Aftermarket Horn?

[craigleo]

Hello,
My name is Leo and I am a new member to this group. I got my new R1200R a couple of months ago and, of course, I am
thrilled with it. I am 53, a family guy with 4 grandkids. I have ridden dirt bikes and street bikes off and on for since I was
11. I am no pro racer or proffesional expert rider. I just love to ride any chance I get.

I think the R is the most brilliant all around motorcycle ever invented....except for the weenie horn. It sounds like a car
battery that just went dead.
Anyone have any success with a horn upgrade? I admit I have only been tempted to use the horn around 3 times in the last couple of months, but when you want it, you want it.
Thanks in advance for any insight you might offer.
Leo

[mogu83]

Leo,
Do a search on Stebel or Horn to find all the information (and then some) you need about horns on a R1200R. Their must be hundreds of posts.
I have a Stebel Nautilas and am very satisfied with it. I only have one issue with it. Like you I rarely use my horn. The Stebel is a air horn with an electric compressor in it, if you don't use it occasionally it can rust (lock) up inside. Fortunately it can be taken apart and cleaned up. Now I just make sure I give it a beep once or twice a month.

Good luck with the new bike.
Just about every imaginable issue has been covered on this list and can be found using the search feature. Many of us started on here when the bike was a new model and we argued and picked through just about everything, so don't think your being ignored. It's just that we've been over this stuff so many times - I hope I said that right.

[craigleo]

Harry,
Thanks! I noticed that if I have a question, this is a great place to get reality info versus marketing hype.
I still marvel at the difference in today's bikes versus my 1974 Honda 550 four!. When I got back into riding
it was like Fred Flintstone getting on George Jetsons motorcycle.
Thanks again
Leo

[jess]

Just about every imaginable issue has been covered on this list and can be found using the search feature. Many of us started on here when the bike was a new model and we argued and picked through just about everything, so don't think your being ignored. It's just that we've been over this stuff so many times - I hope I said that right.

You said this well, and I understand the sentiment, but I'd like to offer an alternative (and quite possibly unwelcome) view: The phrase "Do a search" kills forums. It's one of the very best ways to rob a forum of the one thing that it must have to function: conversation.

I run a fairly large and very active forum (which I'm not here to promote, and so I'm not even going to link to it) and have forbidden my members from telling the n00bs to "do a search". The reason for this is that new users usually lack the vocabulary to make an effective search. They know the general terms (which return a bazillion search results) but lack the specific terms that would really narrow things down enough to find what they're after. What the veterans could find in 30 seconds will take the n00b 30 minutes or more to find, because they don't have the advantage of remembering the conversation, who was participating, what the title was, and so on. They haven't had the benefit of reading every single thread for the last however-many-years, and they're unlikely to read every single thread in order to find the answer to the question that brought them to the site in the first place.

Further, the idea that just because some old timers discussed it once means that the issue is closed and done and nothing can be added to it is, well... it's just not true. I am constantly surprised to find new angles, new perspectives, new product availability, and new experiences with what I thought were old and tired rehashed topics. I get that you find the repeating of topics to be annoying. The alternative, though, is silence, and that doesn't make for a healthy forum.

So instead of "do a search", I've offered my veteran users exactly two choices: either point the n00b to a definitive thread, or just move on. And the forum has flourished because of it. The veterans help the new guys find what they're looking for, the new guys become veterans, and they help the next generation of newbies find what they're looking for, even going so far as to do a search for them. And topics do get rehashed, sometimes to the point of annoyance. But conversation is the lifeblood of any forum, and without it, the forum dies.

We've mitigated the annoying rehashes of topics to some degree by putting the truly settled, definitive information into a wiki that can be easily linked to. When someone asks the same question for the umpteenth time, we just link to the correct article in the wiki. If someone wants to add something new to the conversation, they can still reply to the thread, and people often do.

I'm not actually criticizing anyone here, as "do a search" is the bane of many forums. It's always seemed exactly the wrong thing to me, though, and so I run things differently.

Just my perspective. You're quite welcome to ignore it.

[spenserj87]

Just my perspective.

A good reminder/perspective. At a minimum, I think offering some key words to search on is always helpful.

[TT RDHS]

http://www.aerostich.com/ear-cannon-air-horn.html

The Stebel Nautilus Horn...
It's carried by many motorcycle shops.

[jess]

Just my perspective.

A good reminder/perspective. At a minimum, I think offering some key words to search on is always helpful.

