The first time I saw a Pacific Coast, I thought it was a scooter. Of course, it was bigger than most scooters. It looked like a Gold Wing wanna be. That was in 1990. Because they are somewhat rare, I didn't see another one for years. In the meantime, out of curiosity, during idle moments, I read up one them and was surprised how folks just raved about them. They're a big favorite of the RV crowd, because of the trunk. Girls like them for the lower seat height and the unassuming exhaust note.

I stumbled over my PC a couple of months ago. I bought it at a bargain price. It had just had a major service and new shoes mounted. And best of all, it's only got ten thousand miles on the clock. Well....now it's eleven thousand and counting. You see, I can't stay off it. I have six bikes in the garage. None of them afford the all weather protection of my little PC. If I go to the store, PC again.

Nuts and bolts here. The Pacific Coast is based on the Honda Shadow motor, an 800cc Vee-twin. It has hydraulic valves, no adjusting rquired. It has electronic ignition, nothing to do there. It had shaft drive, no chain, (hooray!), and tubeless tires. Put in a maintenance free battery and there's not much to do but check the air cleaner and change the oil. Washing this big piece of tupperware is a ten minute experience, ditto the wax job. Then you're good to go.

Speaking of go, this mini Wing acquits itself quite admirably in the twisties. The first thing I thought of is that the handling is nearly on par with with my BMW GS! You can calmly heel it waaaay over and hold it. She'll keep the line you feed her with out wanting to droop or stand. You can target your exit line going in to the turn and hit it every time. 'Course these nice new Dunlops help too! On the Interstate, 75 or 80 mph is very comfortable. The motor is spinning along a little over five grand, but you don't hear it and you don't feel it. The riding position is spot on for me and I can do a lot of miles without fatigue. BTW, this is a favorite with the Iron Butt bunch, not only because it's a mile eater, but because it doesn't eat much gas! 55 mpg seems to be the norm, day in day out.

Honestly, I haven't found anything I dislike about this machine. It's got to be one of the most enjoyable and useful motorcycles ever created. If you're not overly concerned with projecting some macho image, you ought to snap one of these up. It won't be mine. It's definitely NOT for sale!