Loud A$$ Horn Recommendations for V7 III Requested

[Yukonica]

Yukonica, Your Hella Supertones - at full voltage - have a wicked, abrasive blast that is impossible to ignore.  They will prove a major asset to your riding safety, and you are to be congratulated for fitting them.  You will get the full benefit of these units by driving them directly off the battery via a relay, at the same time taking the load off your (fragile) horn switch.  As you noted, they are big and rather heavy.  I suggest you might fabricate a bracket that would attach to the upper cross brace and extend downwards, allowing you to stack both horns above the alternator cover facing forward.  You could even overlap them a bit if needed.  In this configuration there would be no question about interference with airflow to the cylinder heads.

Safe travels, Will

Riding season here is winding down. Soon I'll have 7 months to fiddle with placement. I like the configuration you've suggested so will include it among the options. One thought I am going to try is; off-setting the sound cones so one points off centre at 330 degrees and the other facing off at 30 degrees. I think they waves will intercept in front of the bike and will also bounce off other surfaces in the vicinity. Aiming for "surround sound" 

[waxi]

I've changed stock Leb horns on my V7 II with Hella Strong tone (AFAIK all other types are to big to fit between frame-cylinder-exhaust or they are ugly). They are loud! I noticed that both of the stock Leb horns were marked "H" (high frequency), despite the company also makes "L" (low frequency). Why? I have no idea... Maybe again wrong shift on the assembly line.

Strong tone's come in black, but they have white text (homologation, logo, etc.) printed on them. I just used black matte spray and repainted them.
What is a bit annoying is that you shouldn't rotate the horn (holder) to fit the connectors. Apparently this affects the loudness. Fortunately mine were quite at right angle. You should check which of the two fits better on one side, because on the right side there is less space (right cylinder is more forward).

[coastdude]

I've bought the Denalli Soundbomb for my V7II, I tested it with a temporary connection and its nice and loud (113dB according to the box) but it wont mount well using one of the original mounts and I  have not as yet identified a void where it can sit away from heat, it is made from ABS plastic which doesn't tolerate heat well. Suggestions welcomed.

[Diploman]

I suggest you exchange the Denali Soundbomb for a Soundbomb Split.  Same horn, same decibels, just with the two main components separated and linked by a hose.  Both the Split's compressor and dual-horn unit are compact enough to find ready mounting points.  The Soundbomb and its progenitor the Stebel Nautilus both suffer from the same bulky packaging which makes them difficult to mount.

[rbm]

Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv8wqnk_TsA

Cool!  Just what I was thinking.  Proves I've never had an original indea in my life. 

[Socalrob]

The horn on the V7iii is almost not a horn.  It's more of a meep meep instead of a beep beep.  Of course that makes it perfect for politely letting folks know I am lane sharing with them.

Problem I see with too loud a horn is the startle and swerve potential.  Not good to scare the car drivers.  Nobody is scared by the meep meep of the OEM "horn".

[Huzo]

Well GG....
I think that great philosopher Liberace' put it best when he said, showing his "ring" to someone in the front row at a concert....the one on his finger that is, (and that doesn't narrow it down much either)
"You know they say say size isn't important,
But it's nice to have a big one if you've got the choice !"
I think there's something in there for everyone.

[bacongrease]

 I am tempted to upgrade for a blast to those autos where the L. tires are on the center line,  and the driver is looking down as I pass.  Seen a lot of that lately.  On the phone.

[Guzzi Gal]

I am tempted to upgrade for a blast to those autos where the L. tires are on the center line,  and the driver is looking down as I pass.  Seen a lot of that lately.  On the phone.

My kid hauler is a Honda Odyssey, and today some oncoming tiny old Toyota type thingy tried to run us into a canal because they couldn't handle a mellow curve.   Really, it's not that hard to stay in your own lane people! 

[not-fishing]

Being not seen and merged over more than once in California the horn is one of the last things that's on my mind.

I'm always planning or executing my escape instead.

Mark

[Diploman]

Being unseen by motorists is, in itself, a primary reason for a rider to have at his /her disposition serious horns that can penetrate a cager's awareness, such that the driver will recognize the presence of a bike and refrain from doing something unawares that could endanger the rider's welfare.  Usually, if a rider finds him/herself in a situation that requires urgent evasive action, it is too late to use horns.  The great advantage of having powerful horns is preemptive, the ability to warn/alert motorists who might do something foolishbefore an emergency scenario arises.  A couple of quick, attention-getting horn blasts tells a spacey driver, "I'm here on a bike, I'm coming, watch out for me, don't do something to put me in danger!"

You still have to be vigilant and assume that drivers are unaware of your presence.  You still have to plan an emergency escape route and practice all the normal safety precautions.  Good horns, used judiciously whenever you suspect a driver might be unaware of your presence, simply give the rider an additional layer of protection and an effective means to avoid potentially dangerous situations arising from cagers being unaware of an approaching or nearby motorcycle. 

[redhawk47]

My latest danger zone: Two lane round-a-bouts - drivers changing lanes without thinking/looking or even knowing.