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Randy
Feb 13th, 2007, 11:27 am
Here are a couple of photos of the Stebel installation on my 2006 K1200GT. I used a couple of steel angle brackets from Home Depot. This is very stiff steel and provides a very rigid mount. I cut one down for the right hand side of the bracket, used one side of the second as a second support to the left mounting bolt. These bolts are into the frame where the ABS mounting bracket attaches. Then I fashioned a small right angle bracket out of another piece cut from the brackets to allow me to orient the horn with the outlets facing forward. Two additional sets of hardware were used to bolt the brackets together.

http://email.bmwlt.com/users/randy/Pictures/gthornmnt2.jpg

This bracket allows the horn to be located in the space behind the left fairing just behind the ABS assembly. The horn outlets face forward with little attenuation of sound, but are reasonably protected from rain and road debris. I installed the right-angle hose adaptor in the inlet, which then makes the air intake point downward. This, coupled with the location inside the fairing, should minimize the chance of the pump ingesting water.

http://email.bmwlt.com/users/randy/Pictures/gthorn2.jpg

After I was satisfied with the mounting I painted the brackets with some protective satin black paint. Since the horn draws nearly 20 amps there is no way to power it directly off of the horn outputs from the ZFE.

Added 3/13/07

When you get the horn there will be a relay included in the package. The relay will have 4 or five terminals. They will be numbered 30, 87, 85 and 86 (if there is a fifth one it might be another 87 or 87a - do not use a terminal labeled 87a). The horn will have two terminals on the back labeled '+ve' and '-ve'. The terminals on the horn and the terminals on the relay can use the same crimp on spade connector, available at any auto
supply.


You will need to remove the right hand fairing to get to the horn and the wiring. You will need to remove the left hand fairing to get to the mounting location for the Stebel horn. Using 16-gauge stranded wire run a lead from the negative battery terminal over to the left hand side where the new horn is mounted and connect it to the terminal on the horn labeled '-ve'. Run a 16-gauge wire from the terminal labeled '+ve' on the horn across to the upper front of the right fairing. This is where you are going to locate the relay. Connect this lead to the terminal #87 on the relay. Run a fused 16 gauge line from the battery positive to the front of the right fairing where you located the relay. Attach this lead to terminal #30 on the relay. Put the in-line fuse holder at the end near the battery. The best fuse holder is a weather-tight booted holder available at most auto supply stores. This holder will accommodate a 20-amp mini fuse, but do not install the fuse until all wiring is completed.

Locate the T-30 bolt holding the factory horn bracket. It will be accessible from the outside where it was covered by the right fairing. You can locate the horn by looking inside of the front wheel area, it is on the right side of the bike or to the left as you look in from the front. Remove the bolt to let the horn drop, disconnect the electrical connector from the horn. It has a small locking tab that must be depressed to disconnect he wiring. Feed this connector back up through the sub-frame that the horn was mounted to so you can more easily get to the wiring. There are two wires to the factory horn. One is brown and the other one is green with a grey tracer. You want to splice two wires, one to each of the factory horn leads. These wires need to be long enough to reach the relay. I recommend soldering the leads at the factory wiring and wrapping the connections tightly with high quality electrical tape. If you are unable to solder the leads, you can use crimp type butt splices to join the wiring, but you still should wrap the connections tightly with good quality electrical tape. After the connections are made feed the connector back through to the inside of the sub-frame, reconnect it to the horn and mount the horn. The two wires you spliced into the factory wiring should be connected to terminals 85 and 86 on the relay. It doesn't matter which one goes to either terminal.

Inspect all of your wiring, zip tie the new relay to the sub-frame and zip tie the wiring in several places. Before installing the fuse into the new connector test the stock horn to make sure it still works. Then install a 20-amp fuse in the in-line fuse holder and test again, both horns should honk.

Both horns operate when I press the button and together they are LOUD.

The entire project took a little over an hour.

MarinPhil
Feb 13th, 2007, 11:56 pm
Randy, was waiting for this! I think I see how you made the brackets. Left side-right? Still a little fuzzy on the wiring. Am familiar with relay #'s. Where did you tap into the stock horn harness. At the stock horn itself? Last time I took off the RT side panel I could just barely see the oem horn, much less get my hand on the wire. Mo info please. :confused: Phil

You can post or e-mail me at imorritt@comcast.net.

Randy
Feb 14th, 2007, 9:25 am
Randy, was waiting for this! I think I see how you made the brackets. Left side-right? Still a little fuzzy on the wiring. Am familiar with relay #'s. Where did you tap into the stock horn harness. At the stock horn itself? Last time I took off the RT side panel I could just barely see the oem horn, much less get my hand on the wire. Mo info please. :confused: Phil

You can post or e-mail me at imorritt@comcast.net.
Yes, left side just behind the brake ABS unit.

