Honda Pacific Coast
1989 Honda Pacific Coast with accessory tall windshield
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| Manufacturer | Honda |
|---|---|
| Also called | Honda Pacific Coast |
| Production | 1989–1998 |
| Class | Touring |
| Engine | 800 cc (49 cu in) 45° 3-valves per cylinder, V-twin, liquid cooled |
| Bore / stroke | 79.5 mm × 80.6 mm (3.13 in × 3.17 in) |
| Ignition type | CDI |
| Transmission | Hydraulic clutch, 5-speed, shaft drive |
| Frame type | Steel |
| Suspension | Front 42 mm telescopic fork Rear 4-way adjustable spring |
| Brakes | Front 2x disc, 2 piston calipers Rear n/a |
| Tires | Front 120/80-17 140/80-15 |
| Wheelbase | 59.1 inches (1,500 mm) |
| Dimensions |
H: 1,360 mm (54 in) |
| Fuel capacity | 16 L (3.5 imp gal; 4.2 US gal) |
The PC800 Pacific Coast is a touring motorcycle manufactured and marketed by Honda between 1989 and 1998. Named after California's Pacific Coast Highway, over 14,000 were sold in North America, Europe and Japan, with a three-year hiatus between two production runs. The bike is noted for its single integrated trunk straddling the rear wheel, full bodywork, and distinctive two-tone paint.
Like the earlier Honda Goldwing and later Rune, the Pacific Coast had been conceived and designed by Honda Research America specifically for the US market. Though subsequent Honda motorcycles would feature integral, side-opening trunks — namely the Deauville/NT700V, ST1100, Gold Wing and ST1300 — the wheel-straddling, top-opening trunk concept remained unique to the Pacific Coast.
According to a 1998 Motorcycle.org article, "when the PC debuted, it was considered a radical bike." The PC800 departed convention with its integral trunk, extensive bodywork and marketing aimed at the "white-collar professional."
In addition to naming the PC800 after an important American highway, Honda reinforced the association between the motorcycle and other notable highways of the world; advertising copy from the 1994 Pacific Coast brochure highlighted the famed Amalfi Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway, along with, of course, the Pacific Coast Highway.
Similarly, the name of the lower body color for 1996 model referred to another important road, the Karakorum Highway, the highest international highway in the world.
In contrast to motorcycling advertising that emphasized rebellion or exaggerated masculinity, a 1989 30-second introductory television commercial for the PC800 depicted a couple awakening at a stylish waterfront home. She is seen running on the beach, he is seen showering, lifting his Rolex-like wrist watch from the bedside table, fixing coffee – all with a Honda PC800 next to a grand piano in their elegant living room, the waves crashing visibly beyond. The commercial ended with a single shot of the motorcycle at a very calm (i.e., pacific) shoreline carrying the voiceover: "Introducing the Pacific Coast, from Honda. It is the beginning of a new day."
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