Weak horn/Texting drivers??
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 933
From: Long Island
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,434
Likes: 628
From: IE, CA
From a guy who can tell you 1st hand, everyday I deal with plenty of folks who dont hear sirens or instructions on a loud vehicle PA, let alone any MC horn.....
Dont waste your money or put those silly things on your bike. A daily rider since 89 the only thing that will keep you alive is rely on your ability, smarts and a eyes up vision. Time wasted on a horn should be spent on real evasive actions if youre truely in a situation.
Dont waste your money or put those silly things on your bike. A daily rider since 89 the only thing that will keep you alive is rely on your ability, smarts and a eyes up vision. Time wasted on a horn should be spent on real evasive actions if youre truely in a situation.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 5,077
Likes: 3,293
From: Plover, WI
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,191
Likes: 843
just throwing this out there
could you startle the poor distracted driver...I mean c'mon, they're concentrating on their phone and in their own little world
by introducing a WTF loud horn, could you startle them and put them into a tizzy....then who knows wtf they are going to do....swerve, stop
there are times when i think about using my horn, but i use it so infrequently that it's not a go to when I'm in an oh **** moment....at that point, i think it's best to just focus on riding out of trouble
a louder horn for when you need it is still a cool idea, lot of good reasons to do it, just not part of my muscle memory when the **** hits the fan
could you startle the poor distracted driver...I mean c'mon, they're concentrating on their phone and in their own little world
by introducing a WTF loud horn, could you startle them and put them into a tizzy....then who knows wtf they are going to do....swerve, stop
there are times when i think about using my horn, but i use it so infrequently that it's not a go to when I'm in an oh **** moment....at that point, i think it's best to just focus on riding out of trouble
a louder horn for when you need it is still a cool idea, lot of good reasons to do it, just not part of my muscle memory when the **** hits the fan
Hell I never use it for anything,I took it off my ultra.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,352
Likes: 648
From: Vegas, baby!
As in the time when I was stopped at a light and the light turned green. This was long before left turn lanes or green arrows. The cage facing me accelerated, intending to make a left turn, before the cage behind me
reached the intersection. I realized decades ago that a cage driver can easily see me and not realize I was there. But the pitiful noise my horn made, I was riding a metric, alerted him to my presence and he stopped
suddenly.
Then there was the time I was in a cage driver's blind spot. Not where I normally ride but those of us in high traffic areas occasionally find ourselves in such a position , at least until we can change position. He started
to drift into my lane, at least until he heard my horn and swerved back into his lane..
Another time a cage was rolling up to a corner intending to turn right without stopping because there was no cross traffic. Only problem was that I was cross traffic that he didn't realize was there. After he heard my horn
he suddenly stopped instead of proceeding with his turn.
There are times things happen when it is too late to take evasive action. Sometimes it helps to be proactive and prevent a 'situation'. At least that has been my experience during decades of daily year around riding.
No that doesn't mean I have ridden everyday, constantly, for decades. But since it never snows, vary rarely rains or is really cold here, I rarely used a cage for transportation.
Last edited by rjg883c; Oct 24, 2021 at 12:49 PM.
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 49
Likes: 72
From: PA
Just recently down in Ocean City I was in Bike week traffic which means we were going about 3 mph and stopping every 50 ft or less. I was in a section with three lanes. I was in the Middle Lane. A big jacked up white pickup truck next to me started coming over on top of me while we were at a near standstill. I almost punched the guy's door. When I got further up I looked back in my mirror and he was driving forward while his head was turned completely to the right and down staring at his phone😡
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,952
Likes: 903
From: South Florida (Ft Myers area)
Rarely use a horn, usually after I have safely avoided the interaction, if then. I do use the horn in the Suburban, also after avoiding the idiots. Realized yesterday when going over and doing my Sunday get em ready for the week checkout and giving the motorcycles a nice bath, horn doesn't even work on the Sportster, not sure when that happened, I rarely check them, I'll look into that sometime.
Both motorcycles now have LED white running, amber turns on the front making a pretty good light triangle, still people just don't pay attention. And, I wear Hi-vis a lot of the time. People just don't care, they are "entitled" to the entire road and you need to stop or get out of the way!
LED on the Sportster
LED on the FXLR
I'll have to get some video going down the road and see how that looks.
Both motorcycles now have LED white running, amber turns on the front making a pretty good light triangle, still people just don't pay attention. And, I wear Hi-vis a lot of the time. People just don't care, they are "entitled" to the entire road and you need to stop or get out of the way!
LED on the Sportster
LED on the FXLR
I'll have to get some video going down the road and see how that looks.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 2,198
Likes: 4,200
From: The boonies of northern New England
I rarely use my horn. I ride defensively at all times, and either maneuver away from the idiots, or brake well enough in advance as not to need to panic stop. Head on a swivel at all times. When I do use the horn, it is to alert the dumb phuk in front of me that is glued to his/her phone at a red light. After allowing a few seconds, to make sure no other dumbasses are running the red from the other directions, which they always do, if I see the phone zombie in front of me still has their head down, I give a nice, long blast to alert them that the light is green, and they need to put their security blanket down, and drive!
The stock horn on my '21 RKS is sufficiently loud to accomplish this. On the '04 Road King Classic I used to have, the stock horn was pretty much useless. I could barely hear it from my seat. But, I had a loud *** exhaust on that bike. So, I could rev bomb the "driver" in front of me that wasn't paying attention to the green light. That woke them up!
The stock horn on my '21 RKS is sufficiently loud to accomplish this. On the '04 Road King Classic I used to have, the stock horn was pretty much useless. I could barely hear it from my seat. But, I had a loud *** exhaust on that bike. So, I could rev bomb the "driver" in front of me that wasn't paying attention to the green light. That woke them up!
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 5,276
Likes: 4,055
From: central Fl
dont need a horn if you pay attention to whats going on. by the time someone figures out where its coming from its too late. you are on 2 wheels PAY ATTENTION PEOPLE.
but by law it is needed and has to work, nothing saying how loud it has to be
but by law it is needed and has to work, nothing saying how loud it has to be
Last edited by IBE; Oct 26, 2021 at 08:51 PM.