And to be fair, Harry did: the term "Stebel Nautilus" is the key terminology here. I just see "Do a search" repeated here quite often, and decided to jump in. I don't want to single out Harry, as he was actually quite gracious and polite about it.

[deilenberger]

Just my perspective.

A good reminder/perspective. At a minimum, I think offering some key words to search on is always helpful.

And to be fair, Harry did: the term "Stebel Nautilus" is the key terminology here. I just see "Do a search" repeated here quite often, and decided to jump in. I don't want to single out Harry, as he was actually quite gracious and polite about it.

And a contrary view - I also run a few forums, and am moderator on several others..

Repeated "NOOB" questions tend to drive away, or limit the participation of regular contributors to forums. Certainly if the new person shows they made some effort to find information, it's good to help them out.. but the general Interwebz user seems to feel information should be delivered to them on demand. That's fine if the people delivering it don't get tired of typing the same answer over and over again.

The other forums I moderate have "FAQ stickies" - threads with commonly asked questions and answers to the questions. These stickies live at the top of the thread list - and are titled to make it easy to spot what each one is about. Some of them are dynamic - and open for additional postings. Some are done in strictly a FAQ scenario - where questions are asked and subject-matter experts answer. Questions for those are submitted via PM's to the SME, and answered as part of the FAQ.

Both work well to strike a balance that lets the new user find info quickly. On those forums when someone asks a commonly asked question - a quick reference to the sticky URL is usually satisfactory for the user, and the rest of the forum.

Questions here I think would be deserving of STICKY status would be:

- Seats, good/bad/ugly. I'd suggest consolidating most of the seat threads into one sticky thread and leave it open for additional comment (or questions.)

- Windshields. Ditto - LOTS of info here - but not really organized well.

- Suspension (stock, aftermarket sources, lowering, adjusting, etc.)

This doesn't mean that someone new isn't going to ask the same question - and sometimes will get a new answer that isn't in the sticky - but it does make their searching lots easier if the decide to go that route.

[jess]

Repeated "NOOB" questions tend to drive away, or limit the participation of regular contributors to forums.

People always drift away from forums over time. The question then becomes: is it just the nature of forums, or is it the repeated topics? My guess is that it's probably a combination of the two. However, the logical outcome of the "do a search, everything has been talked about" is that no further conversation is necessary, and at that point you might as well just archive the forum and call it a day.

I'm kidding there, but only a little bit. I was genuinely surprised at how slow this forum is. The repeated statements of "it's all been discussed before" is, in my estimation, one of the reasons. Again, it's just my perspective.

Certainly if the new person shows they made some effort to find information, it's good to help them out.

Agreed, but that's a subtle point to convey in a newbies first post. How do they indicate that they have adequately done a search? I've spent quite a bit of time searching this forum, and even as a veteran motorsport-forum guy who is well versed with phpBB's search function, I found it quite challenging to find any useful answers to my questions here. I'd wager that for someone unfamiliar with the forum genre, the chances of finding answers through search is very low for all but the most obvious things.

but the general Interwebz user seems to feel information should be delivered to them on demand.

I think there's an element of truth to that, but I honestly don't feel it's quite that cut and dried. Almost every new user is looking for an answer. Telling them to do a search -- that it's all been discussed before -- frustrates genuinely sincere newbies, and is not a very useful way to convert a newbie to a veteran.

The other forums I moderate have "FAQ stickies" - threads with commonly asked questions and answers to the questions.

I'm familiar with stickies. In fact, I'm familiar with the "sticky" phenomenon: that which is stickified becomes invisible. It's true. The best way to hide something in plain site, to guarantee that it won't be read, is to make it a sticky. For whatever reasons, forum users have by and large acquired the habit of scanning past the top few static, unchanging topics in any forum. I've seen this over and over again: someone asks for something to be stickied, I point out that there's already a sticky on this exact subject at the top of the page, and they say "Oh, I never noticed that"! It's gotten to the point where I just avoid stickies across the board, preferring wiki articles for settled discussions. Again, just something I've noticed over the years. You are free to ignore it, but the phenomenon is real.

- Seats, good/bad/ugly. I'd suggest consolidating most of the seat threads into one sticky thread and leave it open for additional comment (or questions.)

- Windshields. Ditto - LOTS of info here - but not really organized well.

- Suspension (stock, aftermarket sources, lowering, adjusting, etc.)

These are all examples of the subjective. What works for one person in any of these three topics won't necessarily work for the next person, and thus probably represent something that will continue to be discussed ad nauseum whether you stickify the topics or not. Just a guess, of course.

