R1250RS Denali SoundBomb Split horn install

[mneblett]

SEE IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW, RE: HORN BODY POSITION!


I did not see a specific thread on this in my searching, so I thought I'd post some pics (I've also shared these on the R12/1250RS rswasserboxer forum).

After hearing the pathetic horn on my 2023 RS, I knew it would be completely ineffective in getting a cellphone-addled cage driver to pay attention. After quite a bit of searching, I chose the Denali SoundBomb Split horn. The standard SoundBomb was too big to fit on the bike, and the SoundBomb Mini wasn't loud enough to satisfy me. The split of the compressor and horn body gives more flexibility.

The attached pictures show:

Where the compressor is mounted. It is strapped to a vertical frame tube, and located adjacent to a wiring harness I have going to a HEX ezCan in the rear. With the body panels in place, the compressor is pretty inconspicuous; you have to bend down and look into the center of the bike to see it.



The air hose goes up from the compressor and over the top of the radiator.



The horn body is mounted to the left inner fender, with a fender washer on the back (outer) side of the panel.



The horn is positioned so that the fork clears with at least a 1/4" to spare. Because it is an upside-down fork, the outer tube never moves up/down, so the horn will never interfere with the fork leg.



You have to be looking for the horn body to see it.

 

[RANBUSH]

Thanks! Nice solution.

 

[mneblett]

Thanks! Nice solution.

Thanks for the reminder to post this:

I had to move the horn body lower along the inside of the side fairing. I installed the horn with the bike on the center stand, thinking that when on its wheels there would be no problems with brake lines.

Wrong. The left brake line flexes more than I expected, and *just* catches the outside corner of the horn body. The solution was to mount the horn body lower, taking care that it doesn't rattle against the shroud just behind it.

The horn is still pretty well hidden. The last pic shows the part of the lower fender where the new bolt hole is located (apologies for the poor focus).

 

[bkkjack]

This gives me a lot to think over. I have a split sound bomb, as well as lights and a Denali EZCAN sitting in my garage waiting for me to have the time to install. For the horn I bought the Denali GS mounting kit. I was going to mount the compressor with that mount just aft of the left cylinder head. As far as I can tell, the GS and RS are exactly the same at that point. Where they differ is when it comes to mounting the horn. I was looking to tie-wrap it to the vertical frame spare in front of the right cylinder. I appears there is just enough space for it to fit there.

Your solution is very interesting. I like that I wouldn't have to loop the air hose from one side of the bike to the other and that the compressor is much more tucked away.

 

[mneblett]

This gives me a lot to think over. I have a split sound bomb, as well as lights and a Denali EZCAN sitting in my garage waiting for me to have the time to install. For the horn I bought the Denali GS mounting kit. I was going to mount the compressor with that mount just aft of the left cylinder head. As far as I can tell, the GS and RS are exactly the same at that point. Where they differ is when it comes to mounting the horn. I was looking to tie-wrap it to the vertical frame spare in front of the right cylinder. I appears there is just enough space for it to fit there.

Your solution is very interesting. I like that I wouldn't have to loop the air hose from one side of the bike to the other and that the compressor is much more tucked away.

I'm about a dozen miles NNW of Culpeper, and fairly frequently run up into the Gainesville/Fairfax City area. If you'd like to meet up to eyeball my set up closer, let me know.

I considered the compressor-behind-the-cylinder location, but while practical/much easier, I really didn't like the look. I'm also enough of a klutz that I'm sure I would have kicked or put a shin into it at some point. So I kept looking for an alternative.

I also installed an ezCAN. All of the wires for the horn and the Denali D3's run in the same mesh split-loom along the left side of the bike to keep things tidy. They do not branch out until adjacent to the top of the horn compressor. It was a bit fiddly to snake the right D3's wire from there across the bike behind the steering head, but not a problem. The only portions of the D3 wires visible are the lengths that are zip-tied to their mount bars.

 

[bkkjack]

I'm about a dozen miles NNW of Culpeper, and fairly frequently run up into the Gainesville/Fairfax City area. If you'd like to meet up to eyeball my set up closer, let me know.

I considered the compressor-behind-the-cylinder location, but while practical/much easier, I really didn't like the look. I'm also enough of a klutz that I'm sure I would have kicked or put a shin into it at some point. So I kept looking for an alternative.

I also installed an ezCAN. All of the wires for the horn and the Denali D3's run in the same mesh split-loom along the left side of the bike to keep things tidy. They do not branch out until adjacent to the top of the horn compressor. It was a bit fiddly to snake the right D3's wire from there across the bike behind the steering head, but not a problem. The only portions of the D3 wires visible are the lengths that are zip-tied to their mount bars.

Thanks. If I don't get around to attacking this before the middle of January, I might take you up on that. I'm going to be switching job locations 18-22 Jan and will have more free time after I do. I think all I would need is a few hours to get everything done, but the way things go for me those few hours could very well turn into one or even two full days.

I like your inspection plate. Making one of those is something I need to add to my list.

 

[mneblett]

I like your inspection plate. Making one of those is something I need to add to my list.

It's just ~1/8 Aluminum plate, trimmed/shaped to fit the fork angle. Mortons BMW used to provide these for mounting under the head of a caliper bolt. That went away when BMW went to radial-mount calipers and there no longer was a place to directly attach the plate.

For this application, I replaced the ABS sensor bolt with a much longer bolt and two nuts. One nut rests against the fork (like the head of the original bolt) to hold the sensor in place, and the other nut is tightened against the back of the plate to fix the plate under the head of the longer bolt. A bit fiddly to initially set up/adjust, but as infrequently as it needs to come off I'm ok with that.

 

[bkkjack]

It was a Denali sort of last couple of days. I finally switched job locations and have more free time, so I was able to spent some quality time with the bike. In addition to the horn, which I installed exactly where you did, I also did the CanSmart, an auxiliary brake light and DRL's.

 

[mneblett]

It was a Denali sort of last couple of days. I finally switched job locations and have more free time, so I was able to spent some quality time with the bike. In addition to the horn, which I installed exactly where you did, I also did the CanSmart, an auxiliary brake light and DRL's.

Cool -- sounds like some well-chosen additions.