Honda Pacific Coast
Wed, April 28th, 2010
IT’S HONDA WEEK!
Featuring a different Honda street bike each day.
| 1989–90 & 1994–98 Honda PC800 Pacific Coast | |
|---|---|
| Performance |    |
| Powered by a variant of the Shadow 800 V-twin, the PC motor is smooth and tractable. It's strong enough to meet its commuting/touring role, but won't really impress the rider with its power. Carbs are as admirably responsive as EPA-era mechanical mixing pots could be. | |
| Handling | |
| Beneath the candy shell is a purely ordinary motorcycle, with only average suspension and brake components | |
| Looks | |
| Thanks to other all-bodywork motorcycles, the PC doesn't look as radically strange as it once did. The red and black colors that replaced the original (very un-motorcycle-like) pearl and gray paint helped too. But it is still is the motorcycling equivalent of 'mom jeans.' | |
| Reliability | |
| Nearly every component is non-adjustable and maintenance-free, and the bodywork helps prevent corrosion and road grime from working its way into every crack and crevice. It's as close as you can get to a 2-wheeled Accord. | |
| Practicality | |
| Easy to own and non-threatening to drive, although its 640-pound weight and long wheelbase make low-speed handling a chore. The huge clamshell trunk is a big plus. | |
| Desirability | |
| Practical and pragmatic are nice traits, but they don't inspire passion. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| The fact that I compared it to 'mom jeans' and the Honda Accord tells you all you need to know about the PC800. | |