********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu (Kent Polk) To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Re: Help with Tires (from Rich Stucky ) (at Mon, 31 Oct 1994 09:01:09 -0700 (PDT)) Date: Tue, 1 Nov 94 10:00:51 CST Hi Rich (Rich Stucky), in <199410311605.QAA19901@eco.twg.com> on Oct 31 you wrote: > The local cycle shop says the ME33 radial isn't > available in the size I currently have on my PC800. > > On my 89 PC800 - 120/80/17 Front > 140/80/15 Rear > > They have the radial ME33 in a 120/70/17. Will that work? Do I > need to change my rear tire to compensate? The 70 is a 'shorter' tire and works fine on the PC800. Actually, it works a lot better than an 80 for heavy cornering. Please Remember three things: - The rear shocks on the PC800 are cr*p. I believe there is absolutely no rebound damping. If I'm wrong, there isn't any to speak of. - There is no fork brace on the PC800. Apparently the designers believed that the oversized axle would be adequate. Pushing the PC800 in corners without a fork brace can be a dangerous maneuver if you don't know what you are doing. (It is even if you do :^(. I'd highly recommend progressive rate fork springs and 15wt fork oil while you are at it. - An ME33 radial will enable you to attempt maneuvers which go far beyond the capability of the stock suspension components. Prior to putting the Works Performance dual rate rear shocks on, I did crash once due to my pushing the PC beyond what the suspension could handle. I *VERY* nearly high-sided, but managed to flip it into a low-speed rolloff that simply scratched the right-side bumper protectors. I will also say that though I do ride the bike pretty darned hard, I can do so only because the front tire stays put. The rest of the bike is often 'somewhere else'. To make it a stronger point, while I'm pushing the PC, it can often look like I'm losing it, even though I'm still in good control. I.e. the PC can be a handful... Got the picture? IMHO, putting an ME33 radial on the bike before upgrading the suspension is throwing away good money. I'd suggest the ME33 CompK, as it is just about as sticky and can take the bike just as far as the radial will let it, given the stock suspension. - As to a fork brace, would some else please contact Superbrace and try to convince them there is enough of a market for a PC800 fork brace??? (Please?) Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute Internet : kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Wed, 2 Nov 1994 09:23:54 -0500 From: Zoby@aol.com To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Price points and hidden agenda I'd love to take a look at the FAQ. If you haven't sent it out to the group yet, send it my way. Toby Zellers '89 PC800 "Morphed Scooter" AMA # 321199 HRCA #HM711864 DOD #1457 zellers.toby@applelink.apple.com (best-Checked Daily) zoby@aol.com (Checked weekly (weakly?)) ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu (Kent Polk) To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Wrist Rest update Date: Wed, 2 Nov 94 16:19:54 CST I made a couple of changes on the Wrist Rest throttle lock that is on my PC800 which improved the operation significantly. - When I changed grips I arranged for the outside edge of the grip to come pretty much flush with the edge of the throttle slide tube (allowing for pressure from the Wrist Rest). This allows the W.R. to grip the slide tube and the rubber grip at pretty much the same time. - Cut 2mm more off the Wrist Rest shaft to compensate for the grip adjustment. Results: I can now very precisely set throttle speeds. No more slop resulting from the torsion in the old rubber grip. Easier to make very small changes in throttle setting than any other. I find myself using it just to take pressure off my throttle hand even when I'm in traffic (which I never did with any other throttle lock) because it is very easy to set just the right amount of pressure you want and it's so easy to override. Most other throttle locks offer next to no such adjustment. The best I could do on my previous was to allow an extra 1/8" along the handlebar so I could jam the throttle lock sideways to set the tension. Absolutely the best throttle lock I have ever used. Well worth the money even if I did have to hack it a bit to fit the PC800. -- Read my previous article on hacking the 15.5mm Wrist Rest from Bob's BMW to fit the PC800 if you are interested. Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute Internet : kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Cc: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: voltage regulator Date: Wed, 02 Nov 1994 23:55:24 -0600 From: Jason L Tibbitts III >>>>> "PL" == Paul Ledet writes: PL> Thanks for the directions Jason. I would appreciate the fax at 604 652 PL> 4401 My office staff informs me that when they tried to fax the documents they found that instead of a fax machine at the other end someone from "a school" answered. Is that the correct number? --- Jason L. Tibbitts III - tibbs@tcamc.uh.edu - 713/743-8687 - 221SR1 System Admin: Texas Center for Advanced Molecular Computation 1994 PC800 "Kuroneko" DoD# 1723 GM/CS/S d--- -p+ c++++ l++ u+++ e+ m---(++) n--- s/-- h* f+ g+ w+ t- r- y+** ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: voltage regulator (OOPS) Date: Wed, 02 Nov 1994 23:59:52 -0600 From: Jason L Tibbitts III Oops. Well, that just goes to show you what can happen when you don't check the damn From: line. OBPC800: Did anyone ever notice that there seem to be two different makes of locks on the PC? My friend has a '94 model, bought a month before mine and oddly enough his key will not even fit in my ignition. The key blank seems to be the mirror image of mine. - J ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu From: nthompso@az15eh09.iac.honeywell.com (Neill Thompson) Subject: Re: Price points and hidden agenda Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 08:56:01 Cc: nthompso@az15eh09.iac.honeywell.com In article Zoby@aol.com writes: >I'd love to take a look at the FAQ. If you haven't sent it out to the group >yet, send it my way. >Toby Zellers >'89 PC800 "Morphed Scooter" >AMA # 321199 >HRCA #HM711864 >DOD #1457 >zellers.toby@applelink.apple.com (best-Checked Daily) >zoby@aol.com (Checked weekly (weakly?)) The last time I checked, there were over 30 of us who participate in the PC800 electronic mailing list. The list enables us to stay in touch and exchange information. I have been working on a FAQ for the group that I am including below. I encourage anyone interested in this bike to subscribe to the list. I subscribed for several months before I purchased my '94 PC. I found the input that I got as a potential owner, and subsequently as an owner, invaluable. I have included instructions on how to subscribe and how to review the list archives in the FAQ. After subscribing, it is customary to introduce yourself to the list and include: City, State, Country, Year owned if any, whether purchased new or used. I think that most of the owners really like their PC's. I think the rest of the world doesn't quite know what to make of it. I had heard it referred to as 'Plastic Coast', 'Pathetic Coast', and 'Helix on steroids'. Some people, even owners, refer to working on a PC as, 'a Tupperware party'. Personally, I think it is a great bike. Some people think that there are too many compromises in its concept to work well, but I think of it as the Swiss Army Knife of motorcycles. It brings together a bunch of tools (bike types) into a single highly effective package. I think you really have to recognize it for what it is and that has to match what you want to do with your bike. If the information below is not clear or you would like to see something added to the FAQ please let me know. It is a living thing and the more input we get, the better it gets. As the FAQ gets further along, we expect to announce it in rec.motorcycles and distribute it to all the subscribers. To date, most of the list subscribers have not seen the FAQ. I am using the preliminary edition as an inducement to potential subscribers. Also I hope to be able to sneak a PC800 WWW page past my employers sometime in the near future. ---------------------------------- This is the PC800 Frequently Asked Questions File (PC800FAQ). Last updated 10-27-94 by Neill Thompson (nthompso@csa-dev.iac.honeywell.com). It is currently in the early stages of development. Many of the reviews under 'Modifications' have been written but not yet edited into this document. If you use the mailing list commands to review the archives, you can get access to correspondence on those other topics. I would greatly appreciate your input to the above internet address. Table of Contents: =================== 1. SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS 2. REVIEWS 3. SPECIFICATIONS 4. MODIFICATIONS 5. MAINTENANCE 1. SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS PC800@tcamc.uh.edu ------------------ The PC800 mailing list can be accessed according to the following commands. (This is Brent Chapman's "Majordomo" mailing list manager, version 1.92). If you subscribe to the list according to the directions below, it is customary to introduce yourself to the group and include: city and state of residence, year Pacific Coast owned (if any), if purchased new or used (if applicable). In the description below items contained in []'s are optional. When providing the item, do not include the []'s around it. It understands the following commands: subscribe [
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if specified) to the named . unsubscribe [
