My horn died

I changed the handlebars today. When I was done, I noticed the horn was no longer working. There's a good chance it has something to do with the handlebar change but I'm not sure.

I took apart the left switch pod and looked at the horn switch. Doesn't seem serviceable, I did spray some electrical contact cleaner on it. Put it back together and the horn still doesn't work.

In addition I wired a battery directly to the horn itself and it honks. So there's something wrong with the wiring between the switch and the horn. I traced the wiring as best I could and it seems like the wires are still connected.

What else can be done to check the horn? Or just replace the left switch pod?

Probably missing a ground someplace. Check the wiring for broken/loose wires.

If your bike is like mine, the horn wiring is Brown with white stripe(the hot circuit) and Black with white stripe is the ground circuit.

Kapahulu wrote:

I changed the handlebars today. When I was done, I noticed the horn was no longer working. There's a good chance it has something to do with the handlebar change but I'm not sure.

I took apart the left switch pod and looked at the horn switch. Doesn't seem serviceable, I did spray some electrical contact cleaner on it. Put it back together and the horn still doesn't work.

In addition I wired a battery directly to the horn itself and it honks. So there's something wrong with the wiring between the switch and the horn. I traced the wiring as best I could and it seems like the wires are still connected.

What else can be done to check the horn? Or just replace the left switch pod?

Bars are probably not grounded. Seems impossible, I know but that happens. Had it happen with some black drag bars a million years ago.

Loosen 1 switch clamp bolt. Wrap a piece of wire around it, tighten it, ground it to the motor...turn on key...push botton.....should HONK. Then figure out how you're going to get the new bars grounded.

The black and white wire is the one connected to the horn switch. Is that how it works? I would think the black and white would be hot and brown would be ground.

Horn button function is to ground and thereby allow current flow through the horn.

Brown is hot wire from ignition switch (battery positive).
Black/white wire is to ground through the horn button.
When the button is pushed, the black/white is supposed to ground, whereby the horn is supposed to emit its pitiful beep .

For wiring diagram, click > kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_docman&...d&gid=485&Itemid=108

See excerpt below.

Good Fortune!

[Click on image to enlarge view.]

Check and see if power is coming to the switch. if it does, then check for power at the other end of the switch when the button is pressed. If you have power at both ends of the switch then the issue is between the switch and the horn.

To test the horn itself, could use test wires from horn terminals to battery terminals.

Some horns have a screw adjustment to achieve the best sound.

Good Fortune!

The horn works, I tested it on a battery today.

Tomorrow I'll try the grounding test with the wire. By the way, the new handlebars are aluminum. Think that could be an issue? The other functions (turn signals, hi/lo beam etc.) work correctly.

Kapahulu wrote:

The horn works, I tested it on a battery today.
Tomorrow I'll try the grounding test with the wire. By the way, the new handlebars are aluminum. Think that could be an issue? The other functions (turn signals, hi/lo beam etc.) work correctly.

Imo aluminum handlebars are not an issue.

Where horn itself works, the issue would be failure of power from the brown wire, and/or failure to ground the black/white wire when pushing the button.

Might also check integrity of the connectors on ends of wires where they attach to the horn, to assure the connectors are providing good continuity between the wires and horn terminals.
One or both connectors may have failed..
Would check for power inside connector to brown wire.
And ohm check for continuity between inside of other connector and black/white wire.

Good Fortune!

If the bars are aluminum, they're coated. That's the problem I ran into with them. They needed to be grounded.

I sanded the coating off where they sit in the clamps. Sanded the inside of the clamps also.... cured the horn problem.

Some bike parts made of Aluminum are Anodized, the more common coatings Can be Black,Blue,Red and clear. As Larry mentioned, the coating needs to be removed where the mounting hardware goes for a good ground.

Yes these bars are anodized. I'll check it out this afternoon and let you know the results.