PIAA OTO Style Horn

[byee]

I’ve decided to install a set of PIAA OTO horns after a couple of close calls. The horns set me back $40CDN from the Philippines.

A friend has these installed on his C400GT and they’re loud even when he’s 1-1/2 blocks away.

Here’s a few photos from my install.

I had to use a hook pick to pull the connector off the stock horn. I used the power from the stock horn switch to trigger the Bosch relay used to power the new PIAA OTO horns. A relay is definitely required.

 

[mgg]

Nice install.

 

[byee]

I bench tested the pair of horns to determine the current draw. A quick toot draws less than an amp. However, it was very different if I leaned into the horn causing it to draw 17A……yup, 17 amps.

I installed my horns using a spare Bosch relay capable of 30 amps. Ignoring my bench test results, I thought I could get by with a 5A fuse.

I blew the fuse after a couple of quick toots. I’ve now replaced the 5A fuse with a 15A fuse.

I’m hoping that will be good enough.

 

[wspollack]

I bench tested the pair of horns to determine the current draw. A quick toot draws less than an amp. However, it was very different if I leaned into the horn causing it to draw 17A……yup, 17 amps.

I installed my horns using a spare Bosch relay capable of 30 amps. Ignoring my bench test results, I thought I could get by with a 5A fuse.

I blew the fuse after a couple of quick toots. I’ve now replaced the 5A fuse with a 15A fuse.

I’m hoping that will be good enough.

First of all, nice work!

For you and anyone else interested in this sort of thing -- any high-output, high-current, horn -- I installed Stebel Nautilus compact air horns (http://www.stebel.biz/public/stebel.pdf) on three different bikes (two Burgman 650s and a Victory Cross Country Tour). The Nautilus can use up to 18 amps of juice.

On one of them, I got lazy, and used a High Power Horn Kit -- https://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Wiring_Kits/Horns/horns.html -- from Eastern Beaver. This preconfigured small loom uses 12-gauge wire and a 20-amp fuse.

On the other two bikes, I did a DIY similar setup, using a relay, 14-gauge wire, and a 20-amp fuse.

For all of these beefy horns you want to use a relay (as @byee did), along with beefy wire for max volume (and in order not to melt anything).

Wunderlich sells the Nautilus, and their instructions for it state to use 14-gauge wire and a 25-amp fuse.

I'm not knocking @byee's selection of PIAA horns; in fact, I may attempt to duplicate his setup on my C 400 GT. All I'm saying here is that if you go big with any horn, use a relay, big wire, and a big fuse.