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if specified) from the named . get Get a file related to . index Return an index of files you can "get" for . which [
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if specified) are on. who Find out who is on the named . info Retrieve the general introductory information for the named . lists Show the lists served by this Majordomo server. help Retrieve this message. end Stop processing commands (useful if your mailer adds a signature). Commands should be sent in the body of an email message to "Majordomo@tcamc.uh.edu". Commands in the "Subject:" line NOT processed. If you have any questions or problems, please contact "Majordomo-Owner@tcamc.uh.edu". Members of list 'pc800' including location, year owned, purchased new/used where known: Jason L Tibbitts III Houston TX, 94, new garywotr@aol.com (Gary A. Wade, M.Ed., OTR) Galveston TX, 94, new gdh3@aol.com (George Harrison) Voorhees NJ, 94, new kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk) magnusso@cnet577.cts.com (Paul Magnusson) blair@mpd.tandem.com (David Blair) Austin TX, 94, new mrhyde@netcom.com (Mr. Hyde) nthompso@az15eh09.iac.honeywell.com (Neill Thompson) Phoenix AZ, 94, new berry@drmail.dr.att.com joe@mpd.tandem.com (Joe Senner) mattc@balu.sps.mot.com (Matt Clemens) Austin TX, 89, new aln@maroon.tc.umn.edu gord@spartan.ac.BrockU.CA (Gordon R. Kennedy) glsmith%koess.dnet@koedgw01.delcoelect.com Kokomo IN, na, na selby@alf.dec.com (Dale Selby) Atlanta GA, 92, new msurinx@surinx.eunet.be (marc.surinx) Paul Ledet pquinn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Phil Quinn) pckwong@hkuxa.hku.hk (VR2XVI) Bruce C. Modlin arussell@BIX.com Ananda S Arasu Zoby@aol.com "Ken Denton [SYSOP]" JFMinyard@aol.com (Jim Minyard) Knoxville TN, 90, new Frank Swartz bryceu@microsoft.com Kirkland WA, 89, used thompson@mayo.edu (Rick L. Thompson) Rochester MN, 90, New ('92) stucky@twg.com (Rich Stucky) Gilroy CA, 89, used (10/93). Seekr99999@aol.com (Jeff Dunkle) Pittsburgh PA, NA, NA philbiker@aol.com (not subscribed yet) World Wide Web (WWW) -------------------- *Will Heyman's Motorcycle Page http://amsun.apma.virginia.edu:9999/~wsh8z/bike.html *Ravi Narayan http://cs.wpi.edu/~ravi *Cameron Simpson's Moto Page http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~cameron/moto/ *Walt's BMW Page http://www.cms.udel.edu/~walt/BMW.html *Eric Gunnerson's rec.moto page Rec.moto/DoD Home Page V2.1154e http://www.halcyon.com/moto/rec_moto.html *Jason's REAL HYPER MNDOD Page (Der Krashmeister) http://www.cygnus.com:80/~crash/ Jennifer Horsman's "still under development" page *Ken's Bike Page http://www.cis.yale.edu/~zetie/bike.html *Michael Nelson's List Archives webserver http://seahunt.imat.com/ *Dan Brown's beer and bike page http://www.eff.org/dan/dan.html also http://www.eff.org/~brown/ *The Denizens of Doom Motorcyclists Buyer's Guide http://www.cerritos.edu/dod/dod-bg-home.html *Loki Jorgensen's Motorcycle Reviews Archives http://www.cecm.sfu.ca/RMR_home.html *Robyn Lander's Motorcycle (Honda V4) Pages http://math.uwaterloo.ca/~rblander/moto.html *BMW Owners Register of NZ : Page maintained by Doug Rinckes http://iconz.co.nz/bmw/bmw.html *The NJ Cycles Page : Information relevant to NJ bikers http://cs.wpi.edu:80/~ravi/pages/bike/nj/njbikes.html Blue Ridge Motorcycling Pages http://zoo.bevc.blacksburg.va.us/~wombat/brmc.html Andrew White's motorcycle page http://www.ssc.upenn.edu/~awhite/Interests/Motorcycle/Moto.html Mark's Motorcycling Trivia Page http://scitsc.wlv.ac.uk/~cm9015/Motorcycles.html Brit-Iron http://bronze.ucs.indiana.edu/~cstringe/brit.html Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) ---------------------------------- (800) 447-4700 Honda Riders Club of America (HRCA) ----------------------------------- 4040 Mystic Valley Parkway P.O. Box 9105 Boston, MA 01255-9852 (800) 847-HRCA (4722) Honda Sport Touring Association (HSTA) -------------------------------------- 9310 167th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052-3739 (206) 882-0224 jalexand@netcom.com American Sport Touring Riders Association (ASTRA) ------------------------------------------------- P.O. Box 672051 Marietta, GA 30067-0035 (404) 443-2614 astra@info-gw.com American Honda, Motors Corp., Inc. ---------------------------------- 100 W. Alondra Blvd. Gardena, CA 90247 Customer service (310) 783-2000 American Motorcycle Association (AMA) ------------------------------------- (800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646) 2. Reviews The following is a list of citations found through Infotrac at the Maricopa County Public Library in Phoenix, AZ on July 8, 1994 under the following search criteria: Honda Pacific Coast Honda Pacific Coast PC800 Honda PC800 Pacific Coast 1. Honda Pacific Coast. (evaluation) il v40 Cycle June '89 p30(8) 2. First of the '94's. (motorcycles) (evaluation) il v32 Cycle World Oct '93 p34(8) 3. Pacific Coast: full-coverage convenience. (Honda motorcycle) (evaluation) by David Edwards il v29 Cycle World May '90 p23(1) 4. Upscale Bikers. (Pacific Coast by Honda) (product announcement) by Julia Lieblich il v120 Fortune Sept 11 '89 p10(2) 5. Honda Pacific Coast. (includes related articles) (evaluation) by Jon F. Thompson, Doug Toland and Camron E. Bussard il v28 Cycle World June '89 p46(6) 6. Post-industrial motorcycle design. (Honda Pacific Coast motorcycle styling) by Bruce Finlayson il v40 Cycle June '89 p38(2) 7. Honda Pacific Coast PC800. (evaluation) by Ron Grable il v41 Motor Trend Sept '89 p96(3) 8. Shunpike tour-off: four bikes from three countries, on two lanes; one winner. (BMW K75RT, BMW R100RT, Harley-Davidson FXRT, Honda Pacific Coast) (evaluation) il v41 Cycle May '90 p52(13) 9. Gentleman's express. (Honda PC800 Pacific Coast motorcycle) (evaluation) by Bill Hartford il v167 Popular Mechanics March '90 p120(1) 3. Specifications (As cited in #5 above (except as noted*)): ------------------------------------------------------------------------ General ------------------------------------------------------------------------ List Price $7698 ($6995 for '94)* Importer American Honda, Motors Corp., Inc. 100 W. Alondra Blvd. Gardena, CA 90247 Customer service Phone (213) 327-8280 (as of 10/12/94 310-783-2000)* Warranty 12 mo./unlimited mi. (as of '94 36 months/unlimited mi.)* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Engine & Drive Train ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Engine liquid cooled, four-stroke V-Twin Bore x stroke 79.5 x 80.6mm Displacement 800cc Compression ratio 9.0:1 Valve train sohc, three valves per cylinder, hydraulic lifters Valve adjustment intervals not required Carburetion (2)34.2mm Keihin Oil capacity 3.2 qt. Electrical power 340w Battery 12v, 10ah ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chassis ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Weight: Tank empty 606 lb. Tank full 631 lb Fuel capacity 4.2 gal. Wheelbase 62.3 in. Rake/trail 28.0*/4.0 in. Seat height 30.0 in. Ground clearance 7.0 in. GVWR 988 lb. Load capacity (tank full) 357 lb. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Suspension/Tires/Brakes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Front suspension: Manufacturer Showa Tube diameter 41 mm Caiimed wheel travel 5.7 in. Adjustments none Rear Suspension: Manufacturer Showa Type twin shock Claimed wheel travel 5.1 in. Adjustments spring preload Tires: Front 120/80-17 Dunlop K555F Rear 140/80-15 Dunlop K555 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Performance ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time to distance: 1/4 mi. 14.48 sec. @89.35 mph Time to speed, sec. 0-30 mph 1.7 0-60 mph 5.6 Top gear time to speed, sec. 40-60 mph 6.5 60-80 mph 7.8 Calculated speed at 7500 rpm redline 1st gear 35 mph 2nd gear 65 mph 3rd gear 74 mph 4th gear 95 mph 5th gear 115 mph Measured top speed 107 mph Engine speed at 60 mph 3910 rpm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fuel Consumption ------------------------------------------------------------------------ High/low/avg. 46/35/41 mpg (this appears lower than most of our experience) Avg. range inc. reserve 142 mi. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Braking Distance ------------------------------------------------------------------------ from 30 mph 29 ft. from 60 mph 130 ft. