What is it with the SOHC US forum?

[Honda Brat]

I gotta have a moan, I am a member on various bike forums and enjoy the banter and wealth of knowledge that is shared etc, when I decided to build and customise a CB500/4 I thought that the SOHC forum would be the place for anything and everything that I needed answering.  However, it seems no one can be bothered to reply to any posts, yes a couple have been answered and maybe I am being a bit sensitive but when you have so many so-called experts with over 10K posts you would have thought that one of them could have been kind enough to reply    I mean you can go back every few hours and there are literally 2-3 pages of new replies!  Now don't get me wrong its an open forum with various topics, but 'A pic of you and your bike next to?' and 'What car does a SOHC member drive' is not my bag, yes I can not bother looking at these threads but sometimes I need answers and the place that is all things Honda kinda doesn't deliver 

When I am in a position to offer any help on a subject I reply as I am aware that the poster has gone to the trouble of putting up a question h/she must be pretty desperate for an answer, especially if it is bike related.  I'm pretty disappointed with the forum, maybe its because I'm a 'noobie'  or maybe if I was keeping the bike original or cafe'ing it then I would get a host of replies but on my experience with the forum it seems pretty crap.

Maybe i'm blowing of steam and don't mean to annoy or upset anyone - but the phrase 'You meet the nicest people on a Honda' kinda doesn't cut it with SOHC US.

Just my pissed off thoughts this evening, maybe I'll feel different tomorrow?

[hairygit]

Sorry you feel like that! I've only been on here a couple of weeks and have found the whole experience very satisfying. I've been on holiday from work so I've spent many hours trawling through the forum, but I know when I get back to work I'll only be able to grab an hour or so a week, and I'm sure many others are the same in this respect, work, home life tinkering with our bikes etc. Be patient, someone WILL read your post, and if they can help, they will. I hope you get the answers you're looking for, and start to enjoy the forum

[SteveD CB500K0]

Hairy - its the USA forum www.sohc4.net (not this one) that is being discussed.

I'm a moderator over there and it is a very different place from this (for a start, we had to ban political discussion as they would have started shooting one another!)

The forum is so large (11k members, 3M views/month and 20k posts/month) that you have to be specific in the title of your post if you want the right sort of answer.

It is true that there is HUGE experience over there in all modifications that you may (or may not) have thought of), but it is a much harder place to get your question heard.

All I can suggest is that you review your thread title(s) and/or contact direct the individuals who seem most expert on your requirement.

I may be able to help there if you advise what the question(s) was/were.

Steve

[hairygit]

Oops, Thanks for that Steve, I should have read the complaint more carefully!   The simple answer is to ask anything you want to know on the U.K. forum, because anything the americans can do, I'm sure it's been done better here, and at least the U.K. forum uses PROPER English

[Honda Brat]

cheers Steve, I took that into consideration and I know exactly where you coming from.  I actually contacted one of their regular members who no doubt you know Frankenmonster?? or something similar, I was interested in one of his points covers, not even a sniff of a reply and that was over a month ago.  As I said its odd as 2 of my other main bike forums are US based and they are damn good fun and great for banter 

[Honda Brat]

Oops, Thanks for that Steve, I should have read the complaint more carefully!   The simple answer is to ask anything you want to know on the U.K. forum, because anything the americans can do, I'm sure it's been done better here, and at least the U.K. forum uses PROPER English

  yeah I sometimes have to remember to use American'isms when replying 

[florence]

I don't often visit the USA site anymore but there are some lovely people on that forum so I imagine a little patience is needed.  It has certainly grown a lot recently, I hardly recognise any of the names now. 

When I posted a picture of my bike on there lots of people thought I'd just found it in a barn and were wondering what I was going to do to it.  When I explained that it is my usual ride they were a little shocked.  I think one must account for the cultural difference.

[mick]

Hi Honda Brat , i'm a member over on the US site and have been for 5 or 6 years and have nothing but praise for the site, i have had loads of help when asking questions i've also had parts given for free and sent at the other persons cost, i've had help shipping parts when the ebay seller wouldn't ship to the UK,

like Steve says be patient i'm sure you will get your answers, cheers Mick. 

[Honda Brat]

Hi Honda Brat , i'm a member over on the US site and have been for 5 or 6 years and have nothing but praise for the site, i have had loads of help when asking questions i've also had parts given for free and sent at the other persons cost, i've had help shipping parts when the ebay seller wouldn't ship to the UK,

like Steve says be patient i'm sure you will get your answers, cheers Mick.  

Hey Mick, because of the help and positive stuff you have gotten from the site no doubt your view will be more biased, as I said I was annoyed on that particular day when I started this topic, I guess after asking several questions and only receiving a couple of replies to a number of topics it tarnished my outlook on the forum.  I am in no doubt that that forum is full of wealth and knowledge and I take my hat off to it for being so - but with the same breath I would of thought with having so many knowledgeable members and so many at least one or two would of had the decency or taken the time out to answer, I even 'bumped' the topics to the top to see if that would help?  

I have since removed the topics as I found the answers myself through other means and will just use it as a source, to be fair i'm not that fussed, just on the day I started this thread I was desperate for an answer which never came.  Hey ho  

[Bryanj]

I find the US site usefull, especially when i get home from work at stupid O'clock in the morning as they seem to be awake then!

[RupertB]

Hondabrat - I suppose a lot depends on first impressions and how the first few replies go or strike you. I would say give it time - I have had some very good replies from the sohc forums on both sides of the Atlantic (and some quite deservedly ignored too!)
But on to more serious stuff - can you tell us what car you drive please?

[Honda Brat]

Hondabrat - I suppose a lot depends on first impressions and how the first few replies go or strike you. I would say give it time - I have had some very good replies from the sohc forums on both sides of the Atlantic (and some quite deservedly ignored too!)
But on to more serious stuff - can you tell us what car you drive please?

  I fine Sire drive a Ford Focus that is being sold to make way for an Escort van that I want to replace for the one that was written off last year  and may I ask for a picture of you standing next to your automobile next to a bridge, lamp post, barge, Coffee shop etc?

[RupertB]

Fascinating - I drive a Toyota Auris. I don't have a picture of myself next to it as although it is a pokey diesel one it is still a bit bland to look at.  In order not to annoy the moderator of this site I can't put a picture of myself up - I am far too ugly for public websites, but have attached a picture of my feet on holiday last year in Italy. They enjoyed it very much apparently.
Meanwhile back home the engine for my Foale frame has been dismantled and found to have a knacked main bearing so I am currently hunting a 750 motor with a broken gearbox for some cannibalising.

[Honda Brat]

A Toyota man I see, hmmmmm, interesting.  I can't help you with your motor, mind you there are a couple of bike breakers 2 minutes from me, one keeps all the older bikes and the other much newer, if I can help give me a shout.  Right must crack on, just bought a sonic cleaner and i'm in the process of putting my carbs through said device 

[steff750]

  just my thoughts , i can recall that the U.S.site was the only one around years ago,even before the sandcast site ,i thought i was the odd one out until you guys showed up yes the yanks loved them big CB750's and grabbed them with both hands while here in the U.K. they was saying" jap crap" never catch on?its no wonder we was the last country to get the CB750 and many other models, yes strange spelling and strange words for parts , but lets face thats where the market was and probably still is,the Britt's cornered the market there years ago and left Mr Honda take it from them, it is a wealth of knowledge for that reason, and "you meet the nicest people on a Honda"