Owner Impressions: Honda Pacific Coast

[Michael]

Y'all,

Okay, here's my #2 Impression.

The Honda Pacific Coast is a pig. Let's get that out of the way. This is a big, fat, plastic motorcycle. There's an engine inside somewhere, but Honda did everything possible to make us all think there isn't. Calling the power anemic is a compliment to the word. Acceleration is measured with a calendar. As weak as the engine is, the brakes are worse. Plan your stops early. It has self-canceling turn signals that cut out too quickly. It needs heated grips and a clock, but has neither. The gas gauge is notoriously inaccurate, registering sub-empty when there's still 1-1/2 gallons in the underseat tank.
The PC was made between 1989 and 1998 with a three-year hiatus between two production runs. Mine is a 1989, thus the first year, but later versions were largely the same. Why mess with a good thing?
Words like "scooter" and "Tupperware" come to mind, although the bike isn't a step-through and Tupperware makes better food storage containers.
All seriousness aside, the fat thing does have some redeeming qualities. Truth be told, I bought it for my wife. Because she doesn't visit this site, I can use the word "girth" without it making its way back to her (Stifle yourself, Eric!). The PC has an ample rear seat with a nice back-rest and matching plastic grab rails. The whole rear end swivels upwards like an automotive trunk and you can carry most of your life possessions in it. It has a large windscreen that provides ample weather protection, but the upper edge is right in my line of sight, so distracting.
For being so portly, the bike handles reasonably well, now that I've upgraded the rear shocks and mounted modern tires. It is smooth as silk and gives no seat-of-the-pants feedback as to the revs. When I push it really hard, it gets 45-mpg and when I coddle it it gets 45-mpg. It has a shaft drive and hydraulic valves so there is virtually no maintenance that ever needs to be done. Many specimens have well over 100,000 miles on them. For the record, I paid $3850 and it had 28,000 miles on it.
It takes a special kind of rider to show up at a motorcycle club event on a Pacific Coast. Make sure you're comfortable with your manhood.

[Eric]

Y'all,

Okay, here's my #2 Impression.

The Honda Pacific Coast is a pig. Let's get that out of the way. This is a big, fat, plastic motorcycle. There's an engine inside somewhere, but Honda did everything possible to make us all think there isn't. Calling the power anemic is a compliment to the word. Acceleration is measured with a calendar. As weak as the engine is, the brakes are worse. Plan your stops early. It has self-canceling turn signals that cut out too quickly. It needs heated grips and a clock, but has neither. The gas gauge is notoriously inaccurate, registering sub-empty when there's still 1-1/2 gallons in the underseat tank.
The PC was made between 1989 and 1998 with a three-year hiatus between two production runs. Mine is a 1989, thus the first year, but later versions were largely the same. Why mess with a good thing?
Words like "scooter" and "Tupperware" come to mind, although the bike isn't a step-through and Tupperware makes better food storage containers.
All seriousness aside, the fat thing does have some redeeming qualities. Truth be told, I bought it for my wife. Because she doesn't visit this site, I can use the word "girth" without it making its way back to her (Stifle yourself, Eric!). The PC has an ample rear seat with a nice back-rest and matching plastic grab rails. The whole rear end swivels upwards like an automotive trunk and you can carry most of your life possessions in it. It has a large windscreen that provides ample weather protection, but the upper edge is right in my line of sight, so distracting.
For being so portly, the bike handles reasonably well, now that I've upgraded the rear shocks and mounted modern tires. It is smooth as silk and gives no seat-of-the-pants feedback as to the revs. When I push it really hard, it gets 45-mpg and when I coddle it it gets 45-mpg. It has a shaft drive and hydraulic valves so there is virtually no maintenance that ever needs to be done. Many specimens have well over 100,000 miles on them. For the record, I paid $3850 and it had 28,000 miles on it.
It takes a special kind of rider to show up at a motorcycle club event on a Pacific Coast. Make sure you're comfortable with your manhood.

The PC seems like a nice mid-point for people who want a middleweight touring bike; not too big/heavy - and not too small/marginal for long trips.

You don't see them very often, either. At least, I don't!

[Litlbike]

Sherry had one for years. I'll let her know she needs to add her thoughts.

[Ladybug]

Ah heck, why should I add any thoughts it's clear Michael has shared plenty of thoughts.

There's a lot of bikes out there and not every bike is for everyone.

Michael, If you don't like the PC I'd suggest you let your wife ride it, since you said you bought it for her, and buy yourself a bike that will make you happy.

The PC was never intended to be the type of bike you seem to want. If I'm not mistaken you knew it was covered in plastic when you bought it. The up side about all that plastic is it's a lot easier to keep clean than the bikes I have now.