[mogu83]

I knew that would be taken wrong. Fortunately I think Leo understood where I was coming from.

IMHO - If a person that was asking about an old issue started their post with - ' I've searched the list and can't find any information about the (fill in the blank).' It would most likely work better.
In the beginning many of us made an effort to acquire the information on this list, it's all still here with pictures and detailed reports, and it's all free for the taking. By now most of us have decided what kind of seat we want or what kind of tires suit us best (I won't get into oil) and don't want to open a discussion to defend our choices (speaking for myself).
Naturally if someone shows that they have made an effort to dig out the information they need and can't find it I'm sure people would jump right in to help (I would), unfortunately some others would want to talk about what kind of flowers grow in the Arctic circle, what color pubic hairs are stuck in their gas cap or point out the fly poo in the pepper.
It's riding season in the Northeast and I'm a lot closer to my last bike ride than I am to my first, so I don't waste too much of the time on the computer when I could be on a bike.

[thepeacebullgrunt]

Well ! for sure me...
I'll never be color discriminative regarding pubic hairs stuck in gas tanks locks !
I think riding is a pleasure that must be shared as much as possible in every ways, directions and positions...

And I find really amusing & meaningful that now this particular "pubic hairs" words association
will be found in a thread related to HORNS ! HORNS ! HORNS !


PS: But I agree that
an exhaustive Faq, stickies
or improved search features would greatly help
the novices and those that are not too technical about motorcycles.
or patient enough to get lost and confused
with all sort of "raw data's" that the search engine usually throw on the screen.

[craigleo]

Hey I can tell this group is truly a strange bunch. I should fit right in!
Harry is right. It is time to ride.
Hasta La Vista a bit later.
Leo

[deilenberger]

I'm kidding there, but only a little bit. I was genuinely surprised at how slow this forum is. The repeated statements of "it's all been discussed before" is, in my estimation, one of the reasons. Again, it's just my perspective.

For a forum dedicated to one specific, not top selling niche model of a not top selling niche brand - it seems quite active to me. And most of the postings ARE useful.. and friendly.

If you want volume - a Harley forum probably has plenty - lots of volume, with lots of noise. Personally I prefer this environment, and don't see as a goal for the forum a high volume level since along with volume invariably comes a lot of noise. And I'm unsure what you mean by "slow" - when I see questions posted here - answers are arriving usually within minutes.. good answers actually. That's the only speed that would be of a concern to me.

Certainly if the new person shows they made some effort to find information, it's good to help them out.

Agreed, but that's a subtle point to convey in a newbies first post. How do they indicate that they have adequately done a search?

They say so? Seems pretty simple to me.. but mebbe I'm missing something.

I've spent quite a bit of time searching this forum, and even as a veteran motorsport-forum guy who is well versed with phpBB's search function, I found it quite challenging to find any useful answers to my questions here. I'd wager that for someone unfamiliar with the forum genre, the chances of finding answers through search is very low for all but the most obvious things.

I haven't found any forum search function that is really good - most are barely useable. Part of the problem IS the number of repeat postings on the same subject. If a search returns 30 pages of basically the same question being asked and answered over and over again - the person searching is probably at a loss to pick one of the multiple threads to look at.

but the general Interwebz user seems to feel information should be delivered to them on demand.

I think there's an element of truth to that, but I honestly don't feel it's quite that cut and dried. Almost every new user is looking for an answer. Telling them to do a search -- that it's all been discussed before -- frustrates genuinely sincere newbies, and is not a very useful way to convert a newbie to a veteran.

Sorry - don't agree. MANY of the users here started out with an intro message, telling us of their enthusiasm for the bike. Some had questions in addition to their enthusiastic review, but I don't think this particular forum is quite the same as a high-volume motorsports forum might be (and I'm WAY too familiar with those..) We also tend to be a somewhat older crowd here, so you don't see so many posts like "Yo dudes, my M3, on the way to Safeway, blew up.. what's up with that?"..

The other forums I moderate have "FAQ stickies" - threads with commonly asked questions and answers to the questions.

I'm familiar with stickies. In fact, I'm familiar with the "sticky" phenomenon: that which is stickified becomes invisible. It's true. The best way to hide something in plain site, to guarantee that it won't be read, is to make it a sticky. For whatever reasons, forum users have by and large acquired the habit of scanning past the top few static, unchanging topics in any forum. I've seen this over and over again: someone asks for something to be stickied, I point out that there's already a sticky on this exact subject at the top of the page, and they say "Oh, I never noticed that"! It's gotten to the point where I just avoid stickies across the board, preferring wiki articles for settled discussions. Again, just something I've noticed over the years. You are free to ignore it, but the phenomenon is real.

