Stebel horn update

[beemerguru]

I've installed over 20 Stebel airhorns on mostly BMW sport bike and G/S restorations and rebuilds. From a performance perspective, you can't ask for a better life saving upgrade to a motorcycle. Easy to install and it flat out works to keep the cages from crushing you.

BUT

The physical design is not able to handle the jarring that occurs from the motorcycle suspension. So far, 10 of the Stebels have failed. The plastic section that is actually the horn will separate from the metal compressor and slide down rendering it useless. The horn section is held on by a single plastic loop that snaps at the top to the compressor outlet. The rest is a friction fit that surrounds the compressor. Over time - about 5k miles of street, not off road riding - the plastic loop vibrates and loses its form enough so it cannot retain a purchase. Same for the rest of the plastic,,it expands with vibration.

Then the entire plastic section slides down and the horn can't work.

I just got back from a 5K mile trip and this one failed at 3,5K miles.

I've started using Crazy Glue or Gorilla glue on new units to try and stop this failure from starting. So far 2 units have 3K+ miles and are still holding. Wish I had used the glue on my own unit!

I asked Stebel to go back to their design and improve it to solve this problem..no response yet.

Greg Hutchinson

 

[lmo1131]

Greg,

Just curious, have you contacted Garret at Stelbel Engineered Sounds in Michigan?

I've purchased a couple of horns from him (compact truck horn) and had pretty good appreciated his willingness to help out his customers with their application problems. And, as a distributor he may have more direct access to Stebel.it engineering.

Besides... when I go to the Stebel.it website I get a warning that doing so may damage my computer... ?!? D'ohhh!

 

[beemerguru]

I sent an email to Stebel about 9 months ago and it was a black hole. Now they have a high priced chrome version that may fix the problem...but why didn't they apply the new design to the original version...not everyone wants chrome.

 

[lmo1131]

I sent an email to Stebel about 9 months ago and it was a black hole. Now they have a high priced chrome version that may fix the problem...but why didn't they apply the new design to the original version...not everyone wants chrome.

Ummm, I dunno Greg, but it sounds like Stebel heard something(s), from someone(s).

I just got this response from Garret at Engineered Sounds.

**************************************************

Lew,

Glad things are going well for both you and your horn.

I did receive an e-mail about an hour ago about the Stebel horns coming apart. I have only had to replace 3 or 4 since I have been selling them (4 or 5 years) for this issue.

Stebel has worked to resolve this issue. They actually have starting gluing the horn and the compressor together to help strengthen the bond. Now there is a physical and a mechanical bond. They also released a compact full chrome model that is bonded even more to eliminate this issue.

Thanks for the heads up. I am going to send him a response now.

Thanks again,

Garret
Stebel Engineered Sounds
**************************************************

 

[tommcgee]

Mine's been taking a pounding for 5 years and 80k miles.

 

[MANONTHEMULE]

Mine didnt like dirt

I finally gave up and put the one that was on my G/S on my Dodge truck. Problem was that I ride a minimum of 18 miles of dirt road (9 each way) every time I ride. The horn would see seldom use ,but when it did it would bind and sometimes blow the fuse because of the grit that builds up with the dust. I tried turning it "horn " down ....no luck .I remounted it higher ....Nope. So ... it does well on the truck ,up under the hood.

 

[Yarddog]

Lemme see if I have this right...you've done 20 installations and they are garbage? Well...loud or not, there are other horns out there that get the job done and remain in one piece, sooooooo....

Or am I just too simple and stupid to live? LOL!!!

 

[lmo1131]

Or am I just too simple and stupid to live? LOL!!!

nyahh.... that would be me YD, I still run the OEM buzzer than came on my /5. But that needs to change... my level of patience with ditzy drivers has diminished quite a bit with age.

The lower frequency Stebel "Compact Truck Horn" that I run will move cars sideways but it's too big to mount on a bike, and I doubt that it would survive "severe usage" anyway.

Any other horn manufacturer suggestions?

 

[AnnapolisAirhead]

nyahh.... that would be me YD, I still run the OEM buzzer than came on my /5. But that needs to change... my level of patience with ditzy drivers has diminished quite a bit with age.

The lower frequency Stebel "Compact Truck Horn" that I run will move cars sideways but it's too big to mount on a bike, and I doubt that it would survive "severe usage" anyway.

Any other horn manufacturer suggestions?

Hella. I bought a couple red ones from them, same form factor as the OEM on my '83 R100, but loud! Not quite as loud as the Steibel, but pert near and they mount just like the OEM horns. I will probably put one on my new-to-me /5 same form factor as the round ones that came on the bike, except they work.

For the R100:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HLA-007424801/

For the /5:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HLA-005631041

They have a black version too, or you could drill out the rivets and fasten your chromed OEM grill onto the Hella horn. 118 dB ain't too bad. I think the Steibel I had is 137dB. Be sure to use a relay.

 

[Yarddog]

I bought a 'Bad Boy' horn from Pep Boys, works great! Have installed several of these on cars, first one on a bike...very compact, very loud

 

[535IS]

Any other horn manufacturer suggestions?

The horns (Note plural!) on my R100RS are FIAMMs. I like 'em so much, I mounted a set on my '87 535is, too. So, aurally, my car and my bike sound the same when you get in the way.

They're about $40 and go by the name "Freeway Blaster".

BTW, I found the picture here. Not a bad place to start to read.

 

[AnnapolisAirhead]

The horns (Note plural!) .....

I think Lou was referring to his /5, singe horned.

(oops, sorry Greg, I think we hijacked your thread!). I'll shutup now.

 

[dbrick]

Freeway Blaster

I recently bought a pair of Fiamm FBs for my R12 from Ryder Fleet Services; $7 each...thought there was $6 shipping. Still, twenty bucks wasn't bad.

 

[macstudley]

I recently bought a pair of Fiamm FBs for my R12 from Ryder Fleet Services; $7 each...thought there was $6 shipping. Still, twenty bucks wasn't bad.

David,

Thanks for the tip. I was ready to pay $17 each at Aerostich.

Mac

 

[ISAMEMON]

maybe mine needs a relay
some p.o put on a pair of fiamms, and they are not loud at all and from the look of the wiring, it might have left the factory wiht a single horn, and the p.o cobled togther a jumper from one to the other
85 R80

here is that ryder link, thanks for that info

http://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/c...w-Note-Freeway-Blaster/erm/product_detail.jsp

 

[rapiddog]

I see that from the pics for the FIAMM's and the Hellas that there are two connectors on those hons.
The 1981 I have has one connector...so if I went with either, how do I hook it up? ground one wire????

 

[Bob T]

I see that from the pics for the FIAMM's and the Hellas that there are two connectors on those hons.
The 1981 I have has one connector...so if I went with either, how do I hook it up? ground one wire????

Yes...you ground one wire.
The FIAMM's I recently put on my GS1100E Suzuki came with a wire that goes from the mounting bolt to one of the connector tabs.

 

[rapiddog]

Thanks!