Honda CX 500 Forum banner

Forum Settings that everyone should make

21K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  Samedward 
#1 · (Edited)
RECOMMENDED FORUM SETTINGS for the new forum (updated March 2020)

The main settings we ask members to make are:

1) Make sure that you automatically receive a notification when someone replies in a thread you started or posted in. This should be a default setting but in case it isn't
  • Click your avatar pic in the upper right corner of the screen and select Account Settings.
  • Under Settings on the left click Preferences.
  • Make sure that Automatically watch content you create and and receive email notifications are checked

2) Add your location to your profile. It doesn't have to be your exact location but it helps sometimes to know what country someone is in when you are trying to explain something to them and also you might have someone with more experience nearby that is willing to visit and help you with a problem or go for a ride with you or something like that
Tutorial here

3) There are some significant differences between models & model years in the CX/GL500/650 family so it is important to let us know which you are talking about in order to avoid answers that aren't relevant to your bike. While you are in Account details (see tutorial linked above) add the model and model year (not year first registered if you are in the UK) of your bike to the field marked Vehicle Details so that it will appear below your name every time you post.
If you have more than one bike or want to list some of the major modifications please put that information in your signature
Tutorial here

There are other tutorials scattered through that thread that you might find useful like how to add images, how to add an avatar image and how to report a post

NOTE: The information below shows how we had to do this on the previous version of the forum. It has been left for historical reference only.

To automatically subscribe to every thread you start or post a message in (lets you know when someone has answered):
- Click Settings in the upper right corner of any forum page.


- Look under My Settings on the left and click General Settings.


- Under Messaging & Notification, find Default Thread Subscription Mode and make sure Instantly, using email is selected, then scroll down and click Save Changes in the lower right corner of the screen.


Enter your location. It doesn't have to be your exact location but it helps sometimes to know what country someone is in when you are trying to explain something to them and also you might have someone with more experience nearby that is willing to visit and help you with a problem or go for a ride with you or something like that:
- Click Edit Profile and add your location.


Model & Year of your bike(s) (so we don't need to keep asking what you have and you don't need to tell us every time):
- Click Edit Signature and add in the model & year. You can also add in whatever else you think is important like a link to your build thread or something on the forum you find particularly important.
NOTE: If you are accessing the forum with a cellphone signatures don't work unless you change to desktop mode (I think - someone that knows please add the correct information) and apparently that doesn't work on all phones. If that applies to you please add your model and model year with your location.

Add an avatar picture. This is your "face" on the forum - when people see it they will recognize that it is you they are talking to. It can be anything from an image you think is funny to a pic of your actual face.
- Click Edit Avatar and upload an avatar pic of your choice.
 

Attachments

See less See more
8
#2 · (Edited)
In addition to the above, here is a posting from MurrayF that is great advice to all newcomers as well as a reminder for others....link to original thread

ALL NEWBIES, PLEASE READ == An affirmation a rant and some advice !



So, first the affirmation:

I think the CX500 and its 650 brothers are the greatest bikes around.
The 500 is one of the longest lasting motors made, and nearly impossible, without being silly, to kill.
There are a lot of examples of them being dug out of barns, fields, or basements, with very few to 10’s of thousands of miles put on them. Many of us have simply cleaned the carbs, changed the oil, done a high miles service, jumped on them and driven the crap out of for years.

Here is the rant:

There are some nice newer members on the forum who are from the "let’s take it all apart and put everything new into the motor so I won’t have problems later" school.

Now while that is fine if they feel they need to do this, they are welcome to do so. But here is an example that rubs the wrong way.
Recently, I got off the phone with a new member from Utah (who can chip in if he wants) that was going to ship me his motor for me to go through.
I asked him “how many miles on it”. “20k” says he. “Does it make any noises?” “Nope.” says he. “How does it run?” “Good” says he.

“Why are you sending it to me?”
…………………Because people on the forum tell him he should tear it all apart and go through everything……………

So I tell him his motor might need a triple, he says he has already done the mechanical seal and is going to adjust the timing chain.

i gently (and no offense here) told him that the people telling him it needed a complete tear down were also new to CX’s, and in fact, while there were quite a few that have their motors completely torn down, NONE HAVE YET TO GET THEM BACK TO A RUNNING STATE

Now while I have no doubts in the skills of these people, some of whom I have been helping, it belies why we all love our CX’s to think they need complete tear downs and inspections at low miles.

Do the service work, get on them, and ride!!!

Now, the advice to all………

Read the posts of people that you think you need to take direction and advice from. It’s like any other kind of shopping, look around! See what they have done, how long they have been doing it, and if it has been successful.

LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF POSTS a person has. You may not want to listen to someone as closely if that person only has 3 posts, compared to someone like blindstitch that has almost 15k.

Last of all, to new members……

We at this forum think these bikes are awesome, and we want to help anyone in the world keep them running. And we will all tell you that even though you don’t know what a crank shaft looks like, you can overhaul your motor yourself.

Now, while that may be possible, I can say it is not always true.

