Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
I'm looking at selling the Sportster and getting something a bit more friendly for two up with the Mrs.
I like the built-in storage on the Honda Pacific Coast ...
Want some impressions of riding and owning it. Maintenance issues, etc.
My wife has one, 1998 with 112,000 miles.
Storage is huge...hers is doubly huge, because it has a Givi top box.
If you cannot DIY service, forget it. Everything but an oil change requires disassembly, which a shop is more or less guaranteed to break panels while doing it. Search for "Honda PC800 service" on YouTube to get an idea what it entails.
The mechanicals are bulletproof, even by Honda standards. (Which is saying something.) Hydraulic lifters, self-adjusting cam chains, shaft drive...as I recall, it uses a retuned Shadow 800 V-twin (liquid cooled, 3 valves per cylinder), and the trans/final drive from the old 1000cc Wing. Basically, put gas in it and ride.
It's a parts bin bike, which results in the oddity of using twin discs with 2-piston Nissin calipers in front...and a mechanical drum in back.
Having said that, my wife reports the brakes are excellent, pulling it down from 100MPH with zero drama. I was told the front brakes were taken intact from the 80's Hurricane sportbike, but I have no idea if that's true. (They would look right at home on an 80's sportbike, though.)
It might be a bit under powered for 2-up riding...it is a 600lb bike with 57HP.
Her only complaints are the rear mechanical brake, no fuel injection, and the odd tire size and resulting very limited selection.
Thanks for the reply. Yes, she's right. They do carry a bunch and the '97 I'm looking at has a Givi trunk
Moaning Metzlers are good enough for me.
I'm cool with the odd wait for a good used part to show up on the Bay. It's a hobby, not a business ... I have a bicycle or two and my XL350 dirt bike to back me up if I need to lay up the PC for a while.
Just checked, and the local Honda shop will still service it. They are pretty anal and careful, so I'm not too worried ... I can do a lot of the nominal stuff.
Yeah, the not EFI is an issue, but I can get by with carbs for a while. And there is a guy on the PC800 forums who has done a custom EFI hack on his own, so you never know ...