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Speedometer Error ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 30 mph indicated 28 mph 60 mph indicated 56 mph 4. Modifications Many of these reviews have been written and will be imported into this document as time allows. Audio Bike-to-bike communicators AM/FM/CD/tape CB Ergonomics Backrest/luggage rack Highway pegs Seat covers Aerodynamics Aftermarket windshields Windshield edging Throttle/Cruise Control Suspension/Brakes/Tires Front Rear Tires by Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute (kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu) Metzeler ME33 front, ML2 rear. They won't take you 16k miles, but they stick one heck of a lot better than those factory-supplied Dunlops or even the 'real' Dunlops. Ask Joe Senner about watching my new rear Dunlop wallow all over the place last weekend during the tx.moto DaleFest. :^( I'm going back to an ML2... and I'm keeping my ME33 radial. You can get one of three ME33's. The regular, which I don't really recommend unless you are strictly slabbing long miles, maybe... not sticky enough for me but may be for others. The 33 CompK, which is what I ran on my last 4 bikes (last 15 or so years) has plenty of stick and I get around 9k-10k miles out of them on the PC. The 33 Radial, which is very similar to the CompK until you get the thing leaned waaay over, whereupon it becomes quite fun to drag the front crashbar protector covers and fold the pegs all the way up. Note that this requires some suspension mods to be able to retain some semblance of control... The 33's typically run around $130 or so with the std a bit cheaper. The ML2 rear just comes in one flavor unfortunately :^( It isn't as sticky as I'd like, but probably great for most other PC riders (no insult intended). About $140 also. I get about the same mileage out of this on the rear as the ME33 on the front, so I've managed to replace both tires 3 times now in 36k miles (the factory tires weren't burned up when I junked them). I think I have about 2k miles on the current set. Please understand that this included two ~5k trips with a tire-melting run down I10/I8 in 100+ deg. temps (125+ in the shade on I8 one time), which most certainly accellerated tread loss :^( coupled with the fact that I ride these things pretty hard... The ML2 grips right to the edge and breaks loose, which might be a problem with less experienced riders, but I honestly don't think they would be putting a PC in that type of environment. As compared to the Dunlop I'm still running which slides loose under almost any conditions with a simple wrist twist under high torque conditions. I.e. the Dunlop is more predictable, but much less sticky, and most certainly doesn't like to be set loose on the side of the tire (I thought I had put the original cheezy factory shocks back on last weekend - that Dunlop was so squirrely). For upright riding only, IMHO. Save yourself a few bucks and pull the wheels yourself. The front end is a more work than the rear... Just remove two screws at the back of the trunk, pop the taillight panel off and roll the rear wheel out after yanking the axle/brake. Be sure and grease the rear axle to keep it from rusting in place if you ride in the rain a lot like I do (I thought I wasn't gonna get it out of there two tire changes ago). And don't perform this feat in the dark so's you forget to fully tighten the front brake caliper bolts as I did a couple of years ago :^( There's a lot of plastic hiding things that I wish I could keep an eye on easier... :^( Convenience Trunk light by Jason L. Tibbitts III (tibbs@tcamc.uh.edu) I got tired of fishing around in the trunk at night; it's pretty large and it gets really dark back there even if there is some ambient light. I dropped about $45 at my local dealer for the trunk light kit, which came in a box about half the size of a cigar box. Included in the kit are (from memory; I'll correct later): Two light assemblies Wiring harness with built in fuse Trunk lid switch Switch bumper Useless tie wraps Good instructions Extra speed nuts for '89 PCs What they don't give you but you might need: Good tie wraps "HondaBond A" Clear silicone sealant About two hours Tools: Utility knife (or box cutter) Dremel tool (or a lot of patience, a _sharp_ utility knife, and a drill motor with a 19mm(?) bit) The usual screwdrivers General comments: The instructions are of the usual Honda quality. There are plenty of drawings and everything is explained in detail. There are templates for all cuts you need to make. Unfortunately this and all other PC extras are made for the '89 model PC; the 90 and 94 PCs are different in some regards so be careful. The trunk lid clearance was smaller on my bike so I had to trim down one part to fit. Details: The installation involves removing the seats and the upper trunk cowling (which seems like it will break but won't; just keep bending it). This requires cutting some of the weatherstripping at a couple of places. To properly seal these back together Honda recommends "HondaBond A" which I had none of. Instead I made sure to cut the weatherstripping at least an inch away from each body panel joint and peeled it back trying to preserve as much of the glue as possible. This was difficult. Notice that all screws back there are bedded in clear silicone; I recommend that you rebed these with a little dollop of sealant (available at any auto parts store as Silicone RTV) when you put everything back together just to make sure there are no leaks. You then place the templates and cut two holes about 1" x 2" in the trunk lid (on on each side) which must be pretty precisely sized. The instructions say to use a sharp knife, but I found it easier and faster to stick a plastic cutter on my Dremel tool (a little hand held drill not unlike a dentist's drill) and grind out the holes. You also need to place one hole for the trunk lid switch which should be keyed (this is a pain). In my PC this hole was already marked in the plastic. You also have to place a rubber bumper for the switch; the clearance was much smaller on my bike so I hooked the coarse sander to my Dremel tool and took about 3/8" off of the bumper to make things fit. If you get this wrong either the lower trunk latch will not engage and the trunk won't close well or the lights will never turn off. Take care here. You then snap the lights and the switch in place, seal them with silicone if you like, and run the wiring harness. This goes along the trunk latch wire for a while and then goes off towards the battery. Be sure to use plenty of tie wraps for this; the ones they give you are useless so get some good ones from any electronics ship. If you don't use enough fasteners the harness could get stuck or pinched when you close the trunk. You then run it to the option connector on the main wiring harness near the battery; the harness conveniently provides another option connector in case you have the stereo installed. How does it work? Well, it's pretty bright at night; it lights up the entire interior of each half of the trunk. It turns off when you close the trunk like it's supposed to. You can also individually switch off each of the lights. What more could you ask for? I recommend it. I'd like to take some pictures and have them scanned. Maybe one day I'll break out the camera and to it. Tank bag Tail bag Radar detectors 5. Maintenance Service Schedule Cleaning Consumables Oil Oil Filter Air Filter Final Drive Oil ------------------------------------------------------------------- Neill Thompson 'The Prince of Dorkness' |'82 Honda CM200T Honeywell Inc. 'Helping you control your world' |"Wee Bad" nthompso@csa-dev.iac.honeywell.com (work) |'94 Honda PC800 nthompso@aol.com (home) |"Little Wing" -------------------------------------------------|'94 Ford Ranger DOD 1133 AMA 371208 HRCA HM295612 HSTA 5477|"Kimosabbe" ------------------------------------------------------------------- ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Wed, 9 Nov 1994 12:04:45 -0800 To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu From: korbel@maverick.llnl.gov (George Korbel) Subject: PC800 mailing list This is my introduction to the PC800 mailing list. My name is George Korbel, address: korbel1@llnl.gov. I am from Pleasanton, CA. The bike I have is a 1990 model, first sold in Sept. 92 and I bought it in April 94 with 3400 miles on it (It was like new, no damage, with passanger back rest, trunk bags, rain suit, etc, paid $4800). Since than I rode about 7000 miles, changed oil twice, bought rear tire, the original Dunlop was all but gone. I really enjoyed this bike. I wrote a contribution to rec. motorcycles on Internet with the title: A perfect motorcycle and judging from response I am definitely not the only one who likes "Helix on stereoids" :-) George Korbel Lawrence Livermore National Labs. ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu From: nthompso@az15eh09.iac.honeywell.com (Neill Thompson) Subject: Re: PC800 mailing list Date: Wed, 9 Nov 1994 16:31:29 Cc: nthompso@az15eh09.iac.honeywell.com In article korbel@maverick.llnl.gov (George Korbel) writes: > by Post-Office.UH.EDU (PMDF V4.3-8 #8380) > 09 Nov 1994 13:55:57 -0600 (CST) > 9 Nov 1994 13:54:36 +0600 >Date: Wed, 09 Nov 1994 12:04:45 -0800 >From: korbel@maverick.llnl.gov (George Korbel) >Subject: PC800 mailing list >To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu >This is my introduction to the PC800 mailing list. I would really like to hear from some of the folks out there who haven't introduced themselves. Don't be shy, step up and speak into the microphone. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Neill Thompson 'The Prince of Dorkness' |'82 Honda CM200T Honeywell Inc. 