car horn will work for a replacement on the s40? I've seen a few on ebay. John
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Horn Reply #1 - 09/02/15 at 13:57:06 I can't remember if the bike has a horn relay or if the button carries the load. If it's got a relay, I'd expect to be straight swap. Someone recently hung a good looking pair on his.
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Dave

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Re: Horn
Reply #2 - 09/02/15 at 14:03:53

The stock system does not have a relay. The power wire goes to the horn, and the wire from the horn goes to the switch on the handlebar, and the push button switch grounds the circuit.

If you are increasing the amperage draw by installing a bigger/louder horn - it would be advisable that you also include a relay so you don't overload the stock wiring or horn switch.

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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Horn
Reply #3 - 09/02/15 at 15:26:37

Yep, a trip to the junk yard, get the horn and relay. Wire it so the button provides ground to the control side of the relay and the relay provides , you can do either, but, I like ground. The downside to that it, you've got a hot wire running to the horn, thru the coil of the horn and back to the relay. That could be an invitation for an issue, should anything happen to pinch that wire... so, maybe on a bike, the relay should control power.
And put a fuse inline.
I put a radiator fan over my seat on the backhoe. Took some doing, but, it was worth it. IF the horn has its own fuse, then make note of it. The fuse amperage will tell you what wire you'll need. You can also either clip the wires that feed the horn and have a sample, or look And see what gauge the car wires are.
THE stock wires should be well able to deal with the current of the relay control. And, it's not like you sit and hold the button.

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Johnnyblade YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 46	Re: Horn Reply #4 - 09/02/15 at 15:56:44 Thanks guys, The horn I'm looking at is 12v. So it might be a straight swap?
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18099 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Horn Reply #5 - 09/02/15 at 18:51:15 The problem is not the voltage....it is the amperage. The bigger and louder a horn is......the more current it will require to run it. At some point you will be using more amperage than the wiring or switch can stand to operate....and you could burn them up without a relay.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Horn Reply #6 - 09/02/15 at 19:10:51 Looka them itty bitty wires,,, Spend some time looking around online. Or, carefully read my post, I address wire size, fuse,
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Kris01 Serious Thumper Offline Eat, sleep, RIDE! Posts: 3767 Tennessee Gender:	Re: Horn Reply #7 - 09/02/15 at 19:13:07 I would (for safety) add a relay regardless, unless you are swapping to a stock type horn. Like Dave said, a louder horn will probably melt your switch and wiring.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Horn Reply #8 - 09/02/15 at 19:19:36 Again, covered in my post. IF the horn is on its own fuse, you'll see what amperage the engineers designing it thought it needed. The wires TO the horn have what gauge they are printed on them. An old Honda civic does not have a relay And the horn sux, I put TaUrus horns on it, and a relay..
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thumperclone Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline PGR rider riding with respect Posts: 6072 Grand Junction Colorado Gender:	Re: Horn Reply #9 - 09/02/15 at 22:12:38 the contacts of the horn button end up going bad button to relay coil new fused circuit to relay contacts then to new horn
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Horn Reply #10 - 09/03/15 at 15:12:41 As long as the control end of the relay uses less current than the horn does now, why would it hurt the horn button,? If you're gonna jump in, maybe you could expand a little.
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JutMan Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 96 Poconos Gender:	Re: Horn Reply #11 - 09/03/15 at 18:30:19 I put a bigger horn in and not a relay, can someone help by posting what I need to get to prevent burning up my harness?
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Horn
Reply #12 - 09/03/15 at 22:41:54

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 09/02/15 at 15:26:37:

Yep, a trip to the junk yard, get the horn and relay. Wire it so the button provides ground to the control side of the relay and the relay provides , you can do either, but, I like ground. The downside to that it, you've got a hot wire running to the horn, thru the coil of the horn and back to the relay. That could be an invitation for an issue, should anything happen to pinch that wire... so, maybe on a bike, the relay should control power.
And put a fuse inline.
I put a radiator fan over my seat on the backhoe. Took some doing, but, it was worth it. IF the horn has its own fuse, then make note of it. The fuse amperage will tell you what wire you'll need. You can also either clip the wires that feed the horn and have a sample, or look And see what gauge the car wires are.
THE stock wires should be well able to deal with the current of the relay control. And, it's not like you sit and hold the button.

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The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

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thumperclone Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline PGR rider riding with respect Posts: 6072 Grand Junction Colorado Gender:	Re: Horn Reply #13 - 09/03/15 at 22:55:44 justin_o_guy2 wrote on 09/03/15 at 15:12:41: As long as the control end of the relay uses less current than the horn does now, why would it hurt the horn button,? If you're gonna jump in, maybe you could expand a little. see post # 5
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Horn Reply #14 - 09/04/15 at 08:12:45 Well, I've done this type of mod and I sent my training laptop Texas tech. They said if id pay the processing fee, I More than.qualified for an associate's certificate in electronics. I stand on my suggestion as to how to do the job.
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