1990 Honda PC800 Pacific Coast

Named for the Pacific Coast Highway stretching across the U.S. state of California, this touring bike was more oriented to casual businessmen than serious bikers opting for Honda's sportier offerings. The PC800, which went on sale in 1989, was modeled after the company's own automobiles such as the Accord for the rear end while the updated V-twin engine originally found in the 1988-only VT800 Shadow allowed it to outrun a Civic in the quarter mile in ~14 seconds at 90 miles per hour, and its top speed of 193 km/h (approx. 120 mph) still almost puts it on par with the Si. The standout feature of this milestone in design was the roomy trunk with two compartments split by the rear fender. However, the bikes were slow to leave lots; consistently averaging 1,400 annual sales, production was put on hiatus after a two-year run before returning for 1994, but sales never picked up, so it was axed after 1998. The color scheme of this bike, Candy Apple Red and Griffen Grey was exclusive to 1990, with 3,739 built including a light blue option available in France and Italy. At least 14,000 were produced in both runs.

Image date: October 2012