Moto Guzzi V85TT - curing an ant’s horn

[Jay_Benson]

I have a Moto Guzzi V85TT and it is a thing of beauty. Clearly the gentlemen who designed it realised that the had created a device of such magnificent beauty that all would clear the road before it. However in the UK the box drivers didn’t get the memo and they sometimes just don’t see the beauty so I need to make them aware of it by blasting the horn. However the amount of beauty bestowed upon the bike did not extend to an adequate horn - it has the deafening quality of a trumpet blown by an asthmatic ant. Sorry if I have offended and asthmatic ants out there.

I have tried various horns but they are either as weak or are too big for the size available. The next step is to put an extra bracket onto the bike so that the horn that is currently hidden behind the front mudguard will now sit to one side. the current horn is 105dB but I have lying around a couple of 130dB horns (too large) and a snail horn (again too large). Has anyone got any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Threewheelbonnie]

I gave up trying and mounted a Soundbomb on the engine bars. When I press the button I want someone to get a dry cleaning bill, not wonder who is, watching a cartoon about ducklings in the next street.

You'd think Moto Guzzi would be the one manufacturer to fit a decent horn, but no, meep-meep like Noddy in his little car.

Andy

[Jay_Benson]

The Soundbomb could well be ideal - the piping allowing the horn to be separate from the compressor. I just need to get the dimensions and measure up the available space. Otherwise I am going to have to fabricate a bracket for another horn (only 130dB) that I have - actually, when I think about it I have two of the 130dB horns but that would be getting a bit silly. Perhaps..

[Jay_Benson]

Well the asthmatic ant has gone to be replaced by a ship’s fog horn - that may be overstating the change but I am much happier with the new horn. I did have to fabricate a bracket but that is fine and it should be good for many miles.

Anyway, as an aside, if anyone wants a hardly used horn suitable for an ant please drop me a line.

[anonymous3]

I may be wrong but I seem to remember Moto Guzzi had Fiamm horns way back in the 1970's and you certainly heard them.
Kind regards and Happy New Year

[Jay_Benson]

I wish that they still used them. the standard fit aren’t helped by their positioning - they have the fuel tank behind them and the mudguard in front so what little noise that is made doesn’t make its way forwards or backwards - forwards tends to be the place that you want to noise to go.

[motozen]

Finally, I find myself buying sort of strange bikes:
Honda XLR 250 (Baja), it was not so common at that time, common was the second XR400, sold it less than 2 years.
Not so common in my country neither the next 2 bikes: KTM 640 TE and my beloved Husky TR Terra 650, with both + my european years with the 250, I travelled and I understood it was something I would like to explore a little more.
I'm not a true overlander, and as a short scale entrepreneur I can only spend to 4-5 days/month out ridding in my country, place where you still find a lot of unpaved, narrow tarmac and secondary roads between the 3 regions that the equator line cross thru.
The Guzzi was a sort of project to travel to Italy, place where I found that old 250, and with a legal accord between that country and mine, spend a holyday and bring the bike to the Andes. The expence was to high!

Found a new dealer in southern Ecuador, went to them and bought the V85TT, new for this country as model and as brand, even if it's still associated to the 70/80's (some still running) Police bikes.
I found this 850 simply amazing. Right for my size, weight and tyupe of ride, but in fact: strange it has a 'motorino' horn.
I'd like to spend my sabbatical as soon we realize the borders will reopen in SA, we crossfingers it maybe december.
We plan around 11000 km and around 14 weeks. As I described before, this is also a not common bike, as I choose (there is a reason i might probably share with a pint of ) so welcome any suggestions in order to modify of simply get some tech specs or tips. We havent cho$e the Travel Edition, becau$e of 'time' i$$ue$.
With soft saddle bags, an old (used on my xr) touratech tailbag and tank bag, we want to face south and try to reach an emblematic or geographic landmark between Argentina and Chile, and be back to work in this lattitude (we host the HU Meetings here):
00°24.088"S
078°34.590"W
where you all are welcome!