Modern Vespa

After much debate and having the Stebel horn installed now for a full season, I have decided to go back to stock. I had the smaller stebel, the one at Motorsport for $35'ish.

The main reason...it wasn't cute enough! Most of the time I use my horn it's either to beep at a friend or beep at another scooterist. Both cases I didn't want such a mad, unfriendly, loud horn. I tried an old school VW bug horn but went back to stock.

Just throwing this out there for anyone else considering the mod. Yes the Stebel is louder and sounds more like a car horn but the stock horn does have a nice high pitch squeel that'll get anyones attention.

I was thinking of a new horn, but looking back over my 5 years of riding I have never used my horn to alert anyone. thanks for the post it helps me avoid impulse buying.

Lucky you! I use mine pretty much daily. The Stebel that is - a 'meep' does sweet FA if some plonker is about to try to wipe you out. A BARP does the necessary.

any time I use my horn, I find the OEM utterly ineffectual. Especially on the freeway - it's like no one can even hear it. The horn... just never really seemed to get anyone's attention.

I want a stebel but I also can't be bothered.

True may have been lucky I also drone on the freeway most of my riding. I also ride country and hills. Not much of a city rider

If there was ever a line to feed the BBS trolls...

Soon enough I'll get board and do the upgrade needed or not. Its just me I tinker with suff. but first on my list is my true dual exhaust change and dynojet mods for my Harley, I was thinking of the Stable for my Harley and use the old Harley horn on Vespa.

You could leave the Stebel as the main emergency warning horn and add another switch for the stock "Hi, how are you" times.

Amazon has the Stebel Magnum set (Hi & Low notes) with a relay for $35.
I've seen people say the Nautilus is louder at 139db.
The Nautilus is a dual note horn.
So to be fair the Magnum dual note set should be used for comparison.
On Stebel's website the Magnum set is also 139db.
The Magnums are lower frequencies and sound more like a car.
I think the lower frequencies will travel farther, too.

I, too, would like to keep the stock horn, but I really like the idea of a louder one for emergencies as the default.

I unfortunately use my Stebel horn almost daily. Being a downtown rider amongst what seems to be the worst drivers in the world requires that you have a loud horn to get their attention.

Stebel horn should be installed if you live and work in a large city.

I have a loud aftermarket Highway Blaster. It is almost as loud as a Stebel, cheaper and definitely louder than stock. It is 132 db. I think the stock horn is 105db. It is also a 30 min install and fits under the horn casting of all the modern Vespa's with a little tinkering. I bought it from Auto Zone for $19.99.

https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic49987?highlight=

It is the perfect horn and a great investment, just like a really loud car horn without scaring everyone within a 2 block radius when you use it.

A louder horn is an absolute must on our scoots. I was almost forced off the road several times before I realized the stock horn was worthless and dangerous. Now I hit that horn and people hear me. I would not ride without it. I can't recommend this thing enough to you guys.

I installed a Stebel several months ago and have't needed it yet either and hope I never will but when I do, it will be MUCH LOUDER than the stock horn. I specifically tried it at freeway speeds. All the cars around me heard it. That wasn't true of the stock horn.

You argued that "you hadn't used the Stebel yet so you'll take it out". Would you use the same argument for your helmet and other protective gear? ... I didn't think so.

I think you should reconsider.
Miguel

The loud Stebel has saved my bacon several times this year -- especially on one road where drivers don't seem to understand what 'yield' and 'lane ends' signs mean

The only time I wish I had the stock horn is at rallys where everyone is doing a big toot off while driving through a tunnel or in town.

I want to get a Stebel for my scooters on Tortola but I also want to keep the stock horn. I have the spare button where you guys have the kill switch, so I could use that for the Stebel ... but is there room inside the horn cast for both?

It already has:

http://scooterbbs.net/bbs/showpost.php?p=784475&postcount=70

i find that californians are less likely to 'just' beep the horn

we don't beep much out here

more of a eastcoast thing maybe, and uk

when we rally you will hear a few

I actually like the sound of the stock horn- it is friendlier. I changed mine out for safety reasons though- lots of traffic everyday necessitates the louder horn.

Hmmm...let's see...friendly sound to say "hi" and deadly when REALLY needed...or, unfriendly LOUD honker but save my asss when REALLY needed...I'll choose my ass being alive over a cute toot anytime...I only installed the Stebel Magnum, not the Nautillus because I didn't want to run all the wires and setup with the relay...I don't use the horn that much luckily but there have been times on occasion where a car was goinig to change lanes in front of me when someone slows down to make a right turn in the lane next to me and I've had to blow it...IT WORKS like a champ when needed.

I want my loud Stebel horn to bitch-slap the person who is trying to kill me. I want the horn to be as loud and as annoying as humanly possible.

I would like to try to do both too. I didn't realize how important the OEM horn was until I rode (with a Vespa posse) in a bike rally parade that was 90% harleys. Our horns got cheers every time!

The horn is definitely an East Coast thing, My folks did made the required Hebraic exodus from New Jersey to Florida in the late 80s. I travel to Ft. lauderdale a couple of times a year. Those drivers are on their horn in anticipation of a green light. I have never heard anything like it. Here in San Diego I can go months without hearing a car horn. There? One can't go a block without hearing one.

i would just scare the hell out of the other scooterists with a loud horn......