I put the relay and wiring behind the right fairing cover, where I put the relay and wiring for my MotoLights. With the right fairing off, you can get to the horn wiring. It was easier for me to unbolt the stock horn bracket (held by a large torx head screw) then disconnect the plug from the stock horn. I fed this plug and the wiring to the outside where it was easier to work with. I connected two wires to the stock wiring and ran them up to the relay. I had already brought a 10 gauge ground and battery connection to the front for the MotoLights, so I used that ground to provide the ground path for the horn. The 10 gauge bus is fused at the battery and the motolights are connected to this bus up front using a 15A inline watertight fuse. I used an additional inline weathertight fuse holder with a 20A fuse to provide the 12V source to terminal 30 of the horn relay.

MarinPhil
Feb 14th, 2007, 11:31 am
Randy, You're the man! Next day of rain I will take off panels and go for it. One last question--did you have to remove the radiator shroud and inner panels? Again, less anxiety when someone does it b4 u. Phil :bmw:

Randy
Feb 14th, 2007, 1:55 pm
Randy, You're the man! Next day of rain I will take off panels and go for it. One last question--did you have to remove the radiator shroud and inner panels? Again, less anxiety when someone does it b4 u. Phil :bmw:No, just the left and right side panels.

jayjacobson
Feb 14th, 2007, 5:50 pm
Here are a couple of photos of the Stebel installation on my 2006 K1200GT. I used a couple of steel angle brackets from Home Depot. This is very stiff steel and provides a very rigid mount. I cut one down for the right hand side of the bracket, used one side of the second as a second support to the left mounting bolt. These bolts are into the frame where the ABS mounting bracket attaches. Then I fashioned a small right angle bracket out of another piece cut from the brackets to allow me to orient the horn with the outlets facing forward. Two additional sets of hardware were used to bolt the brackets together.

This bracket allows the horn to be located in the space behind the left fairing just behind the ABS assembly. The horn outlets face forward with little attenuation of sound, but are reasonably protected from rain and road debris.

After I was satisfied with the mounting I painted the brackets with some protective satin black paint. Since the horn draws nearly 20 amps there is no way to power it directly off of the horn outputs from the ZFE. I used a 20-amp fused line from the battery to post #30 of the relay. Post #87 of the relay goes to the '+ve' on the horn and the '-ve' of the horn returns to my ground distribution. I left the stock horn in place since it provided the electrical load the ZFE expects. I connected two leads from the stock horn wiring to terminals #85 and #86 on the relay. Both horns operate when I press the button and together they are LOUD.

The entire project took a little over an hour.
Randy,

What would happen if I removed the stock horns and just used the horn lead to trip the relay?

Very clean installation, btw. I like the hex flush head bolts.

Randy
Feb 14th, 2007, 10:13 pm
Randy,

What would happen if I removed the stock horns and just used the horn lead to trip the relay?

Very clean installation, btw. I like the hex flush head bolts.I *think* there would be no problem. I wouldn't think they would want to trigger a fault with no horn connected. The only problem we have seen is that overcurrent will cause the circuit to shut down - then it will reset.

jayjacobson
Feb 16th, 2007, 3:35 am
I *think* there would be no problem. I wouldn't think they would want to trigger a fault with no horn connected. The only problem we have seen is that overcurrent will cause the circuit to shut down - then it will reset.
Got it. OK, well maybe I'll play a little once I start working on it and see what happens. Thank you, sir!

jjd118
Feb 22nd, 2007, 6:20 am
I *think* there would be no problem. I wouldn't think they would want to trigger a fault with no horn connected. The only problem we have seen is that overcurrent will cause the circuit to shut down - then it will reset.

I did the mod a while back, and disconnected the stock horn, and the next time it was into the dealer they found a horn fault. I was STRONGLY encouraged by the mechanic and the head of service to leave the stock horn hooked up.

jayjacobson
Feb 22nd, 2007, 6:45 am
I did the mod a while back, and disconnected the stock horn, and the next time it was into the dealer they found a horn fault. I was STRONGLY encouraged by the mechanic and the head of service to leave the stock horn hooked up.
Sounds reasonable. Thank you.

deputy5211
Feb 22nd, 2007, 11:32 pm
VERY nice job, Randy.

Are the flush hex bolts you used commonly available, or did you have to hunt them down?

TIA.

cgs
Aug 5th, 2008, 9:01 am
This is the most helpful post I have read on installing a Stebel horn on a K1200GT.
I have just stripped the covers from my new 2008 K1200GT and I simply cannot find ANY space to mount this fella.... ANYWHERE! Well, I haven't tried under the pillion.
Might the configuration of the harnesses etc. be that different on a 2008 vs. the 2006?
Has anyone had any success mounting this well-regarded horn on a 2008 GT?
I could really use your help!