Stubel Airhorn

[Airman]

Gypsy try your local off road store for PIAA lights. My local one, Central Four Wheel Drive, had two H4s for $49. My local beemer shop had one for $41. Big difference.

Tell me Dave, is the PIAA H4 really worth the money ? Of course there's H4's and H4's. I was reluctant to install a 80/110 or whatever the high powered bulbs are. I'm less reluctant since I researched the Washington regulations on vehicle lighting and found out they don't seem interested in watts or candlepower or any of that. They are interested in the number of aux lights you have and how high they are from the ground. I suppose if you blind an oncoming patrol car you get a ticket for being poorly aimed or something. With the possible exception of the Brake! LED module I just bought, my dealer charges full list for everything.

[GypsyRR]

I've substituted $5.00 halogen bulbs for the PIAAs once when traveling. No one had any PIAAs in stock, so I just went to a Lowes and bought a 55watt halogen bulb that fit. The only differences was 1) light output - but still adequate, and 2) the PIAAs have a rounded 'face' that fits snug against the housing. The substituted bulb had a flat face and was not a water tight seal. It wasn't raining, so I took the chance. I prefer to have the PIAA over that set up, but in a bind, it was an easy fix.


Airman, please post pics of your eventual mounting process for the horn. I've wanted to have a horn like that on my bike for 2 years now, but have been scared away by the mechanics of it and the wiring. I could have used it this past week. I was sitting at a red light waiting for the light to turn. A man in a SUV (and talking on a cell phone) pulled over on me from the right lane. I had barely enough room to squeeze out of the way. He never saw me. I hit the BMW beep beep horn and he never heard me either. I kept honking trying to get him to stop and still he never heard me. I imagine if I had one of those Strubel horns, it would have gotten his attention, or at least drowned out the voice on the other end of the phone.

[Airman]

I've substituted $5.00 halogen bulbs for the PIAAs once when traveling. No one had any PIAAs in stock, so I just went to a Lowes and bought a 55watt halogen bulb that fit. The only differences was 1) light output - but still adequate, and 2) the PIAAs have a rounded 'face' that fits snug against the housing. The substituted bulb had a flat face and was not a water tight seal. It wasn't raining, so I took the chance. I prefer to have the PIAA over that set up, but in a bind, it was an easy fix.


Airman, please post pics of your eventual mounting process for the horn. I've wanted to have a horn like that on my bike for 2 years now, but have been scared away by the mechanics of it and the wiring. I could have used it this past week. I was sitting at a red light waiting for the light to turn. A man in a SUV (and talking on a cell phone) pulled over on me from the right lane. I had barely enough room to squeeze out of the way. He never saw me. I hit the BMW beep beep horn and he never heard me either. I kept honking trying to get him to stop and still he never heard me. I imagine if I had one of those Strubel horns, it would have gotten his attention, or at least drowned out the voice on the other end of the phone.

I have tested the Stubel out in the garage. It would have taken the paint off that guy's SUV. My daily commute is I-5 and I-405, so I have need of more authority in a horn. This is the most powerful horn that will fit in the space.
I will show the install shortly. The physical part anyhow. Jim at easternbeaver.com told me the fuse panel won't ship for another week. If you're just doing the horn install it should not be too complicated. It comes with a relay, so you crimp a couple of connectors to the two horn wires and plug them to the relay. Then you need a (bigger) +positive wire from the battery to the relay, and a -negitive wire to the - side of the battery plugged to the relay. I think there are those who would tell you to just hook the bike's horn wires to the Stubel, but I think that's ill advised due to the current the compressor draws. You need the larger gage wire and the relay.

[arbik]

I'm very interested in how you end up mounting it. The cavity under the steering head wont work for me, because I have my HID ballast in there. Speaking of which. If the PIAA lights are so expensive (I used to have a pair, they both burned out), you guys should try the HID kits. they have them in H4 now, for about $100, shipped!
my brother runs one in his suzuki, and he loves it. I run an H1 in my Rockster, and am VERY happy with it.

looking forward to the mounting pics of the Stebel horn.

-arbi

[bmwdave52]

I find my PIAA H4 much brighterthan the stock bulb. I think I got around four years out of the last H4.
Between the PIAA fogs and the H4 I'm very visible.

[Airman]

I find my PIAA H4 much brighterthan the stock bulb. I think I got around four years out of the last H4.
Between the PIAA fogs and the H4 I'm very visible.

I doubt I will try the PIAA H4 unless I find one at a really low price. The Phillips gave me twice as much coverage as I had with the stock bulb. It may have been shot of course. What do your PIAA fog lights do for visability ? I may add fog lights later if I see someone with a pair where I can check the pattern. That's one thing I like about the Hella website, they have a picture comparison feature that lets you see the relative width and depth of light coverage.

