Denali Soundbomb

(http://www.rg-racing.com £32.99 plus £4.95 p&p)

Living, working and riding in London, I need every advantage I can get. And a loud horn adds to the armoury – the louder the horn, the better the chance of half-asleep or stressed out car drivers hearing it and not straying into my path.

The Denali Soundbomb is an electro-pneumatic pump putting out a massive 120 Decibels – four times more than a conventional horn. It is designed to work with the existing loom (a replacement/secondary loom is available), but will require an additional mounting bracket. The mounting bracket and wiring harness are sold separately.

Despite the claims it is a “compact design”, the Soundbomb is much larger than a conventional horn, as you can see from the accompanying images. If you are expecting it to slot into place where your existing horn sits, think again. When I got it out of the box, I realised it was going to be more than a simple job to fit. I am not an expert with the spanners or electrics, so as my bike was going in for a service, I asked the dealer to fit it for me. They advised it was a fairly easy job, but it did require using the secondary loom I had supplied which they hid neatly behind the radiator, locating the Soundbomb on the other side of the bike.

But the important question is: Just how loud is the Denali Soundbomb? Loud enough to make me jump when I hit the horn – and I knew it was coming! Aside from the increase in volume, the note pitches at a lower frequency, resonating rather than squeaking like a lot of OE horns. And the combination works: People look up and stop before walking out in front of you, cars no longer pull out in front of you. Can’t say the same for a lot of OE horns out there.

If, like me, you feel a louder horn will help keep you out of trouble, the Denali Soundbomb will most certainly deliver. But be aware of the size issue and make sure it will (a) fit the bike (b) you are confident you can fit it using the existing loom. If not, make sure you order the secondary loom along with the correct mounting bracket.

By Bob Pickett