How Motorcycle Horns Work And Why They Fail
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**Always follow the instructions in your repair manual when doing repair or maintenance work on a motorcycle. Manuals can be found at the dealer and online.**
Over time motorcycle horns will fail because corrosion developes on the contact points inside the horn. This prevents currect from flowing through the contact points and the copper coil of wire used to make the electro magnet. In this video I show how the horn works, and why it fails.
Thanks for watching!
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Nicely explained.
great job on the info.. cool bro
It might be wort it to drill a hole in the back and fill the horn with contact spray. Then work the diaphragm with your fingers, and hope for the best!
Function sounds a lot like a flasher unit.
Is it possible to get the chrome center off of the horn? I know the outer ring just snaps off but the center doesnt budge and I dont want to break it trying to pry it too much. Reason being is that I found some horns at the bike shop that look identical to the horns on my Shadow 700 without the chrome trim. I think if I can get the chrome trim off my old horns it just might snap onto the new horns. Thanx
Yes, it just snaps off…but what about the inner? The chrome piece in the center?
Thanks for your informative video. I am currently working on similar horn and the information in your video is very helpful.
I bought a 6v motorcycle horn for a science assignment. When I run 6v through it, I can see the diaphragm moving and can hear that its engaging but there is no sound. Why is there no sound? Its a brand new horn.
Wolo Big Bad Max sounds pretty good. 😉
horns are a standard part are they not? a 12v horn should fit most bikes
Great explanation, I loved it, believe it or not.
I have a question. I have an old Yamaha CT3, which is a 6 volt system. I found a new old stock 6 volt horn made by Sakura, not specific to my bike. The wires are red and blue on the new horn. My old horn has a red and a brown wire. Must I match up red with red? I am asking because the male/female quick connects are opposite of the old horn. So, if I don't change the quick connects around, the new horn's red wire would connect to the black wire on my bike, and blue with the red wire on my bike.
Thank you for putting this video together. I was able to fix my boat horn after watching it. In my case, the contacts were fine (though I still cleaned them). But being a marine horn of a certain age, it had gaskets between on either side of the diaphragm that had collapsed over time which was enough to have the "trigger" always in contact with the "point arm". New gaskets gave it proper spacing and I'm back on the road, as it were.
Fascinating. I would have been even better to have a demonstration of the horn being sounded. One can get this type of horn cheaply online from aliexpress (about $5) and I am thinking of wiring one up to a battery pack on my bicycle.
Your videos are very informative thanks. Â I have a different horn issue. Â Mine won't shut off. Â Went riding and did not even touch the button but the horn started blaring and I had to remove one of the wires to make it stop. Â Suggestions?
I had no idea this is how horns work, thanks!
Nicely done. Thanks.
Great video. Thanks. Luckily my horn is able to be disassembled. Now I gotta see what's wrong!
Nice bike
wow simple 5dollar item with fascinating workings of a cross breed from an electric oscillator and a bedini ssg radiant energy switching device possibly even a potential rumkhoff coil electric voltagr multiplier, this thing reminds me of the wonders of electromagnetism and its possible interaction with the aether…great video by the way!
wonder how high the frequency its buzzing at, i read somewhere you can split water into its component molecules if you can buzz it at over 20,000hz uhf, hmmm?
just like the horny horn,but without that horny part
U explain very clear, love it.
Thank you very much . your video is really help full to me . And now i fix up my horns .. All regards goes to you..
I have a couple of horns in my bike. It's a Japanese one and sounds perfectly. It cannot be disassembled. I'm facing the same problem frequently after horns exposed to rain. What I am doing is first remove the adjustment screw on the back side of the horn. Then spray some WD 40 into horn via the screw hole. Then shake it well and keep it about 10 minutes. Then the corrosion removes. Turn down the horn and drain WD 40 via the screw hole. If it's not draining shake it until no residues remains. You'll see corroded parts are draining. Then replace the adjustment screw. Spray some less WD 40 into the front diaphragm through the gap between front metal disc. It will remove the corrosion in the spring and lubricate the spring and the moving points. Now check it! This is a fine solution.
I saw Nikko brand on amazon which look like replacements for your style bike. Made in Japan.
Thanks for the vid. I have the same bike but an 84. Was trying to figure out the problem. So thanks for the help.
I really appreciated the clear and simple way you diagnosed the problem and explained how the horn works.
very good presentation. thank you.
how to open and which tool use please advise