Faults:

It caught fire and burned to the ground. To be honest, I had smelled gasoline when it was parked. If you buy one, replace all fuel lines and rebuild the vacuum petcock as they tend to leak.

General Comments:

I rode a friends Pacific Coast and became enamored with it. It was stable and powerful enough for 2 up riding, but handled better than my previous Goldwing. Other reviews state that raising the handlebars and adding seat cushions improve long rides and I would agree with this. Mick O highway pegs also make trips more comfortable.

I have since bought a replacement PC800 and have put about 28,000 miles on it. I am double darkside with a battleax on front and a Goodrich 155-80-15 on back.

Faults:

Voltage regulator. I also replaced the stator. This is not unusual for 1989 models.

Universal joint in driveshaft.

Turn signal switch.

General Comments:

The PC800 has four things I don't like, two of which I addressed. There is no clock, the fuel tank is only 4.2 gallons, it's geared too low, and the fork springs are too soft. I swapped a final drive from a VT1100. It was cheap and easy and the gearing is now about 10% taller. I installed a Works Performance kit (not made for years) that greatly improved the awful fork springs and also eliminated the steering wobble.

The PC runs tires that are an unusual size, so the options are limited. I run a Michelin Commander 140/90-15 on the rear. It's pricey, but it lasts 18,000 miles.

The PC800 is a purpose-built bike, and you aren't going to make it into something it's not without spending a lot of money. You can't make it a fire-breather or a canyon-carver, though it handles better than you think IF the soft springing is addressed.

Instead, it's a utilitarian machine that isn't great at anything, but pretty good at everything. The power and the braking are adequate. It's quiet, smooth, and economical. It requires very little maintenance and it's easy to clean. It has self-cancelling turn signals. The trunk is amazingly useful.

There's a reason I still own my PC800 after 22 years.

Faults:

As soon as I started driving the bike, I noticed that the clutch was slipping in higher gears when I was at Wide Open Throttle (W.O.T.). I bought a set of aftermarket clutch springs, but they didn't fit right, so I made some spacers on a lathe and put them under the springs to increase plate pressure. It worked perfectly.

I had to replace the speedometer cable this year. It was binding on the opening through the front fender. Easy to replace. Can be done without removing the bodywork if you are careful.

So far the bike has been very reliable. It has never let me down on the road.

General Comments:

When I picked out the model I had some firm objectives:

1. Good two up seating. The wife loves to go.

2. Good cargo capacity for extended trips. Enough for long weekends.

3. Windshield and fairing for weather protection.

4. Reasonable power. As an experienced rider, I wanted some spirit on the back roads and easy highway passing.

5. Less weight and better handling than a Gold Wing. I found the Wing was a pig around town and back road driving was boring.

There were other contenders: The Kawasaki Concours and the Honda ST1100. But the Pacific Coast had the TRUNK. Once you have seen it, and had it, you can't go back.

I have fixed some things that have improved the bike immeasurably and I invite all Pacific Coast owners to consider these improvements:

1. The stock engine power is OK, but power starts falling off at about 5,500 RPM. I modified the air intake, carburetor jetting and exhaust muffler with outstanding results. The bike now pulls hard to redline in all gears and can keep pace with sportbikes in the same size engine class. The difference is truly amazing. For detailed information, review my posts and drawings at http://pc800.co.uk/cgi-bin/mwf/forum_show.pl

2. I spent considerable time researching better tires for the bike. I finally settled on Michelin tires. The front tire is a Road II 120/70 and the rear is a Commander 140/90. The difference has to be tried to be appreciated. The steering is crisp and confidence inspiring. Handling is like a sport bike and the braking is awesome. The ride is smoother. The tires are wearing extremely well. I'll get at least 3 seasons out of them. Maybe more...

3. Purchase a set of Hagon rear shocks. They are adjustable and have good damping. I recommend the middle setting.

4. I found the bike prone to some headshake at about 160 km/hr. I made two spacers 32mm in diameter and 19mm thick and placed them on top of the fork springs to increase the fork rake. Combined with new fork oil (10wBelRay) the front end was completely stable at all speeds and the smooth ride was even better.

5. I bought and installed a new headlight bulb with better specifications. White color, low beam at 55W, but the high beam is 100W. MUCH better. Also, I installed high wattage bulbs in the fairing signal sockets and they show up better in the daytime.

6. Seating. After a short time the seat is uncomfortable. For driver and passenger. The economical fix is to buy an automotive seat pad with a gel core and insert a thin (10mm thick) foam pad on top. Now you are good for hours. I also made a custom back rest for the passenger that is 100mm higher and 20mm thicker than stock and the wife loves it. She says it's like riding on the Wing.

7. Buy or make a pair of handlebar risers that raise the bars 19mm. When you tighten down the bars, pull the grips towards you a bit so that you don't have to reach so far. Greatly decreases back fatigue. If you do this, you will have to add a short extension on the head of the ignition keys so that they will reach into the molded plastic aperture.

That's some of the improvements I have made so far and I'm pleased with the results. With a few changes that don't cost a lot, you can make your good Pacific Coast into a great ride. I love the bike. I'm happy enough that I'm really not interested in a different bike, even though the new models look appealing. However, if I win the lottery, a new BMW 4 cylinder may sit beside the Coaster. Or a Yamaha V-Max. Sigh.. So many bikes and so little cash.

RS, Nova Scotia, Canada.