[bmwdave52]

If you find a low price let me know. These things are expensive.
The PIAA website has as example of each light pattern for their products. My fogs through the light to the side. Quite a bit to the side. The RR headlight reaches farther forward then the fogs. I got them for their visibility during the day and as a back up at night.
It was a tough choice between the driving and fogs.

[Airman]

I have not seen a good price on the PIAA H4's. I bought the Phillips vision plus 50 at California Sport touring. Cost me about $30 shipped for two. If your PIAA fails you might give them a try. About 1/3 the PIAA price. I am, however going to buy the PIAA 910 driving lights. Serious reach with those I think. I want to see the roadside for a long ways out.

[UT R1150R]

I'm very interested in how you end up mounting it. The cavity under the steering head wont work for me, because I have my HID ballast in there. Speaking of which. If the PIAA lights are so expensive (I used to have a pair, they both burned out), you guys should try the HID kits. they have them in H4 now, for about $100, shipped!
my brother runs one in his suzuki, and he loves it. I run an H1 in my Rockster, and am VERY happy with it.

looking forward to the mounting pics of the Stebel horn.

-arbi

Hi Arbik,

Can you please let me know where you got the HID kit? Also, do you have any pix of its light compared to the original?

Thanks!

[llahbocaj]

Has anyone had an electrical problem in not getting voltage from the stock horn connector? I ran the green lead from the factory connector back to the relay #86, + from the new Stebel to #87, - from the Stebel to #85, then ran 12v+ to #30 and 12v- to #85.

No horn...no relay "click". Checked continuity on the three lines running to the front of the bike and continuity is good. Checked that I'm getting 12v on #30 and #85...it's good. Tried a new relay...no horn, no click. Finally got desperate and hooked up the old horn to check that I'm getting voltage from the horn wiring harness to trigger the relay....NOTHING. Factory horn no longer works on the connector.

Any thoughts oh what I might have done? Is it possible i pulled something loose in the factory horn connector....pushed the connecting wire too far back into the factory connector?

[rdsmith3]

I installed the Stebel using the supplied relay. It works fine. However, I later realized that our bike already has a horn relay. I do not regret doing it because I used heavier gauge wire from the battery to the horn.

Therefore, I suggest that you try connecting the air horn to the existing horn wires without the Stebel relay in the circuit. That should tell you if you have a problem with the horn itself or with how you have the relay wired. You do not actually need the Stebe relay.

[Airman]

Has anyone had an electrical problem in not getting voltage from the stock horn connector? I ran the green lead from the factory connector back to the relay #86, + from the new Stebel to #87, - from the Stebel to #85, then ran 12v+ to #30 and 12v- to #85.

No horn...no relay "click". Checked continuity on the three lines running to the front of the bike and continuity is good. Checked that I'm getting 12v on #30 and #85...it's good. Tried a new relay...no horn, no click. Finally got desperate and hooked up the old horn to check that I'm getting voltage from the horn wiring harness to trigger the relay....NOTHING. Factory horn no longer works on the connector.

Any thoughts oh what I might have done? Is it possible i pulled something loose in the factory horn connector....pushed the connecting wire too far back into the factory connector?

Tell me more about how this is wired. I can't check mine because the battery is out. Is the green wire the hot (12v) wire ? How are you hooked up to the relay? Did you splice into the hot wire? I was looking at my horn wiring the other day and considering using a new Molex plug under the tank, or pinning directly into the connector rather then splicing into the harness. I would prefer to do that, but time may get away from me before I can chase all over to find the pin and crimper. Another option would be to build another Molex connector and just install it in place of the BMW horn wiring. That would be cleanest as you'd have power to the relay and back to ground without splices. In case you don't have the tank off, the horn wiring (the green and Gray? wires) run about 12 inches to a Molex connector under the tank. Unlikely you've pulled the connector loose as it is of the locking type. There is a fuse in the circuit somewhere, it should be easy to check voltage on those two wires though.

[gaijin]

Any problem using OEM Horn Switch (thin wires) with Stebel Airhorn?

[digga]

for HID's check these guys out. if you don't buy from here, aty least read the info'

www.hid50.com

[Airman]

Any problem using OEM Horn Switch (thin wires) with Stebel Airhorn?

You don't want to power the horn with those wires. It comes with a relay, just use a nice 14 gage wire from the battery or somewhere and use those small horn wires to switch the relay on. I think I'm going to try to pin into that Molex connector and avoid splicing into the stock horn wires. I am amazed those little wires could get a honk out of even the stock horn. I ran two sets of 14 gage wire up from the AP-2 fuse panel. Still have to hook them up. Still going to school and ran out of leisure time.