SuzukiSavage.com - $10 HF Snail Horns

chzeckmate Serious Thumper Offline Be the person your dog thinks you are Posts: 514 Houston, Texas Gender:	$10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it? 11/07/15 at 00:07:51 So, I got the $10 Harbor Freight snail horns recently and decided to install them tonight after work. Are they worth it? You decide... VIDEO → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVdxPTU21OY Harbor Freight ad page → http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-12-volt-electric-horn-set-99911.html
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 17818 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it? Reply #1 - 11/07/15 at 03:14:50 How can they make anything like that for $ 10?
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DesertRat Serious Thumper Offline I love rat bikes! Posts: 1569 Arizona	Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it? Reply #2 - 11/07/15 at 06:09:34 reviews for these are 3 star at best, taking into consideration all the fake reviews. bad flimsy brackets bad wiring HUGE current draw dead outta the box bad relays cheap chrome plating *I would spend $10 more bucks and buy a set from Amazon
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Kris01

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Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it?
Reply #3 - 11/07/15 at 07:58:03

This has been discussed before and I'm on the fence about it. With a louder "car type horn", people tend to look for another car. That puts you at risk. They don't think there could be a motorcycle blowing that horn.

However, a louder horn does sound like a safer option. It makes people more aware of you, hopefully. That should add to the safety factor.

What do you guys think?

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it? Reply #4 - 11/07/15 at 08:04:52 From experience, someone put a big rig horn on a car. I was wrong, horn got honked, I STILL nearly messed up, because I was looking for a Big Rig. That said, a horn not heard is not a horn at all. Loud, but not too much bass?
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chzeckmate

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Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it?
Reply #5 - 11/07/15 at 10:29:47

DesertRat wrote on 11/07/15 at 06:09:34:

reviews for these are 3 star at best, taking into consideration all the fake reviews.

1. bad flimsy brackets
2. bad wiring
3. HUGE current draw
4. dead outta the box
5. bad relays
6. cheap chrome plating

*I would spend $10 more bucks and buy a set from Amazon

1. Flimsy brackets? Yes, they are. I wouldn't expect the $20 Amazon variety to be any better. I made my own.. took less than two minutes to do.
2. Bad wiring? No wiring. These don't include wiring. Bad wiring is user error.
3. HUGE current draw? I doubt the Amazon variety will be any better.
4. Dead outta the box? Most likely user error.
5. bad relays? Probably user error.
6. cheap chrome plating? The $20 Amazon version is going to be expensinve chrome plating? Probably not.

I think the difference between the HF and the Amazon versions of this is most likely just packaging. Probably the same internals. Probably made in the same Chineese factory. Just saying

Kris01 wrote on 11/07/15 at 07:58:03:

This has been discussed before and I'm on the fence about it. With a louder "car type horn", people tend to look for another car. That puts you at risk. They don't think there could be a motorcycle blowing that horn.

However, a louder horn does sound like a safer option. It makes people more aware of you, hopefully. That should add to the safety factor.

What do you guys think?

I just want to get their attention. The reason I wanted a louder horn is because a guy who was looking at his phone drove his SUV fully into the opposing lane of traffic on a two way road. I happened to be in the opposing lane. He didn't hear my rinky dink horn because it cut out and died when I activated it. Thankfully he looked up from his phone just in time to swerve back into his own lane before making stew out of me. I had another time when I was on the freeway and a lady was veering out of her lane into mine because she was looking down at her phone. That was on a different bike and that bike also had snail horns on it. She heard the horn and corrected her lane position. Things like that are the only times I've ever had to use my horn. The only other time I use my horn are when people aren't paying attention and a light turns green but they aren't going. I think this horn will serve well. I can't imagine a time when an emergency is occuring and the driver will ignore the immediate emergency because he's confused about the origin of a horn. A guy like that isn't likely to respond correctly to a roadrunner "meep meep" horn either.

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'05 S40, dyna muffler, rejet, high flow filter, Mobil 1 Racing 4T, Shinko 230 set with 140/90 rear, raptor, seat lift, LED running lights/signals, tach, reversed risers, homemade MR10 Lexan windscreen

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Art Webb Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3007 columbus, Texas Gender:	Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it? Reply #6 - 11/07/15 at 11:02:59 Louder horns are better horns I like the Fiamm ,freeway blaster' for the local auto parts put one on my Ninja 500, and every time I hit it, my riding buddy flinched Good if he flinched, he heard it The Savage has a particularly bad horn, a kitten mews louder sorta like the apparently candle-powered stock headlight
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it? Reply #7 - 11/07/15 at 13:47:44 coupla in easy grasp ball bearings.
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DesertRat Serious Thumper Offline I love rat bikes! Posts: 1569 Arizona	Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it? Reply #8 - 11/07/15 at 14:14:43 chzeckmate, I was just quoting all the reviews. And you asked if they were worth it? I read reviews before I purchase anything. I have found that the majority of HF nuts is just that, pure $#!T! My guess is that what they're selling is the cast offs and those that failed QC the first time around.
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chzeckmate

