Installing Stebel Nautilus Horn on 2015 RTS

[Hokiev]

Looking for a definitive answer regarding installing a Stebel Nautilus Horn in a 2015 RTS.

1. Where is the best location to install?
2. Do you need to fabricate a special bracket or can you mount to an existing bolt location?
3. If you need to fabricate a bracket, any specifics or place to purchase pre-made?
4. Does the Stock Horn get removed or is it left in place. If left in place, are they still used or do they get disconnected?
5. I have read various opinions regarding a relay. I know the "BEST" and Safest way is to install a relay. My question is do you HAVE to install a relay (I know you risk issues but are they likely to happen if you just use the horn for short blasts occasionally?
6. Best place to purchase? I know Spyderpops sells the another brand but I want to stay with the Nautilus.
Any other tips or suggestions are appreciated.

 

[ThreeWheels]

Looking for a definitive answer regarding installing a Stebel Nautilus Horn in a 2015 RTS.

1. Where is the best location to install? Replace the stock horn
2. Do you need to fabricate a special bracket or can you mount to an existing bolt location? Yes, but it's a simple 90 el bracket
3. If you need to fabricate a bracket, any specifics or place to purchase pre-made? Wish I could help. I got mine from SpyderLyter Fred
4. Does the Stock Horn get removed or is it left in place. If left in place, are they still used or do they get disconnected? Replace the existing horn.
5. I have read various opinions regarding a relay. I know the "BEST" and Safest way is to install a relay. My question is do you HAVE to install a relay (I know you risk issues but are they likely to happen if you just use the horn for short blasts occasionally? Use existing wiring. An additional relay is not required. I am also surprised, but this is adequate.
6. Best place to purchase? I know Spyderpops sells the another brand but I want to stay with the Nautilus. Stebel Nautilus and Wolo Bad Boy are the same horn with different brands. Buy whichever one you are comfortable with.
Any other tips or suggestions are appreciated. Don't have your ear too close when you test the horn.

 

[Pampurrs]

When I installed my Stebel, I just removed the stock horn and mounted the Stebel in its place. I recall that I had to modify the bracket somewhat, but it wasn't anything complicated. I used the same wires from the stock horn, and just plugged them into the Stebel. The whole process took me about 30 minutes.

Some folks on here installed complex wiring harness to the battery with inline fuses and such. You can do that if you want, but I'll tell you the Stebel horn works just fine the way I wired it. I have been in a few parades and laid on the horn without blowing any fuses.

The Stebel sounds great BTW :thumbup:

Pam

 

[PatriotRider]

I purchased a Stebel horn (choose Motorcycle) from Amazon for around $35 plus a Wolo harness. The relay comes with the horn.

I did a quick install replacing the stock horn using a "L" bracket (right angle)...you want something robust enough that the horn doesn't shake while it's mounted and quiet. They will kick a bit when blown.

At first, I installed it and made a pigtail with quick connects on both ends plugged into the horn with color coded wire indicating + & - . The horn blew ok, but the current going through the stock spyder handlebar button switch increased from 5amps to 12amps. Eventually that much current will harm that (expensive) switch not designed for it. So soon I added the relay. It was easy to run a couple wires from the battery and mount the relay next to the horn plugging into the stock horn connectors using the pigtail (don't have to remove the horn to get to the connectors at it's bottom).
The horn actually was louder as power came directly from the batter through the relay, so less resistance than having to go through the switch for power.

sorry for the long winded post

 

[Professor]

FYI: I had a Nautilus on my BMW. Spyderpops installed a Wolo Bad Boy on my Spyder at Spyderfest. Except for graphics, they look the same and they sound the same. So from my experience, there is no difference. He did not use a relay and it works fine. Nanny doesn't seem to mind.

 

[Devious56]

I think the Bad Boy horn from Harbor Freight is the same, and I put mine in the same place as the stock horn. If I remember correctly, all I had to do was add a short piece of metal to get the horn where I wanted it (pointing forward) and hooked it up using the original wiring. The connectors were just a push fit.

David

 

[Bob Denman]

I bought my Stebel on E-Bay. It got mounted right where the original pitiful tooter was, and I didn't use any additional relay.
I didn't add a relay, because I figure that my use of the horn is only for short blasts... The intermittent usage won't have enough time to pop a fuse.

 

[Brian Kay]

I replaced my stock horn with a Stebel (from eBay) and purchased a wiring kit to go along with it. Since the battery is so close to the horn, it was very simple to perform a direct connect to the battery... Peace of mind as I see it. I also went to home depot and bought a 4-ft piece of 1/2" aluminum (don't recall the thickness), to cut and create an L-bracket. Then drilled the two holes necessary for the bolts... As i recall the bolts were different sizes??? This took about ten minutes to create and install. If I messed up, I still had a long piece of aluminum to start over with. I tightened down the bolts with some blue loctite for extra grip... That horn does jump quite a bit when the button is pressed! It really was a very easy install, with the direct wiring to the battery... Go get the wiring kit, you won't ever be concerned later. Good luck.

 

[jcthorne]

First the stock horn button on the left control cluster is not designed to switch 10 amps and it WILL eventually fail. Its $400 plus to replace the cluster.

Next, the horn circuit is designed such that it the ground leg that is switched by the button. The +12v at the stock horn is already a direct connection to the fuse block protected by a 10 amp fuse and the wiring is plenty large enough to support the load. No need for a new battery connection or any wiring beyond the area inside the left cover where the horn mounts.

You NEED to install the relay to protect the horn button and cluster. The relay switches the ground circuit. You need a solid ground connection which is easily available at the frame below where the horn mounts. Use the stock horn button to provide the ground to the relay only.

The Nautilus horn comes with the required relay.

I have had several of the chinese copy Wolo horns fail. The Stebel seems to be much more reliable.

 

[finless]

First the stock horn button on the left control cluster is not designed to switch 10 amps and it WILL eventually fail. Its $400 plus to replace the cluster.

We will have to disagree on that one unless your a horny kind of person that uses it all the time like in NY City traffic

I doubt any of us will have the Spyder long enough to have the button fail.

FYI I measured with an AMP meter. Stock horn is switching close to 5 AMPs at turn on time and stays there (it's not an air horn). My Bad boy is 11 amps peak. At turn on time it starts at 7 and goes up to 11. It is an air horn after all. Thus the switch instant current is only 2 amps more than the stock horn.
I doubt seriously this extra 2 amps at switch time is going to cause a premature button failure.

BUT with that said... if your a horny type, use the relay

Bob

 

[jcthorne]

My real point that I lost in all the discussion was that the relay is included with the horn and all the points needed to hook it up are right there in the vicinity of the OEM horn with no new power wires fuses etc to run. It costs no extra and only a few minutes to do it with the relay and then everything is rated for the load.

I have seen the horn button fail. Actually it was the contact that carboned up, got hot and melted the printed flex circuit it's mounted on. I really think the stock button is very marginal for the stock horn. Designed for minimal use.