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 Rider
Review: 1998 Honda Pacific Coast PC800T |
by James
MacDonald
Associate Editor
Beginner Bikes
The
Honda Pacific Coast, designated PC800T by the manufacturer, is
a remarkable motorcycle. Built from 1989 through 1998, with a
few years out of production during that time, the Pacific Coast
is powered by an 800 cc, liquid cooled V-twin that is as dependable
as the day is long. The bike has an integral windshield and full
fairing, and in one of the motorcycle's most remarkable features,
the entire rear of the bike opens like a clamshell to reveal a
huge "trunk" that can hold two full-face helmets with
ease. If you are on a trip, you can lug just about everything
you can think of in the PC. I purchased an after-market passenger
backrest (sissy bar) for my PC, and for extended trips the trunk
and my T-Bag let me take everything I could possibly need. The
PC 800 looks a bit like a miniature Goldwing, and was really designed
for professional folks commuting. Before I go on I have to tell
you that you need a good self-image to ride one of these things
because you'll take a boatload of grief from the cruiser riders
and the sportbike riders alike. It is neither fish nor fowl, neither
sportbike nor cruiser, but it may be the most utilitarian motorcycle
on the road.
The PC is very stable, and while it weighs well over six hundred
pounds, it is remarkably nimble and fun to ride. It has good,
but not great, brakes, and the seating position for the rider
is pretty much what one would expect on a "standard"
motorcycle - not the accentuated forward lean of a sportbike,
and certainly not the Lazy Boy feel with the forward controls
of some cruisers. The seating position for the rider is similar
to that of the older BMW tourers.
Honda stopped making the PC because it wasn't selling well due
to the fact that it was priced well above the normal range for
a bike of its 800 cc displacement, and also because it was often
looked on by some as a sort of glorified scooter. That certainly
is not the case, but that's what the perception was. The bike
gets about 45-50 mpg, so the range is around 200 miles with the
tank capacity being just over 4 gallons. There is no reserve,
and the fuel gauge is notoriously inaccurate, so one starts out
one's career with the PC by doing some trip odometer fuel consumption
calculations. Better that than a flameout on the side of the road.
The major down side to the PC is that because it is completely
enclosed motorcycle, it is a bear to get at the inner workings
of the bike. It is a major exercise in deconstruction simply to
get at the battery, and things go downhill from there in terms
of accessibility. The positive is that the bike is basically bulletproof,
so there is relatively little maintenance to worry about. I would,
however, suggest that if you are considering buying a PC, that
you buy a shop manual to help you figure out on what you can and
cannot pull to disrobe this beast.
The Pacific Coast gets comments and stares wherever it goes. I
was at the AMA Crossroads Rally in Ohio last summer, and as the
only PC there, my little scoot was a great conversation starter.
It is a reliable, maneuverable, and generally forgiving bike that
is a great size, and I personally love my "flying jellybean."
The following are some websites with more extensive reviews and
impressions of the PC.
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