I wish I could get one of those REAL loud train horns (think they are illegal in a car) that I see some SUV's installed...they blow that thing and you WILL jump in surprise...we have these real annoying bicyclists here in Weston, FL that ride 50 or more at a time in the whole lane of the road for cars when they have a bike lane...I would love to toot that thing and watch a few of them land on their asses sometimes.l...would serve them right..bunch of inconsiderate assholes is what they are.

Whereas here a bicyclist has as much right to the road as any other vehicle - horse, donkey, mobility scooter.

I do have to say though that a large group of cyclists will often have a (civilian, but Police licensed) motorcycle escort to keep you intolerant buggers from killing them...

hmmm, I live in the country's worst traffic area - DC - (or second worst, I forget) and I don't have a horn and probably have wanted to use one maybe 5 times and I ride every day.

I had to use mine twice tonight. We rode 2-up about 50 miles tonight and people wanted the lane we were in while we were in it. Once we made it to the car pool lane we were alright.

Munibonds, I changed a few words in your post (indicated with bold). What would your response be if someone posted this version of your post. My guess is it'd get flamed and would deserve it.

The world doesn't revolve around you and sometimes you just gotta give way. As an avid scooterist and cyclist, I always give way to 2 wheeled vehicles and even more so to those that are human powered. I gotta tell ya, life is a lot more pleseant when you feel like your part of the world as opposed to thinking it should revolve around you.

Horns here aren;t used that much. In fact i'd probably be run over of i used it. However i don't live in the city. A few on here who live downtown have them and actually use them.

Just installed nautillus' in both mine and my girlfriends scoots earlier today. When it gets cold out everybody in this city closes their car windows and cranks up the music. The whole point of having the horn is to let people know that I'm actually there so they don't crush me into the side of a semi.

maybe i was wrong

maybe its a nyc thing

or maybe some people like beeping and some don't

i don't

Thanks for posting this. I've been reading posts for quite some time now about how a loud horn is absolutely essential, and now that I'm in my third season of riding, I have to say I just don't see it. I ride 10 miles each way to and from work, through city streets at rush hour, and while the traffic isn't on a par with that in cities on either coast, I've endured my share of stupid car tricks. I can pretty much say that any time I've wanted to use the horn, it's because I'd like it to be the audio equivalent of a middle finger to somebody who just cut me off or whatever...in other words, not at all essential. Actually, that's not true...I do use my li'l stock horn to wake somebody up at a light when it's turned green and there's no sign of life in the car ahead. And that happens about once a month.

I know I'm at odds with a lot of seasoned riders out there, including many folks I hold in high regard around here, like the moderators, but I have to ask...if you're riding like you're invisible, doesn't that mean you anticipate that folks won't yield, don't see you coming, etc.? At that point, what purpose does the horn serve? You've already anticipated the doofus move and compensated for it. Believe me, I understand the urge to let somebody know how dangerous/stupid a move was, but is that really a safety factor?

I do want to emphasize that this is just my opinion, and I may be full of beans on this...in which case I'm sure you guys will school me.

Exactly. Just like you - horn at a light sometimes if they're just sitting there, maybe four times or so where it was a matter of "HOLY CRAP YOU'RE ABOUT TO KILL ME" and that's in years and years of riding. And as you said the key is whether you are riding invisible or not (and that doesn't mean whether you are wearing neon gear. You can be covered in head to toe flashing lights and still ride invisible and passively).


The majority of time it is "Dude you drive like an asshole" if I were to use it, but I hate people who overuse their horns. They are for emergency use only - most state vehicle codes state this.

And honk your horn outside someone's house instead of walking to the door to retrieve them? God you better pray that we aren't allowed to kill people for making us angry in the future.

jimmy - me either. Especially in groups of scooters. the few times I have decided to go on a long ride and the "beep beep beep" starts up I pull off and leave.

the UK allows mobility scooters on the street?!?!?

Man, you guys are messed up.

Many roads don't have sidewalks. So how else are they meant to get to the village shop or pub?

Late in the game (was camping all weekend).

I'll take your meep-meep and raise you honk-honk in this scenario. (Pulled from https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic22093)

Ah but if you both had Stebels and honked them there's no way to tell whether honking your stock horn would have had the same effect

Theoretically. But the point is, louder (and more obnoxious, not a friendly meep-meep) is better in this scenario.

Same here. I ride in some heavy and aggressive traffic every day in New York, but I'll go a year at a time without ever using my horn. I'll occasionally use it to get the attention of other riders when in a group, but that's about it.

Brendan

This is really the same discussion as FF helmet vs. 3/4 vs. none. And Draggin Jeans vs. regular jeans vs. cargo shorts. And kevlar padded jackets vs. jean jackets vs. T-shirts. Along a continuum there is a generally accepted "safest" option for all gear and equipment, but each has its own trade-offs and we each get to decide if the trade off is worth it. As far as who gets home the way they left my money's always going to be on the guy in full high viz armored Toreador Pants, full face helmet, headlight modulators, and Nautilus. Some people don't want to be That Guy, though. I get it and I'm cool with it.

No sign of life. LMFAO ! I'm Dying laughing ! So true!