I read the editor's article, "Bag & Baggage," in the September issue of Wing World. I think many of us have a lot of similar items in our bikes, though maybe not in the same place because that is a personal thing. We try to put our items in a place we think would be convenient whenever we need it. I have known riders who kept their raingear in their trailer or trunk-top bag, only to be on a day ride without the trailer or bag, and guess what? Yep, a sure way to end a drought.

I found it interesting the editor hadn't found a use for the right fairing pocket, since, until recently, I hadn't either. It is inconvenient because you have to have your key to get into the pocket, and, if you have something you want locked up, it's easier to put it in the trunk or one of the saddlebags. This past spring I attended the Indiana District Rally "Spring Wing Warm Up" and found a vendor selling and installing chromed air horns. I'd always wanted a better horn for my Wing, so I bought one. I didn't have it installed because I figured that was something I could do, and I didn't like where they were installing them-on the bottom of the right side saddlebag with the compressor inside the same bag. Because that saddlebag is where my clothes go when we take a trip (and I don't have enough room as it is), I didn't want the compressor in there. I also didn't want the trumpets that far back where my Co-Rider would get blasted every time I used the horn; nor did I want the trumpets that close to the ground.

When I got home and ready to install the horns, I read the Directions. The compressor isn't very large, but it must be installed in the vertical position and should not be more than two feet from the trumpets. I wanted the trumpets up front, but there isn't much space behind the fairing panels and behind the pockets. Despite the lack of room, I pulled off the panels and pulled out the pockets, and looked around for a place I could mount the trumpets.

I decided they would look good and work well mounted in front of my Markland highway boards. That settled, it was back to where I could put the compressor. I didn't want it inside the fairing side vent because I put covers over the vents in cold weather and wouldn't be able to with the tubes coming out of the vents. The only possible place I could find was the right fairing pocket. Well, it wouldn't fit in the pocket. But by cutting a round hole in the bottom front of the pocket, I found the compressor fits very tightly. The wiring is on the bottom, and I spliced the air horns into the original horn wiring, since I wanted both horns to work in case one failed. The rest of the pocket is filled with the passenger backrest raincover (which keeps the compressor from ouncing around since I could not get it mounted inside the pocket, although the fit is so snug I don't think it could bounce).

Then, I cut a piece of metal strapping about 3 1/2 inches long and painted it black. I removed the lower mounting screw for the highway boards and replaced it with a longer threaded stock, bolted one end of the strapping to the threaded stock and the trumpets to the other end. The tubing to the trumpets was just a little too short, so I bought some longer tubing. The horns work great, and now I don't worry about what can be put into that dumb right locking pocket anymore.

Since writing that I have made some modifications. The original trumpets were mounted too low and I kept knocking off the bottom one. I have also gone from two trumpets to three. I also found that having the compressor in the pocket vertically was crimping the hose which restricted the air pressure. In the vertical position I wasn't unable to attach the compressor to the wall of the pocket which also allowed the compressor to turn. I changed it to horizonal and was able to attach it to the wall of the pocket and no more tube crimping. I have had no problems with the compressor mounted in the horizonal position.

You may notice in the second picture that I also replaced the metal strapping with more solid bracing stock available at hardware stores. I bought the six inch braces with 4 holes in them. As you can see in the picture I bolted them into a cross and mounted the trumpets to the vertical brace and attached the horizonal brace on the threaded stock that formerly held the strapping. It looks like I could have used a shorter horizonal brace. I have not painted the brace or decided what color to paint the trumpets. I also picked up some trumpet covers at a rally last year to help keep the dirt and bugs out of the trumpets.

I decided that I would rather not have the horns exposed so I went from three trumpets to two and put them in the fairing. I removed the right fairing pocket and the compressor and placed the two trumpets forward of the pocket wrapped in foam so that they would not be rattling around in there. The only thing you have to watch is the tubing so that when all is back in place that the tubes aren't kinked.