£39.99 | www.rg-racing.com | 01420 89007 | Tested by: John Milbank, Editor Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine
“Loud pipes save lives”. We’ve all heard it, but I’m not totally convinced. Besides the Euro4-induced purr of most bikes now, if you have got a loud can, you need to be pretty antisocial with it to be heard in cities by cocooned car and lorry drivers.
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The Sound Bomb’s been around for a while, and while R&G also supply Denali’s new, smaller version (producing 113dB), it’s the ‘big’ one that pumps out 120dB. By splitting the original’s compressor and sounder, it’s now easier to squeeze the Sound Bomb into tight spaces. I have the compressor behind the fairing on my Versys 650, and the horn down by the bottom of the radiator.
Fitting is relatively simple if you’re happy with electrics, and a separate wiring harness is available for £10.99. A relay comes with the horn, as it draws a hefty 20A in use, but you won’t need to press it for long – a quick blip ensures you’re noticed if things look like they’re going pear-shaped even in the busiest parts of London’s city centre.
There’s no real lag or wait for the pressure to build – I’d say it’s hardly noticeable compared to the delay you get with CAN bus-equipped bikes. It’s also still possible to do a light flick, though not quite as easy as with a standard (and much quieter) horn fitted to a bike with traditional wiring.
Combined with my Denali D2 spot lights, I feel confident that other road users are well aware of my presence – I don’t need to use the Sound Bomb that much, but when I do, it’s extraordinarily effective!
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