So, please…… research everything before you start, ask tons of questions, and read some more. Then make sure it’s something you want to tackle, and that you feel you have a high probability of doing it right.

I buy 3-7 bikes a year off the forum that are apart, something is broken, and/or the whole project was abandoned by over-reaching.
There are many members here who will even come help. All you have to do is ask.
So if you are not sure you can rebuild your brakes, DON'T DO IT! Ask for more help or get it done for you.

All right, I will shut up now!! --MurrayF
 
#3 ·
Forum Settings

In addition to the above, here is a posting from MurrayF that is great advice to all newcomers as well as a reminder for others....link to original thread

ALL NEWBIES, PLEASE READ == An affirmation a rant and some advice !



So, first the affirmation:

I think the CX500 and its 650 brothers are the greatest bikes around.
The 500 is one of the longest lasting motors made, and nearly impossible, without being silly, to kill.
There are a lot of examples of them being dug out of barns, fields, or basements, with very few to 10’s of thousands of miles put on them. Many of us have simply cleaned the carbs, changed the oil, done a high miles service, jumped on them and driven the crap out of for years.

Here is the rant:

There are some nice newer members on the forum who are from the "let’s take it all apart and put everything new into the motor so I won’t have problems later" school.

Now while that is fine if they feel they need to do this, they are welcome to do so. But here is an example that rubs the wrong way.
Recently, I got off the phone with a new member from Utah (who can chip in if he wants) that was going to ship me his motor for me to go through.
I asked him “how many miles on it”. “20k” says he. “Does it make any noises?” “Nope.” says he. “How does it run?” “Good” says he.

“Why are you sending it to me?”
…………………Because people on the forum tell him he should tear it all apart and go through everything……………

So I tell him his motor might need a triple, he says he has already done the mechanical seal and is going to adjust the timing chain.

i gently (and no offense here) told him that the people telling him it needed a complete tear down were also new to CX’s, and in fact, while there were quite a few that have their motors completely torn down, NONE HAVE YET TO GET THEM BACK TO A RUNNING STATE

Now while I have no doubts in the skills of these people, some of whom I have been helping, it belies why we all love our CX’s to think they need complete tear downs and inspections at low miles.

Do the service work, get on them, and ride!!!

Now, the advice to all………

Read the posts of people that you think you need to take direction and advice from. It’s like any other kind of shopping, look around! See what they have done, how long they have been doing it, and if it has been successful.

LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF POSTS a person has. You may not want to listen to someone as closely if that person only has 3 posts, compared to someone like blindstitch that has almost 15k.

Last of all, to new members……

We at this forum think these bikes are awesome, and we want to help anyone in the world keep them running. And we will all tell you that even though you don’t know what a crank shaft looks like, you can overhaul your motor yourself.

Now, while that may be possible, I can say it is not always true.

So, please…… research everything before you start, ask tons of questions, and read some more. Then make sure it’s something you want to tackle, and that you feel you have a high probability of doing it right.

I buy 3-7 bikes a year off the forum that are apart, something is broken, and/or the whole project was abandoned by over-reaching.
There are many members here who will even come help. All you have to do is ask.
So if you are not sure you can rebuild your brakes, DON'T DO IT! Ask for more help or get it done for you.

All right, I will shut up now!! --MurrayF
Don't take this the wrong way, but I take exception to the comment above regarding number of posts.

I have been in this world for a few years, I may not have posted in this forum many times, but that does not mean that I do not know anything.

1- Read the advice offerred.
2- analyse the advice.
3- take the advice or leave the advice, but the number of posts do not guarantee the quality of the advice.
Seetyfoon.
 
#4 ·
And if a member has too few posts for an analysis of the general quality and outcome of that advice?

No, the advice is right.

Because ignorance is easily replaced with taurus excretis. IE, they cannot fathom the difference between good advice and bad..

The above isn't meant to belittle anyones advice, but was written at a time when new members were turning up in droves due to the CX cafe craze. Many were clueless yet gave advice to the equally clueless, some of which would have ended in tears from both mechanical and safety standpoints.

Experience also needs to be demonstrated, not just claimed. I'm sure you'll prove yourself, but you can't assume anything..
 
#5 ·
Also, while someone new to the forum may indeed have some valuable insight, it seems that with 20+ years of accumulated knowledge on this forum & its predecessors and sisters (I'm including the Australian and UK forums here because there is significant cross pollination of ideas), what might seem like a good idea to someone that doesn't have the advantage of that accumulated knowledge is more often than not something that has been tried unsuccessfully many times over the years.

That doesn't mean that we aren't open to new ideas or suggestions from newbies, just that it is better for someone new to do a bit of research on the forum and maybe ask some questions before making themself look foolish.
 
#6 ·
One of my great joys in teaching is seeing the work of beginners. They don't know the rules of glazing, so they often use combinations that we are told shouldn't work. Occasionally, they do work in a positive way that surprises my 29 years of pottery experience.

New folks, the archives are your friend. But don't be afraid to speak up.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top