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B&M Mechanically Driven (Friction) Sirens
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We have been contacted by a number of people looking for information about, or wishing to purchase, friction sirens that B&M used to manufacture. We no longer manufacture or sell these sirens for several reasons.
The State of California outlawed the use of wheel driven sirens on police motorcycles in the early 1980's, which effectively destroyed most of the remaining market for our friction sirens. Prior to that time, friction sirens for automotive and fire apparatus use were no longer in demand. The widespread introduction of 12 volt electrical systems in automobiles made electro-mechanical sirens more practical.
We no longer stock components to manufacture new friction sirens. However, we do have a small inventory of repair parts and some mounting bracket parts. If you have one of our friction sirens that is in need of service, we may be able to help. Feel free to contact us in that event.
A small market has developed for vintage friction sirens, mainly for people restoring vintage police motorcycles and fire apparatus. These sirens occasionally show up for sale on eBay, specialized classified listings, and other such places. The prices vary from quite reasonable to quite UNreasonable. It is important for the potential purchaser to know what they need, as there were variations within the models depending upon the application.
The following pages contain all the information we currently have on B&M's friction sirens. As the people who were around in the early days are no longer with us, much of the knowledge is gone with them. There is a very limited amount of archival information remaining about our friction sirens.
Safety Warnings
Please keep in mind that these friction sirens are from an earlier, less litigious era, when personal responsibility was still considered a virtue. Typical for the times they were made, they do not have the level of guarding present on sirens made today. A finger or any other item placed into a spinning siren is at risk of being instantly chopped off.
Even a siren spun by hand is capable of causing injury to the unwary. Be careful, and protect those who may not be aware of the hazard. When we display a friction siren, it will have a nylon cable tie secured through a port to prevent it from spinning to help avoid such problems.
Depending upon the speed of the drive and its size ratio to the friction roller, it is possible for a friction siren to reach quite excessive speeds for which it was not designed. Violent failure could result. Use care to avoid overspeeding a friction siren.
For these reasons, and due to the advanced age of these sirens and the unknown levels of abuse they may have endured, we do not recommend their use and will not be held responsible for the results of their use.
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| Motorcycle Sirens |
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| Automotive Friction Sirens |
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