'Helping you control your world' |"Wee Bad" nthompso@csa-dev.iac.honeywell.com (work) |'94 Honda PC800 nthompso@aol.com (home) |"Little Wing" -------------------------------------------------|'94 Ford Ranger DOD 1133 AMA 371208 HRCA HM295612 HSTA 5477|"Kimosabbe" ------------------------------------------------------------------- ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Wed, 9 Nov 1994 19:42:46 -0500 From: Seekr99999@aol.com To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: PC800 mailing list >I really enjoyed this bike. I wrote a contribution to rec. motorcycles >on I>nternet with the title: A perfect motorcycle and judging from >response I >am definitely not the only one who likes "Helix on stereoids" :-) George: Welcome to the PC800 list. I just joined about 2 weeks ago and am still a PC wanna-be. I'm in mid-life crisis. Divorce....looking for job/new job....etc. Decided several months ago to get a bike after not riding for 23 years Started reading all the magazines frantically to "catch up" on 20+ years...then haunted the dealers. Saw a PC....the only '94 left in a show room in western PA and fell in lust. Crused internet and got the "scooter on steroids:" drivil from rec. motorcycle....but also got introduced to this board of hard-core PC800 fans. I became convinced that, for the money, a PC800 is "the" bike for me. Just waiting for that "new job"...and the escrow account from the farm we sold for divorce....to come in and I'm getting one the next day. In the mean time I scrounged up an '81 Honda CX-500 Delux...with 9,100 miles, a fairing and luggage rack, for a grand, got some private safe riding lessons...and have put about 1,500 miles on it in a month. The cold, drippy weather's just hitting here back east...so it may be off to storage soon, but at least I got my fix for a bit. (I'm also a pilot, skydived for abouit 10 years.....etc, etc) Anyway, I digress. Just wanted to confirm that, from where I sit, the PC's a great riding value, especially used in good condition. Enjoy the ride, and welcome to the mail list. Jeff Dunkle Pittsburgh, PA ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Wed, 09 Nov 1994 16:57:04 -0600 (CST) From: ST1ZZ@Jetson.UH.EDU Subject: Intro to List To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Hello to all the fellow PC800 riders out there. My name is Kevin Yeoman and I have had my '90 PC800 since May of 1993. I have enjoyed the bike very much. I have taken several rides on it the longest was 7200 miles in 16 days. It took me from Houston, Texas to Revelstoke,B.C, Canada we of course took all the back routes that we could find and a few we couldn't :-). I have also riden it to Washington D.C. and I am planning on riding to Key West over Spring Break. I have been riding for about 6.5 years or so. The PC now has got 18000 miles on it and I plan to put alot more on it. Well I will try and post some other items from time to time. Kevin Yeoman St1zz@jetson.uh.edu ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: "Rich Stucky" Subject: Re: PC800 Welcome/Electric Gloves To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Date: Wed, 9 Nov 94 19:13:43 PDT > >This is my introduction to the PC800 mailing list. > >My name is George Korbel, address: korbel1@llnl.gov. > >I really enjoyed this bike. I wrote a contribution to rec. motorcycles on >Internet with the title: A perfect motorcycle and judging from response I >am definitely not the only one who likes "Helix on stereoids" :-) > >George Korbel >Lawrence Livermore National Labs. > Welcome to the group, George. I am also relatively new to the group having just subscribed about two weeks ago and recently received some excellent advice on what tires would be best now that I hit 16k miles on my original Dunlops. I bought my '89 Oct '93 at 9,500 miles and have really enjoyed the bike. Aside from problems at very slow speeds (layed it down twice) I love the bikes performance, versatilty, & looks. I had never owned a bike and at 39 had seen the PC800 around for a couple years and finally said I gotta do it. (I hope this is a pre- midlife crisis with my real midlife crisis occuring in another twenty years). :-) The bike I found was immaculate with a larger windshield. I feel fortunate the guy wanted to find a "good" home so he passed up full price offers from "kids" (his words not mine) & sold it to me for $3,750.00. I went to the Corbin factory for a Corbin seat & added an Aerostitch suit & ride it to work at least once a week. The trunk is great for carrying my briefcase, laptop, towel (to protect the dash during the day) and street shoes. My red Aerostitch with grey ballistics, Ivory Helmet & Ivory Bike are a great visual combination & I always enjoy when someone takes notice, gives the thumbs up, etc. I'll be putting my new Metzelers on later this week and am considering Electric Gloves for the Winter. I've seen ads for Widder Gloves that wire into the bikes electrical system. Has anyone used these or similar gloves & have any recommendations? Again, welcome to the group, George. If your travels bring you down towards Palo Alto (work) or Gilroy (play) drop me a line & maybe we can go for a little ride..... Rich stucky@twg.com ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 01:46:10 -0500 From: JFMinyard@aol.com To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: PC800 mailing list George Korbel writes: >I really enjoyed this bike. I wrote a contribution to rec.motorcycles >on Internet with the title: A perfect motorcycle and judging from >response I am definitely not the only one who likes "Helix on >stereoids" :-) Hi George, welcome to the "perfect" mailing list. I am one of the ones who responded to your post on wreck.moto and I am glad you found you way to our little group. I think you will find the information, camaraderie, and atmosphere much more to your liking. To be truthful I am surprised you received such a good response to your post. With so many of the inhabitants of rec.motorcycles disdainful of anything not squidly I felt sure your post would attract a fair number of flames. Regardless of the negative comments you may hear from the soft squishy ones I think you will find many more people who will admire your bike and seek your opinions on it. Enjoy the mailing list, enjoy the attention you attract, and always ride whenever possible. Jim Minyard '89 PC800 ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu (Kent Polk) To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Re: PC800 Welcome/Electric Gloves (from Rich Stucky ) (at Wed, 09 Nov 1994 19:13:43 -0700 (PDT)) Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 08:48:56 CST Hi Rich (Rich Stucky), in <199411100218.CAA28120@eco.twg.com> on Nov 09 you wrote: [...] > trunk is great for carrying my briefcase, laptop, towel (to > protect the dash during the day) and street shoes. One thing which I realize I never mentioned about the PC800 is the the paint - at least on the 89 and 90 models is a silver-based paint that fades in the sun *real* easy. I bought a Honda cover for the thing and use it religiously, but on the two trips to CA in the desert heat all days, the fuel access panel started fading fast. Now there are several spots on the tank that are noticably beginning to fade. So cover them PC's up (the black '94 probably doesn't need this attention) ---- Tire note - That Dunlop I keep forgetting the number of is a 491. I think the 591 would be a pretty good tire if Dunlop made it in the required size, but last I checked, it wasn't available. ---- With all the traffic here lately, looks like maybe we have enough to put together a pc800 rally next year :^) Some place with lots of twisty roads with no traffic... Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute Internet : kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: Bryce Ulrich To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 08:42:57 TZ Subject: Questions about your Corbin saddle Hi Rich, I'm up in Seattle and ride every day. My car has been parked for over 2 years. Curious to hear more about your Corbin Saddle. I'm considering getting one to help out on longer rides/tours with my girlfriend. Do you like the sliding lumbar support? Does it help your back? Any comments about overall comfort? Do you have the passenger backrest? Works? Corbin is a good name and all but I kind of like to try before you buy. -bryceu '89 PC800 "Pearl" ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu (Kent Polk) To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Questions about your Corbin saddle (from Bryce Ulrich ) (at Thu, 10 Nov 94 08:42:57 TZ) Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 12:37:42 CST Hi Bryce (Bryce Ulrich), in <9411101930.AA11558@netmail2.microsoft.com> on Nov 10 you wrote: > Corbin is a good name and all but I kind of like to try before you buy. Be sure and do so. The PC800 with Corbin I tried out was worse than the stock saddle *for me*. Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute Internet : kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: "Rich Stucky" Subject: Re: Questions about your Corbin saddle To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 12:31:19 PDT >I'm up in Seattle and ride every day. My car has been parked for over >2 years. > >Curious to hear more about your Corbin Saddle. I'm considering getting >one to help out on longer rides/tours with my girlfriend. The primary reason I bought the corbin saddle was height. I'm 5'6" with short legs. The PC800 is known for its low seat yet even on the PC800 I'm standing on tip toes. Corbin ads noted it lowered the seat by 1-1/2" which I hoped would allow me to stand flat footed. It turns out the seat, while lower, is wider and made of rigid foam. The result is only about a 1/2" lower since the original seat has considerably more cushion effect ----the net is I'm still on my toes. > >Do you like the sliding lumbar support? Does it help your back? Any >comments about overall comfort? Do you have the passenger backrest? Works? > I really don't use the sliding lumbar because in addition to short legs I'm blessed with short arms and am riding the bike with a slight forward lean that negates any effect of the lumbar. I also have to admit I don't find the seat very comfortable on long rides. My rear feels like I've got a flat spot back there after a couple hours in the saddle. However I do admit when I start to feel a little uncomfortable, I am able to shift my position a bit and I'm ok again. I only used the original seat for a few days before I switched to the Corbin and I'd be tempted to return to it & see how it is over a couple hour ride except I still appreciate the 1/2" I've gained from the Corbin. It may be that with any seat sitting in the same position for a couple hours would result in the same complaint. I do have a back rest for the passenger (not Corbins) which works well (matches ok). I've never been a passenger so I can't speak from experience... but my wife likes it just fine. Regards, Rich >Corbin is a good name and all but I kind of like to try before you buy. > >-bryceu > >'89 PC800 "Pearl" ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu From: nthompso@az15eh09.iac.honeywell.com (Neill Thompson) Subject: Re: Questions about your Corbin saddle Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 14:23:34 Cc: nthompso@az15eh09.iac.honeywell.com In article Bryce Ulrich writes: >Corbin is a good name and all but I kind of like to try before you buy. I agree! Corbin has alot of name recognition and they often look great but I sat on one once which was *very* uncomfortable. It looked great but it was thinly padded and concequently as hard as hell. I could not imagine any distance on a saddle like *that*. I do have an address for an outfit which makes sheepskin seat covers. I can post the address if anybody wants it. I reported on it in the past so if I am repeating myself, just chalk it up to age. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Neill Thompson 'The Prince of Dorkness' |'82 Honda CM200T Honeywell Inc. 'Helping you control your world' |"Wee Bad" nthompso@csa-dev.iac.honeywell.com (work) |'94 Honda PC800 nthompso@aol.com (home) |"Little Wing" -------------------------------------------------|'94 Ford Ranger DOD 1133 AMA 371208 HRCA HM295612 HSTA 5477|"Kimosabbe" ------------------------------------------------------------------- ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: jeffdnkl@netcom.com (Jeffrey Dunkle) Subject: Address Update To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Date: Fri, 18 Nov 1994 09:48:45 -0800 (PST) Civilization finally came to Pittsburgh. Netcom now has local access here and I'm finally "directly" back on Internet after my university account closed. I'm now re-subscribed to PC800 from here, rather than nerding thru AOL. Situation update: PC-800 owner wannabe Divorce(d) , job looking, have scoped out the only '94 PC800 remaining at a dealer in this part of PA......want to get when the escrow money frees up. However, there's a new, left-over '94 Concours, hard bags and all, that the dealer's barganing hard on. Down to about $500 more than the PC. Seems like a lot more new bike for $500. Thoughts/advice? Jeff Dunkle AMA-applied for CX-500 ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: bmodlin@s-cwis.unomaha.edu (Bruce C. Modlin) Subject: Re: Address Update To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Date: Fri, 18 Nov 1994 13:15:21 -0600 (CST) Jeff, Of course its always left up to personal preferrence, what causes the final decision on which bike or which model you will choose. Take the Kawa for a test spin, you do get more engine for the money. I was in a similar position before I found a used 89 PC800 for half the money of a new one. I would of gone with the Kawa just because I think its more bike for the money but it sure does look kind of ugly. There is a real good article in the Cycle Aug 1993 issue that compares sport touring bikes. I would really have prefered the Honda ST1100 but it's impossible to find a used one and 9K-11K for a new one is too steep for me right now. My only knock on the PC800 so far is that the standard Dunlop's are slick , 8K miles on them, the standard windshield is way to small, and the engine is a little to small. These are just my personal peaves, I don't ride the bike very hard, just often - use it as a daily commuter. I just would love to feel more horses try to rip my hands off the bars at a straight and level acceleration. I have plenty of power for everything else, I don't ride it as hard in the corners as others have talked about. I would never dream of leaning the bike over so far as to scrape the sides and then live to complain about it. I like to ride upright and the PC800 is the smoothest ride I've had. The original article on the PC800 in Cycle said it would scrape in the corners and had a funny sound and feel when ridden over 85mph on rain cut groves in the pavement or on bridges. Yeah no shit, I hope I never discover either of those two "flaws" 'cause it would mean I'm pushing it and riding over my head. ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu (Kent Polk) To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Address Update (from jeffdnkl@netcom.com (Jeffrey Dunkle)) (at Fri, 18 Nov 1994 09:48:45 -0800 (PST)) Date: Fri, 18 Nov 94 12:59:03 CST Hi Jeffrey (Jeffrey Dunkle), in <199411181748.JAA05298@netcom11.netcom.com> on Nov 18 you wrote: > However, there's a new, left-over '94 Concours, hard bags and all, that > the dealer's barganing hard on. Down to about $500 more than the PC. > Seems like a lot more new bike for $500. Thoughts/advice? Suppose it depends on what you want out of the thing. The Coucours is a lot more bike, handles a lot better (you can get real tires for the Concours), and has a lot more power. I think I'd rather have a PC for commuting, but a Concours for riding. Actually if I could afford *two* bikes, there's this Italian red... (and I'd keep the PC for commuting). Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute Internet : kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Address Update Date: Fri, 18 Nov 1994 15:12:33 -0600 From: Jason L Tibbitts III >>>>> "JD" == Jeffrey Dunkle writes: JD> However, there's a new, left-over '94 Concours, hard bags and all, that JD> the dealer's barganing hard on. Down to about $500 more than the PC. JD> Seems like a lot more new bike for $500. Thoughts/advice? I looked at a Concours before buying my PC, and your last statement applied perfectly. It was a lot more new bike. For mee, though, that would have been too much new bike. The PC is a really good commuting bike and a pretty good tourer. The Concours is really good tourer. It has this huge gas tank, you see.... Unfortunately I decided I wouldn't want to commute on something that big. The large engine is nice, however. Bottom line: try to ride them both. Try to park them and heft them around in traffic. It's the only way you'll get a good picture of what each bike is like. - J ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800 Subject: Alarms, locks, and security. Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 10:52:55 -0600 From: Jason L Tibbitts III It seems in the near future I will be moving, and with my luck I won't be able to find an affordable place with a garage. My bike is currently unalarmed and I don't even have a lock for it. Does anyone have an alarmed PC? Any brands to recommend? How about locks? Thanks, --- Jason L. Tibbitts III - tibbs@tcamc.uh.edu - 713/743-8687 - 221SR1 System Admin: Texas Center for Advanced Molecular Computation 1994 PC800 "Kuroneko" DoD# 1723 GM/CS/S d--- -p+ c++++ l++ u+++ e+ m---(++) n--- s/-- h* f+ g+ w+ t- r- y+** ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 21:39:56 -0800 (PST) From: Paul Ledet Subject: unsubscribing and subscribing To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Cc: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu I've been an avid reader of this group and have enjoyed most of what I have read. I have however not had my own account until recently. How do I go about unsubscribing one account and subscibing from another? To the kind soul who was going to fax me the specs on the voltage regulator, the fax number is (604) 652-4404 ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 11:56:31 -0500 From: GSMcQueen@aol.com To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: newbe Name: Greg McQueen Loc: Conifer, CO Pc: '89 Purchased: used with 2300miles, 6/92 Mod'S: a pair of 55 watt driving lights, J&M stereo/intercom/cb. Bike was in good shape when purchased, I guess because the owner did not ride it! Shortly after purchase the tire ate a huge hole in the trunk (and a new agv helmet I was taking for a ride..) American Honda replaced the tire, swingarm, and trunk liner even though the bike was out of original ownership. It seems the first few PC's had a small problem with eating the trunk! The last 8000 mi. have been trouble free. I am into sport touring and have joined the HSTA. I have ridden in the Lakewood Honda / Chaper "C" 1000/24hr ride last August.. Someday I may get an ST1100 but can't justify it now as the PC800 goes fast enough while loaded and 2 up! I am trying to get into the 3 flags event next year (mex-us-can). I hope to hear from you folks as to what mods., tires, suspension etc. you have made and what styles you ride. Thanks for letting me in! Greg ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: bmodlin@s-cwis.unomaha.edu (Bruce C. Modlin) Subject: Shake To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 15:05:24 -0600 (CST) I have noticed that my PC will shake violently on the front end if I let go of the handlebars for a second or two. Now thank God I'm not on Wreck-Motorcycles 'cause after that statement I'd get flammed for about a month. What I'm talking about is the bike is very stable but if I let go while at speed (above 40mph) and adjust my helmet or something, as soon as the bike starts to decelerate, the front end starts a violent shake. Now I've ridden bikes for 20 years, dirt bikes, cruisers, all bikes will do this when they have slowed up, but this does this almost right away. And at different speeds. My last bike, a Virago would start off slowly shaking, then increase in intensity, giving you a little time warning. This bike goes to high almost right away. Is this just me?? ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 16:44:57 -0500 From: Zoby@aol.com To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Shake Bruce: I get the same shakes with my '89, even after changes like a new windshield (yours) and new ML2+ front and back. Interesting... Toby Zellers '89 PC800 "Morphed Scooter" AMA # 321199 HRCA #HM711864 DOD #1457 zellers.toby@applelink.apple.com (best-Checked Daily) zoby@aol.com (Checked weekly (weakly?)) ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Cc: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Shake Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 20:06:22 -0600 From: Jason L Tibbitts III After reading this, I went out to check. At speeds from 10 to 85 mph I can lock the throttle and let go. The bike is perfectly stable. My bike is a '94 PC with <4K miles on it. (Yeah, I know, but I usually just commute on it.) The tires are original. The junk in the trunk is not evenly distributed. A friend with the same year bike but with 14K miles on it reports that he can do the same thing (though he dares to go slightly faster and keeps way more junk in the trunk). - J ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Cc: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Driving Lights (Was: newbe) Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 20:13:59 -0600 From: Jason L Tibbitts III >>>>> "G" == GSMcQueen writes: G> Mod'S: a pair of 55 watt driving lights Hmmm. Exactly what is this? Have you replaced the headlight assembly with something brighter? I'm looking to brighten my headlight slightly and possibly rig a modulator (yes, I had a near miss and am looking for more visibility). Has anyone done this? Will the headlight switch take any increased amperage? - J ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: bmodlin@s-cwis.unomaha.edu (Bruce C. Modlin) Subject: Re: Shake To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 20:33:53 -0600 (CST) > > After reading this, I went out to check. At speeds from 10 to 85 mph I can > lock the throttle and let go. The bike is perfectly stable. > > My bike is a '94 PC with <4K miles on it. (Yeah, I know, but I usually just > commute on it.) The tires are original. The junk in the trunk is not > evenly distributed. A friend with the same year bike but with 14K miles on > it reports that he can do the same thing (though he dares to go slightly > faster and keeps way more junk in the trunk). > > - J > Geeze, I didn't know that an innocent E-mail post would make you conduct a live test from 10 - 85Mph. Id feel terrible if you lost it while conducting an unscientific test, and then told the ER team, "Bruce made me do it, he put the idea in my head"!! Just kidding. I think the main point here is not with the throttle lock on, but as the bike decelerates. It's dark out, so don't run out and try this again. I won't be able to sleep tonight knowing that I set something into motion like thousands of mc riders worlwide riding with no hands say "Bruce put the idea in my head?. All bikes I have ridden will do this as the slow down, I'm just saying that the PC seems to do it faster and no other obvious problems are known about the tires or suspension or "wheel alighnment". ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Shake Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 20:56:13 -0600 From: Jason L Tibbitts III >>>>> "BCM" == Bruce C Modlin writes: BCM> Geeze, I didn't know that an innocent E-mail post would make you BCM> conduct a live test from 10 - 85Mph. It's OK, I drive like that normally. Sometimes I have to zip up the Aerostich or scratch my nose or somesuch so I just pop on the throttle lock and take care of it. I don't drive around for any distance like that, nor do I do handstands on the bars or drag my butt off the back. BCM> I think the main point here is not with the throttle lock on, but as BCM> the bike decelerates. Ah, I see. Well, I'll check it out when it's bright out. I've never noticed any shaking of any kind, so I'm curious to see what happens. - J ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 22:45:03 -0500 From: Zoby@aol.com To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Cc: Nilz@aol.com Subject: Bigger Windshields Bruce Modlin and I switched windshields after his response to my posting on this BB. I think I owe it to the group to report back. I've got a '89 that I bought last december with the sissy bar, Hondaline tall windshield and 1.2K on it. The windshield was more vertical than most, especially for a "sport-tourer", but it kept the wind completely out of my face. I even bought a 1/2 helmet to allow for spitting and nose picking. Big problems when it rained though. I'm 5'6", and I look right through the big windshield. Rain, especially at night, with the screen dirty, was next to impossible to see through. I really learned this coming into Asheville NC off the Blue-Ridge Parkway during a summer storm. I also felt the size of that screen when riding in the wind. Not having tons of experience, I chalked it up to a normal ride in the wind. Then I switched screens with Bruce for his stock unit. First of all, the angle of the stock windshield is much steaper than the tall one. The wind busts right into your face and it's plenty loud. I had some old Saenger Stealth Stripping that I put on, and that may have helped the noise (I'm not really sure how to do the comparison). The bike feels sleeker though, and I think it handles much better. The 6" height difference in the screen is actually more because of the angle being so different. I look completely over the new screen. Rain won't be both on my faceshield and windshield. In all, I like the new look (less scooterish), better handling, and safer night/rain riding. If you're short like I am, I don't recommend buying a taller screen just cause its quieter. I would be interested in hearing a shorty's evaluation of a Rifle screen--speak up now! That's all for now, I rarely get a chance to contribute to this forum. Toby Zellers '89 PC800 "Morphed Scooter" AMA # 321199 HRCA #HM711864 DOD #1457 zellers.toby@applelink.apple.com (best-Checked Daily) zoby@aol.com (Checked weekly (weakly?)) a few other addresses to esoteric to mention. ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: kent@eaanu.nde.swri.edu (Kent Polk) To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Shake (from bmodlin@s-cwis.unomaha.edu (Bruce C. Modlin)) (at Fri, 25 Nov 1994 15:05:24 -0600 (CST)) Date: Fri, 25 Nov 94 19:13:44 CST Hi Bruce (Bruce C. Modlin), in <9411252105.AA22758@s-cwis.unomaha.edu> on Nov 25 you wrote: > I have noticed that my PC will shake violently on the front end > if I let go of the handlebars for a second or two. Now thank God This is usually an indication of a tire problem on a relatively new bike. Typically either the front tire is defective or, more often, you are running with too low a tire pressure. I run a minimum of 36psi on my ME33 Radial. I ran 38psi on my ME33 CompK bias ply. If you have run the tire in this condition for a while, the tire may be damaged and increasing the tire pressure won't help. However, I'd say to give it a try. Just don't run it above the pressure indicated on the tire itself... When I dropped the forks in the clamps on my PC, I decreased the rake which will normally make any such problem worse. My first ME33 Radial was defective and shook pretty bad, but this new one is working fine. Kent Polk: kent@eaanu.nde.swri.edu ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Sat, 26 Nov 1994 01:10:11 -0500 From: JFMinyard@aol.com To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Shake Bruce Modlin writes: > I have noticed that my PC will shake violently on the front end > if I let go of the handlebars for a second or two. I know that this probably doesn't apply but I just received the Middle Tennessee HSTA newletter today with a short article on PC stability. It seems there are known problems with the PC's stablility at speed. I do not know the specifics they weren't mentioned, but two members of the HSTA in Texas(I don't have the names in front of me) were discussing this problem with people from Two Brothers Racing and were told that TBC had run some tests and found the PC to be much more stable if the front fender was removed. The two HSTA's were grateful for the info but did not want to totally destroy the aesthetics of the bike. What they did was manufacture some brackets and mounted the front fender from a ST1100. Paint matches, good looks, and lo and behold a claimed improvement in stability. If I can call these folks and get the particulars of the modifications I will post them here. OBModification: I saw a Xeroxed photo in the newsletter and the bike looks good. Jim Minyard ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: kent@eaanu.nde.swri.edu (Kent Polk) To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Shake (from kent@eaenki.nde.swri.edu (Kent Polk)) (at Sat, 26 Nov 94 18:51:38 CST) Date: Sat, 26 Nov 94 20:41:19 CST > On Nov 26, JFMinyard wrote: [...] > It seems there are known problems with the PC's stablility at speed. Yep. I believe I have discussed it quite a bit. I figured noone was interested in the subject since I never got any responses. :^) :^) The whole stock suspension is unstable at speed - rear and front. > problem with people from Two Brothers Racing and were told that TBC had run Two Brothers Racing used to (don't know if they still are) race a modified PC800. I had always planned to get in touch with them and find out what engine changes they made - F.I.? What they did to increase topend? (In case anyone ever talks to them) > some brackets and mounted the front fender from a ST1100. [...] > call these folks and get the particulars of the modifications I will post A number of people have mentioned to me about the ST1100 front fender working on the PC and being better. I asked them if the ST1100 fender allows for a fork brace, the lack of which is the primary reason my PC800 is unstable at speed. Never got an answer as to whether one would fit. So if you talk to those guys, please ask if the ST1100 fender allows for a fork brace on the PC, and whose fork brace. Ok? If I could get a fork brace on the bike, I could push the thing as far as the rest of the bike could handle. Right now, the fork twist under stress is limiting what I can do with it. But to be honest, about the only thing this would help with would be in high-speed handling. Right now I get the wobbles pretty bad if the road isn't pretty smooth when I'm dragging the pegs at 120 (indicated). The forks twist when I hit a dip, and that throws thing off pretty quickly. At lower speeds, I can usually fold the pegs up without too much problem (with the suspension mods and tires I have discussed). -------- Also understand that this is a different problem than the original poster was requesting information on, the first being almost certainly a tire problem. I have already helped 4 other PC riders who were experiencing the shakes with the fix I mentioned. BTW, this isn't a PC-specific problem. Pretty much any bike will experience the shakes at some point if you run it with too low a tire pressure. Kent Polk: kent@eaanu.nde.swri.edu ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Sun, 27 Nov 1994 00:41:00 -0500 From: JFMinyard@aol.com To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Shake Kent Polk writes: >Yep. I believe I have discussed it quite a bit. I figured noone was >interested in the subject since I never got any responses. :^) :^) Sorry Kent, I was one of those who didn't respond. I'm interested in improving my bike, but don't really have the money for major upgrades right now. Besides, I can't really ride well enough to make use of all the bikes current capabilities and my lack of experience makes it difficult to understand just what is happening when I do get close to the limit. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I truly appreciate any and all information that you or anyone else can provide in respects to improving or upgrading our preferred ride in any shape, form, or fashion. I may not always feel comfortable in responding but I eagerly await every little tidbit that I receive. Keep up the good work :^) Jim Minyard ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Sat, 26 Nov 1994 23:51:02 -0800 (PST) From: Paul Ledet Subject: Re: Shake To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Cc: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu I just wanted to echo Jim Minyard by saying that I to appreciate hearing about any and allpossible upgrades that improve he ride of the PC. Thanks to all. Paul Ledet ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** Date: Sun, 27 Nov 1994 13:51:11 -0500 From: GSMcQueen@aol.com To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Subject: Re: Driving Lights (Was: newbe) I fit a pair of 55 watt driving lights on my PC before I went on the 10th Lakewood Honda 1000/24hr ride this August. I have the pair of projector style driving lights mounted on the front crash rail covers and they light up the night and road well. I also have an 80/100w H4 instead of the stock 55/65w H4. You can get them for 12~16 bucks at a dealer or 6~8 bucks from J.C. Whitney! I put 1150 miles on in 20hrs. We left at 2:20a in Denver went west to Glenwood Springs, over McClure pass and into Whitewater. Then southwest into Utah and the LaSal mountains. Back into SW Colorado at Cortez & Durango then south into NM for a ride east. North at Chama back through some more mountains and Ft Garland, Walsenburg and the from range and I-25 back to Denver. The lights were a help as riding for 20 hrs gets you into some dark twisties at least on this ride! The ride actually seemed like a week vacation rolled into a day! There were mostly GW's on the ride and a few ST's. I was the only PC. There were even 4 Harleys (they were quite sore I'm told). I am quite happy with the stock seat and agree with Kent that its all in the legs and general fitness! My wife and I went and rode almost the same route at leaf peep time in late September over 3 days, I do not have a backrest for her but she doesn't need one she said. I would like Corbin to put together a rumble seat for us PCer's ! I saw the posting about the fellow in MN. who has a real custom seat. Sounds like the one I want if I can mail him and have him tell me where he had the work done! My wife and I are planning to ride in the 3 flags event next fall and she may change her mind on a backrest for that one! Regarding throttle lock installation I have noticed several people talk about the little bump being cut off at the end! On the 1000/24 ride I had 200 miles of rain and my hand kept slipping onto the bar-end weight because the bump was gone. As soon as I got back the next day I got rid of the old throttle lock grip and reinstalled the lock a little better than the shop did. I also purchased a slightly shorter grip from the dealer and put it on. The bump is important to keep your hand from slipping off in the rain! I never ran out of gas on the 1000/24 but I had brought along a spare gal. in the trunk as I thought the GW's would try to run me empty. They did try but I was able to keep up with them. I did put 4.3 gal. in at one point! We rode hard and usually at least 175~185 miles per tank. I had 198 on when I put in 4.3. I bought a Rifle fairing/windshield and returned it without a ride on it. The fit wasn't correct and it did look cheezy to me. I am 6' and am thinking about the stealth windshield fix. I do like to look over the windshield and not through it so I hope it will quiet the noise a little. I did put in a trunk light but not as flashy as some of you have. I used a J.C.Whitney under hood light that lights when you open the trunk with a built in mercury switch. It cost less than $5. As for stereo/intercom etc... I blew the big$ for some J&M. I think they are the finest quality I have seen and think I should be able to hear the music/cb/intercom even if I don't get the windshield noise down. Plus I installed it so it can be removed and put in an ST1100 if I ever need something bigger/faster. Have fun and keep the information flowing. ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: jeffdnkl@netcom.com (Jeffrey Dunkle) Subject: Negotiating Advice Please To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Date: Mon, 28 Nov 1994 08:11:43 -0800 (PST) I'm a PC-800 "wanna-be" who's waiting for job to get settled and divorce to finalize before taking the PC plunge. . There's a new, left-over '94 PC at a dealer near here which I've looked at at least 5 times in the last 2 months. < point....I know it's been there at least that long without selling>. Tag price $6,995. Over the holiday I told my step-father about the bike. He's retired, and a former Harley owner in his early 70s. Health .... ok. I showed him some photos of the PC and a sales brochure I'd brought along. He got real excited.....wants me to "negotiate" for the bike and he'll buy it. He's the type that "NEVER" pays full price for anything.....a matter of honor to "get a deal". I'm a bit too easy going for that. But........getting the bike for him at least keeps it in the family.....giving me an option of buying it back from him if his interest ever wains. Besides....I get to deliver the bike from Pittsburgh to Moorehead City, NC < :) > if we get the bike. Questions: I've seen in print where, in late '93, the '94 PCs were listed at $6,495 or something like that. Was that at one time the list price for the '94? Does anyone have any experience at having a PC discounted at the end of a model year? If so, how much? Anyone have any advice for what to offer? One thought was, if there was any hesitancy on discounting by the dealer....talk him in to at least keeping the passanger back-rest on without charging the $165 or what ever....plus having him install a cruse control, both without any additional charge. That would give the dealer the chance to make margin on the bike and throw in stuff that isn't so pricy.....and make my step-dad think he got some value. The dealer is closed today for the first day of deer season...so I'll be doing what ever dickering happens tomorrow. Thanks Jeff Dunkle '81 CX-500 AMA 389181 ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu From: nthompso@az15eh09.iac.honeywell.com (Neill Thompson) Subject: Re: Negotiating Advice Please Date: Mon, 28 Nov 1994 14:26:34 Cc: nthompso@az15eh09.iac.honeywell.com In article jeffdnkl@netcom.com (Jeffrey Dunkle) writes: {snip} >Questions: I've seen in print where, in late '93, the '94 PCs were >listed at $6,495 or something like that. Was that at one time the list >price for the '94? Yes, I believe the '94 was priced at that point at least at one time. I once called Honda America and asked about the '94 and '95 prices and never got the $6995 price from them although I have seen/heard that price batted around lots of times. Their number is: (310) 532-9811. Please post any discrepancy from what I have said if found. >Does anyone have any experience at having a PC discounted at the end of a >model year? If so, how much? I saw my '94 PC advertised in a local "Cycle Trader" and it was discounted back in July. I think it was $5995. >Anyone have any advice for what to offer? I don't remeber the exact figures but, I called the dealer up and told him if he would take $5600 for the bike, I would be in to pick it up the next day. That got the ball rolling. He allowed as to how he had more than that in it already. We settled somewhere between the advertised price and my original offer over the phone. I think it was about $5750. I think that making an offer over the phone is good because if he jumps on it, you know that you came in too high and you can welch on the deal and try again later at a lower price. Hey, dealers have been pulling stunts like that for years. I think that you should at least try to trim 10% for last years model. I believe that the dealer should still have some margin at that. >One thought was, if there was any hesitancy on discounting by the >dealer....talk him in to at least keeping the passanger back-rest on >without charging the $165 or what ever....plus having him install a cruse >control, both without any additional charge. That would give the dealer >the chance to make margin on the bike and throw in stuff that isn't so >pricy.....and make my step-dad think he got some value. I think that any options should be negotiated seperately. You could maintain that you didn't want the backrest but since it has be installed, you don't have any choice. Negotiate a price on that option independant of the price on the bike. Just because it has a backrest on it, there is no reason to limit the discount you are seeking to the price of the backrest. If it didn't have the backrest, what would you use as a basis for determining any discount? >The dealer is closed today for the first day of deer season...so I'll be >doing what ever dickering happens tomorrow. Go in armed with anything that you can get out of American Honda and remember that the longer it sits, the more it costs him. If it hasn't sold yet at full price, the chances are getting worse that it will sell, not better. Eventually, he will have to discount it! I think Kent is right that at $7000+ the PC isn't a great bargain. Now at $5700, perhaps it is competitive with other bikes on the market. The problem is that there isn't much that competes head-to-head with the PC but don't let the dealer believe that you think that. Let the dealer believe that you are willing to put soft luggage on a Virago or an Intruder! Know the price of the 750 BMW. >Thanks >Jeff Dunkle >'81 CX-500 >AMA 389181 Good luck, keep us posted. Hope the divorce/house deal is going as well as can be expected. That's how I got my PC. (And a new truck, and a new computer, and a new girl friend, and a new...) but that's another story! ------------------------------------------------------------------- Neill Thompson 'The Prince of Dorkness' |'82 Honda CM200T Honeywell Inc. 'Helping you control your world' |"Wee Bad" nthompso@csa-dev.iac.honeywell.com (work) |'94 Honda PC800 nthompso@aol.com (home) |"Little Wing" -------------------------------------------------|'94 Ford Ranger DOD 1133 AMA 371208 HRCA HM295612 HSTA 5477|"Kimosabbe" ------------------------------------------------------------------- ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: Bryce Ulrich To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Date: Tue, 29 Nov 94 09:33:13 TZ Subject: RE: Bigger Windshields << I would be interested in hearing a shorty's evaluation of a Rifle screen--speak up now!>> Well I'm not really a shorty (5'9") but I do have a Rifle windshield, 4" higher than stock. Good things: Wind noise it gone, my passenger enjoys the ride far better with less wind buffeting/noise, and I can ride far longer before getting tired now that the wind is over my head. I doubt I'll ever put the stock shield back on it's so much better. Handling changes have been minimal and I've had little difficulty in the wind. Disadvantages: I have to look 'through' the windshield instead of over. Rain is a major pain on both sides of the shield. There is also a distorted reflection of my keychain on a sunny day. Slight air pressure on the back of the head pushing forward at 60+ when riding alone. Don't notice it much anymore though. Keychain problem: I have a dark one now. Rain problem was worked around (had to, I live in Seattle) by getting the "Cycle Wiper", an honest to goodness windshield wiper. It really works and the delay timer is a lifesaver. It does, however, require that you keep you shield as clean as possible and well sprayed with a silicon spray that helps to prevent scratches. In short, it works well but requires regular cleaning and attention. I have had some scratches but they buff out very easily. I always kept things clean anyway so now I just have more incentive. For the inside of the shield, I have a small squegee I keep velcro'd to the leg on my Aerostitch -- mostly needed for city riding. BTW: Cycle Wiper sells for $149 and is made close by in Redmond, WA. Send me personal email and I'll get you in touch. Off to work! Bryce Ulrich, '89 PC800 "Pearl" ********** MESSAGE SEPARATOR ********** From: jeffdnkl@netcom.com (Jeffrey Dunkle) Subject: Negotiation status To: pc800@sina.tcamc.uh.edu Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 18:18:12 -0800 (PST) Last post here I told of step-dad wanting me to negotiate a price for a locally available PC which, based on our thanksgiving discussion, he decided he wanted. Here's the status FYI. 1. First round resulted in a price of $6,457. And, since there was a minor scratch just in front of the seat due to showroom rash, he'd throw in the passanger back rest/sissy bar at that price. Listed at about $150 as an option. Total mark-down including the backrest - $688. 2. Yesterday stepfather visited a local Honda dealer near his retirement home on the N. Carolina coast and not only, of course didn't see any PCs, but was given to think they were a pretty unpopular, and therefore, not a very good bike. After our phone conversation subsequently, I got him to at least reconsider. Now he may come north to see the bike before/if he decides to buy. Telling for two reasons. One....to put the price quote out there for the mail list. Two....if he doesn't gett the bike, someone out there might be interested in it. I think there might be a little more cushion in that price as I never counter-offered after "dad" said he was having second thoughts. More later. Jeff Dunkle jeffdnkl@netcom.com '81 CX-500 AMA 389181