dannyW wrote:i took the front off for the third time.
moved around all the little random wired boxes, and without forcing the top on, the stebel does not fit the 2007 buddy.... (this may be different for 2006 models, i don't know)
Hey dannyW, I don't have an 07 Buddy, but I'm wondering. At the Vespa workshop, I watched Curt shoehorn Stebel horns into a variety of Vespas. Curt's method for actually mounting the horn was the key. His real secret was his mounting technique. I have about two minutes to try to describe this to you in words, so here goes:
You are going to need some big bad long zip ties. They need to be big enough to go around the Stebel from top to bottom and they also need to be long enough to go around your steering column. If you don't have them, go to Home Depot and get a bag. While you're there, get a pair of diagonal cutters which you can use to cut the zip ties. This is not optional.
Done?
Okay, hold the Stebel in your hand facing you. Now loop a zip tie around the body of the thing from top to bottom. I don't have time to do a drawing, see if you can figure it out from my description. You can get the zip tie around it from top to bottom in about the middle located so that it can't slip off in either direction. Got it?
Now use your diagonal cutters to trim the extra zip tie length.
Now take two more zip ties and feed those horizontally through the vertical zip tie on the back of the horn. Orient the two horizontal ties so that they can wrap around your steering column and zip. Get it? You've now made a "mounting bracket" out of zip ties.
Now, remove the front cover of your Buddy for the fourth time, and see if you can find a place to put the horn. DO NOT be fussy about where. The horn is loud enough that it will be heard even if the position is not perfect. Zip the horizontal ties around your steering column. Plug in the wiring you did according to the directions you got from Stebel.
BEEP!
Okay?
NO?!? There's still no place to put the horn? Okay, that's not a big deal. At the workshop, Curt found that the Vespa GTS250ie had the same problem. Check it out, if you cut the old horn mount bracket out, could you then get the horn in there where the old one was? Yes? Okay, here is how Curt did it. He got a Dremel Mototool with a "cutting wheel" and just removed the old bracket. Then he took a Q-tip, sprayed a little primer paint on it and dressed the raw metal left from the cut. Then he installed the horn exactly as I described above right where the bracket used to be. If it were my scooter, and I had to do this, I would give the primer a couple hours to dry to touch before I stuffed the horn in there.
I have to go, won't be back until late Tuesday or early Wednesday. If my directions about the zip ties, etc., aren't clear, let me know and I will make a drawing and post it then.
If you think of it, the most helpful thing you could do, is to take lots of photos to help out future 07 Buddy owners. Thanks!
Good Luck!