Are they somewhat invisible? Probably - but as the "veterans" become vets - they usually take over the job of suggesting a new user look at the stickies. That works surprisingly well..

- Seats, good/bad/ugly. I'd suggest consolidating most of the seat threads into one sticky thread and leave it open for additional comment (or questions.)

- Windshields. Ditto - LOTS of info here - but not really organized well.

- Suspension (stock, aftermarket sources, lowering, adjusting, etc.)

These are all examples of the subjective. What works for one person in any of these three topics won't necessarily work for the next person, and thus probably represent something that will continue to be discussed ad nauseum whether you stickify the topics or not. Just a guess, of course.

Ah - but - they could continue to be discussed ad-nauseum in one sticky simple to find or ignore place, instead of repeated postings on the same subject over and over again. Notice I suggested leaving them as open stickies - people would be free to add their knowledge, experiences, or just plain opinions to the stickies. Stickies that might be considered closed - are things like a table of torque specifications.. that's not subjective or subject to opinions (or rapid changes) - so a single closed sticky works quite well. You mentioned using a WIKI like interface on your forum - how is that different from open sticky threads?

Again - I think this forum IS unique, and not so easy to throw into the same model as one that has 30,000+ visitors a day (one of the M3 forums I moderate).. this is a niche forum serving a niche and basically very small community, so IMHO one size scenerios don't really apply.

[jess]

Don - It was just my observation and perspective. I'm not trying to stir the pot so much as offer a different perspective on the topic.

By "slow", I mean there are very few new topics every day, very few replies every day, and very low participation by a very small number of core users. The view rates are okay, which suggests there are plenty of people reading but only a tiny fraction of those readers are actually participating. Even though the answers are good, they're coming from a fairly small group, and that would worry me if I were the admin.

There is actually another reason for the apparent slowness, but I'm going to keep it to myself so as not to come off as Mr. Critical any more than I already have.

[Caroanbill]

I haven't found any forum search function that is really good - most are barely useable. Part of the problem IS the number of repeat postings on the same subject. If a search returns 30 pages of basically the same question being asked and answered over and over again - the person searching is probably at a loss to pick one of the multiple threads to look at.

(my emphasis)

Methinks this is the rub. I dunno how to link a thread - just comes up with the overall board URL (but then I'm an economist). Whenever I search, even for my old stuff to quote to a newb, I get crap. It must be so much worse for newbies.

And Don, you old codger (that's a term of affection in Australia) - while you do love to say "search", you obviously cannot help being helpful and you do provide lots more useful information, and new information ... such as the tip about resetting mileage on the OBC in your umpteenth revist of the fuel-strip tale!

... I see this as like our real-world conversations. We all tell the same stories, over and over, albeit with different emphases and in different permutations, and our stories evolve with the telling. I find each time I re-visit a topic (no mention of dogs and vomit, if you please) I find my own new take on all or part of it. For instance, in re-telling my delight at the lack of instability from the R12 panniers, I realise that these are indeed the best of the many I've had (unlike the a-hem on the F8 and K12-13 sportsbikes) ...

Despite our respective grumbles, we're actually a patient, respectful and collegiate lot here (I'm claiming temporary amnesia about my "go" at the untamed porcine chap who shouted at us) ... let a hundred flowers bloom

[thepeacebullgrunt]

That was a hell of thread !

Honk honk !

[AllanCook]

I'm with you, Don. Telling someone to do a search is rude; having stickies makes a lot of sense.

[Sander Abernathy]

I would suggest making this thread a sticky. Label it "Hijacking a Thread - A Forum Moderator Shows Us How the Pros Do It".

[thepeacebullgrunt]

Below might be what they seem to talk about sometimes on other forums....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aamFqpI5I0U

[ShinySideUp]

I mounted the Stebel Nautilus and generally like it a lot. However, the other day I went to use it on the freeway in the rain and what came out sounded like my throat in the morning after way too much whiskey, during that time I'm gargling with mouthwash.

I have it mounted where the fume canister used to be (it fell off, officer!). I pointed the bell forward to disperse sound, but after this wimpy, wannabe blast experience, I may have to rethink, since rain water is apparently blowing into the horn.

A day of sunny weather restored my commanding presence on the freeways of the world.

Bill