Honda Weirdness

[tjud]

This doubtless has been commented on before, but being a new guy I thought I'd throw in my .02.

I couldn't figure out why I kept hitting the horn button instead of the turn signal. Doesn't really seem like the two of them are that close together. Then I started checking my other bikes. ST1300 - turn signal on top and horn on bottom. ST1100 - turn signal on top and horn on bottom. 1978 Yamaha RD400 - turn signal on top and horn on bottom. 1971 Yamaha R5 - turn signal on top and horn on bottom. NC700X - horn on top and turn signal on bottom. Now why would Honda go against at least 44 years of Japanese industry standardization? Is it just to drive home the point that our bikes are different? I don't know. But I do know that I find myself sneaking a peek to make sure I am targeting the correct button. I can't wait until the next idiot cage driver around here cuts me off in traffic so in the heat of battle I can flash my turn signal at him in anger. I'm sure that will get his attention!

At any rate, I am learning lesson number 2: Look before you beep!

 

[anglachel]

In the early days/weeks/months I would frequently let out a celebratory honk to announce that I had finished my turn and was ready to clear the signal.

No one else on the road seemed to understand the honk so I eventually had to learn to stop doing that.

 

[Dennis M]

I can't understand why everybody has so much trouble with this, as for me it's much more natural to have the button you use the most to be the easiest to reach with my thumb.
I hit the horn button just once since getting my bike over two years ago, that was to make sure that it worked.
Dennis

 

[dduelin]

Our brain is fearfully and wonderfully made. If we use the horn a few times every ride magically we write a new program that runs automatically when needed without conscious thought. Of course it doesn't work as well if our rides too far apart.

 

[pismocycleguy]

thud,
I agree with your assessment. I'm too old to change my thumb movement, but not my middle finger. It still works fine!
Maybe in a few more years I'll finally locate the horn button on the first try? Lol!

 

[Deleted member 1183]

I can't understand why everybody has so much trouble with this

I can explain why I have a problem with it. I own four motorcycles. All of the other three including another Honda, have their turn switches on top. After many years of riding bikes with that setup, I am totally accustomed to it. As a result on my first couple of outings on the NC I had some close shaves when attempting to activate the horn in potentially dangerous situations. In short, what Honda have done is downright dangerous.

If I rode my NC exclusively I would soon get used to it. However I do not do so, and as a result I am constantly getting the two mixed up. Fortunately it only happens on the NC as everything falls into place naturally on the other bikes.

From the getgo this has been my single biggest bugbear with my NC and I believe it was extremely irresponsible and poorly thought out of Honda to have made such a change.

 

[frozenpoet]

I can never hit the horn button whenever I actually mean to do it. For whatever reason my thumb doesn't want to go much higher than the turn signal switch.

And yes, common complaint since the bike came out.

 

[gpd211]

Lots of new Hondas are that way. Not sure why they decided this is a better design. My crf and grom are both set up like the NC.

 

[dduelin]

I can explain why I have a problem with it. I own four motorcycles. All of the other three including another Honda, have their turn switches on top. After many years of riding bikes with that setup, I am totally accustomed to it. As a result on my first couple of outings on the NC I had some close shaves when attempting to activate the horn in potentially dangerous situations. In short, what Honda have done is downright dangerous.

If I rode my NC exclusively I would soon get used to it. However I do not do so, and as a result I am constantly getting the two mixed up. Fortunately it only happens on the NC as everything falls into place naturally on the other bikes.

From the getgo this has been my single biggest bugbear with my NC and I believe it was extremely irresponsible and poorly thought out of Honda to have made such a change.

While I do not doubt your experience that isn't mine. I usually have three bikes in the stable and only one with horn over turn switch. I just got used to it like hopping on the scooter and knowing it has a left side rear brake - not a clutch.

 

[TCRider]

My Moto Guzzi has the horn and turn signals in the same location as the NC. I know it is a little unusual but I think we will see more bikes this way and really it makes sense to me. I rarely use the horn.

 

[TigerDude]

If you are hitting your horn you probably should be hitting the brakes instead. The horn really isn't much of a safety item.

 

[tjud]

That is true. However, I'd really rather be hitting the button I want to hit than having to devote brain bytes to overcoming a habit pattern that Honda helped instill in the first place. Especially when those brain bytes could be better employed helping to deal with traffic around me.

 

[Deleted member 1183]

If you are hitting your horn you probably should be hitting the brakes instead. The horn really isn't much of a safety item.

Some of us can multi task and do both at the same time Easy with the front brake as it is still in the correct position fortunately.

I rarely use the horn, and usually it is to warn someone else of my presence. I once saw a Woman in a car pulling out of her drive as I approached on the road. She looked straight at me and I assumed then that She had seen me. She then pulled straight out in front of me and I was hit. That was a long time ago and a hard lesson learned. Now I usually give a short sounding of the (rather pathetic) horn approaching such a situation. However sometimes at speed one can come upon a situation quickly and that is when I have difficulty with the NC horn button.

 

[johnakay]

the horn is useless better get one of these tied to your and you'll have two the same...

 

[SergeantChuck]

I can't understand why everybody has so much trouble with this, as for me it's much more natural to have the button you use the most to be the easiest to reach with my thumb.
I hit the horn button just once since getting my bike over two years ago, that was to make sure that it worked.
Dennis

I adapted quickly too and think I like it better but if the times comes that I really need to use my horn I can't guarantee I'll find it. LOL.

 

[670cc]

I have four street bikes/scooters I ride interchangeably and the switch layout is a little differnt on each. But so is the transmission type, ergos, feet position, control feel, braking power, etc. I just download that bike's characteristics to my brain each time I get on to ride and I do fine. That's not to say I haven't hit the horn button by mistake a few times, but it's a pretty minor issue.

 

[tjud]

Probably the only reason this is an issue at all to me is that I am currently using the ST and the NC fairly equally depending on what I want to do at the moment. So I am switching back and forth frequently. Eventually I'm sure even this old dog can adapt to the new trick. And of course none of this explains why I would occasionally hit the horn button by mistake before I got the NC and had only one choice to choose from! It's just that now I have somebody else to blame for my fat fingerness - or thumbness as the case may be.

 

[Shad]

I'm guilty of this too. I do wish they were reversed.

 

[dduelin]

J

Some of us can multi task and do both at the same time Easy with the front brake as it is still in the correct position fortunately.

I rarely use the horn, and usually it is to warn someone else of my presence. I once saw a Woman in a car pulling out of her drive as I approached on the road. She looked straight at me and I assumed then that She had seen me. She then pulled straight out in front of me and I was hit. That was a long time ago and a hard lesson learned. Now I usually give a short sounding of the (rather pathetic) horn approaching such a situation. However sometimes at speed one can come upon a situation quickly and that is when I have difficulty with the NC horn button.

"I rarely use the horn...." There's the challenge. I never will make a new habit without practice. If you do toot the horn a few times every ride until you form a habit I can guarantee you will find the horn on any bike. As it is your brain expects it to be where it is not.

 

[dduelin]

If you are hitting your horn you probably should be hitting the brakes instead. The horn really isn't much of a safety item.

I agree it's not much use to stop a collision but in this age of distracted drivers a short beep can remind a drifting driver I'm in the lane next to them or get a texting driver going after a light turns green. I have a set of Fiamms that sound like a 1950s Buick. It wakes them up.