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Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it?
Reply #9 - 11/07/15 at 18:10:35

Yeah, I understand...I find it more likely that where this type of electronic device is concerned that there would be a fair amount of user error. I'd assume that before I'd assume a reputable business like Harbor Freight would pass along cast offs to unsuspecting consumers. The question became is it worth paying more to get the $20 horns of the same variety from Amazon. I'd think it's fair to say it's not. At least I have no reason to believe so given my experience. That's my line of thinking anyway.

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'05 S40, dyna muffler, rejet, high flow filter, Mobil 1 Racing 4T, Shinko 230 set with 140/90 rear, raptor, seat lift, LED running lights/signals, tach, reversed risers, homemade MR10 Lexan windscreen

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WD

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Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it?
Reply #10 - 11/07/15 at 23:12:50

Other than one model of motorcycle lift, Harbor Freight sells garbage. Our tire machine, rated for up to LT315/75R16E (10 ply 4x4 tires), can't even pop off a P225/75R14 4 ply Ranger tire. The motorcycle tire attachment does not have the ability to actually hold a motorcycle rim. Cut off discs fly apart on anything thicker than a beer can.

Need a decent snail horn or two? Older domestic pickups, $5/ea at any pull-a-part. The one near me lets you test them before purchasing.

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Steve H

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Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it?
Reply #11 - 11/08/15 at 11:30:29

WD beat me to it. I was going to suggest a horn off a car or truck from a junkyard. You'll get OEM quality so you know it will last. Just test before you buy or ge a swap out guarantee so you can get another if it doesn't work.

Having said that, I have used a couple HF horns before. I found the build quality to be lacking, but serviceable. I don't believe that any of the ones they sell actually meet their output dB ratings. I have tried a couple different ones rated at 130 dB or better and they were barely louder than the little meep-meep horns they replaced. Not saying they are all like that or that they still are. It's been a few years since I used one.

Want a nice, loud, good looking motorcycle horn? Get an old Honda CB horn. It's a snail horn under a nice round chrome cover. Makes nice noise that can be heard. Sounds like a car horn. Still not quite as loud as a car horn though but much louder than the savage stock horn.

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Kenny G Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com The Singles Club...LOL Posts: 1754 Robson Ranch, Denton, Texas Gender:	Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it? Reply #12 - 11/08/15 at 11:36:25 I have used a Harley Cow Bell from a Sportster on the last half dozen bikes that I owned. I haven't been able find a place on my S40 to mount the Cow Bell that looks right. The Cow Bell is loud and it sounds like a motorcycle. Kenny G
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chzeckmate

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Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it?
Reply #13 - 11/08/15 at 11:46:13

The 99911 HF horn says 110 decibels on the package. I don't know what the actual output is, but it's very loud...loud enough that it startles pedestrians on the sidewalk (mwah ha ha). Maybe I got lucky with mine. For $10 it's better than stock by a lot. HF is just down the street from me and I was picking up a new wrench anyway. I'm feeling pretty good about it. I don't make it to the salvage yard very often, but I think that's an excellent idea if you're already going anyway. Otherwise you can't beat the convenience of the HF deal.

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'05 S40, dyna muffler, rejet, high flow filter, Mobil 1 Racing 4T, Shinko 230 set with 140/90 rear, raptor, seat lift, LED running lights/signals, tach, reversed risers, homemade MR10 Lexan windscreen

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mjs3790225

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Re: $10 HF Snail Horns - Worth it?
Reply #14 - 11/08/15 at 18:13:35

I used these on my motorcycle for a while. They are definitely louder than the stock buzzer.

I can say with 100% certainty that you should NOT use the included relay. It looks like a normal automotive relay, but inside they kludged in some tiny underrated relay that cannot handle the current draw of the horns. Trust me, I took the current readings and compared the datasheets to the actual relay inside the relay. So unless you want to press your horn button and find out that your relay isn't going to fire because it burnt out the last time you used it, use a different relay. And find a relay that is actually rated for being waterproof (learned that the scary way). Anyway, here is an image I took of the included relay:

That being said I enjoyed the horns while I had them even though I sounded like a car (maybe a good thing?)

After I replaced the horns with something else I took them apart as well. Inside I found the electromagnetic coil that creates the movement to generate the sound rusting in one of them. It was still operating, but I imagine it would have failed whenever it wanted to. I imagine it filled with water and didn't drain out. I imagine that is because this particular one had the sound outlet part oriented so it was at the top and made the thing act like a bucket.

So yeah, not the highest quality of horn in the long run.

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