THE HORN BUTTON IS IN A NON-STANDARD PLACE. EVERY BIKE I'VE RIDDEN FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS THE HORN BUTTON IS BOTTOM LEFT CONTROL, WHILE THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IS ABOVE IT (MIDDLE POSITION). EVEN IN TRAINING CLASSES (MSF FOR SURE) THEY TEACH YOU WHERE EACH CONTROL IS LOCATED, AND THEY ARE STANDARDS FOR ALL BIKES SO YOU CAN ALWAYS KNOW WHERE TO REACH THEM WITHOUT LOOKING, AND KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD. ON MY '17 HONDA REBEL, THEY HAVE DECIDED TO SWITCH CONTROL POSITIONS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I FEEL THIS REPRESENTS A TREMENDOUS SAFETY HAZARD, AS I'VE ALREADY ENCOUNTERED SITUATIONS WHERE I NEEDED TO WARN OFF A VEHICLE FROM ENCROACHING IN MY LANE, AND MY THUMB IMMEDIATELY REACHES FOR THE LOWER BUTTON BUT INSTEAD OF THE HORN SOUND, I'M JUST HITTING THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH INSTEAD. I REACHED OUT TO HONDA SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE. ON THE ASSOCIATED HONDA REBEL FORUM MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS AS WELL, AND I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE EVEN TRADED THEIR BIKES IN BECAUSE OF THIS SIMPLE ISSUE. TO ME THIS WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF MOVING THE HORN IN AN AUTOMOBILE FROM THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO SOME SMALL SWITCH NEAR THE RADIO. NOBODY COULD REACH THAT IN AN EMERGENCY. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CONCERN OF MINE ALL SUMMER THE MORE FREQUENTLY I RIDE MY BIKE. I'VE THOUGHT OF REPLACING THE SWITCH WITH AN OLDER MODEL IN THE CORRECT POSITION BUT WANT TO REACH OUT TO AS MANY AGENCIES AS POSSIBLE FIRST AS I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A PROBLEM FOR HONDA TO ADDRESS. CAN SOMETHING BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS FAULT? THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
NHTSA ODI 11151380