I finally did “tame” motocamping on my tame bike. It was everything I wanted it to be!
The Honda Pacific Coast 800 has a huge bedonkadonk. S0me folks love it, some folks hate it, the motorcycle buyer’s market of the 1990’s rejected it, but I love it. Without spending a lot of effort optimizing gear I just stuffed a bunch of camping shit in the bedonkadonk. The only thing that didn’t fit was my tent and sleeping bag. Those rode well on the pillion. (“Pillion” is the passenger’s seat.) By comparison, back when I did trips on my cruiser (with normal saddlebags), I had to have an unwieldy backpack (albeit one meant for motorcycles) strapped to the sissy bar.
On the PC800, everything rode super smooth. No bullshit straps or bags flapping in the wind.
Behold the wonder and glory as I open the bedonkadonk to grab my sunglasses without unstrapping the crap on top. Very handy!
The campground was glorious and empty. There was nary a sound but the leaves rustling. I would expect the same spot to be a zoo in mid summer.
The area has had a few hard frosts, so the bugs are mostly gone. Autumn is truly the best season.
I don’t care what anyone says, it’s a sweet looking bike.
For the WYBDR I bought (at great expense and with no small amount of consternation) a Lone Rider ADV tent. (I’ll discuss the tent in detail later.) It’s made specifically for motorcycle riders. It only makes sense to buy such a special tent if you’re batshit crazy enough to try your hand at a remote solo crossing of Wyoming mountains and deserts. However, now that I own it, there’s no reason I shouldn’t enjoy it even on tame campgrounds.
Before you Google the tent, I warn you that it’s stupidly expensive. When you see the price, it may cause organ failure. It nearly killed me. But it is a pretty good tent and ideally designed to fill the niche in which I’m using it. It rolls up small but not too small.
It’s a stout short tent. It looks a little floppy but don’t let that fool you. It sheds the wind like a boss. I started calling it “turtle tent”. (If you ride solo enough you’ll start naming things weirdly just like I do.)
I had to buy firewood and then strap it on my bike. I much prefer bringing my own, but that’s only possible when camping by Dodge. I feel like those little wood bundles are unfairly too small.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I couldn’t help but take too many photos of my bike.
A campfire is the cure to almost any mental stress.
Dawn was as gorgeous as I could hope for.
I chose to carry my JetBoil (with French press accessory) instead of my percolator. 
The coffee was just as good.
I brought my shortwave. I like to listen to the universe during the night. When you camp solo it’s wise to allocate some space in your gear for “toys”.
If you’re in a situation where you can, get out there and enjoy autumn. It’s fleeting. Migrating birds won’t be in the sky forever.
Cool.
Nice. More please
EC – the 1989 model sometimes has a stator and/or rectifier problem that seems to show up around 30,000 miles or so. Rick’s is a good place to pick one up if you have an issue – https://ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/
Also, for the 1989 model the tire clearance is tighter than the other years. If you run tires that are not the stock size, check carefully for rubbing.
Otherwise, a great bike and I have two of them.
Anon
Nice tent!
I’m considering buying my second Hilleberg tent, so… let’s just say a $500 tent that fits your needs sounds like a good deal.
You’re right. A tent that’s “perfect” is worth the money even as I whine about it. Before I sprung for the Lone Rider I was planning for a similar backpacking tent which would’ve been closer to $350. But the Lone Rider comes with a compression bag ideal for strapping to a motorcycle and I’d have to pay $60+/- for a “motorcycle-able” bag for a generic backpacking tent. So the difference isn’t too huge. Also the Lone Rider poles are pretty short, making it easier to stash on my tiny dirt bike.
Now that I think about it, my Russian Bear Market winter tent was 4x the cost of the Lone Rider. Apparently I’m willing to go top dollar on fabric shelter! But I’m still surprised by my own choices.
One last observation, I have a huge “summer tent” I carry when camping in my Dodge or 4×4 and my winter tent is even heftier, so the backpack weight Lone Rider feels almost gossamer. Also I needed it to be a lot smaller tent but I do miss the luxury of giant “stand up inside” tents. Motocamping isn’t as limiting as ultralight backpacking but it’s not as luxury laden as just camping with a pickup truck.
If you ride solo enough you’ll start naming things weirdly just like I do..
Bedonkadonk had me convinced already.
I’ve got the same radio. It’s pretty good.. I’d do it again..
It sounds like you had a blast. Exactly what a camping trip is supposed to accomplish.
P.S. – that bike to me looks like a cool ride. Do you have any people snapping pictures of it ? That trunk appears to be very convenient.
I did have a blast.
Nobody noticed my weird 36 year old bike. I think non-bike people think it’s a Goldwing that gas left out in the rain and shrunk.
The trunk is brilliant! Almost every scooter has a trunk like that (not that big of course) and I kinda like how scooters look too.
I have a fatassed Goldwing and had the same thought when I saw the photos. Sweet looking bike.
I saw your bike at Rainier NP 15 years ago. Its owner had christened it “Baby Beluga”.
Nice pictures of a great trip.
I gather your wife isn’t into bike camping?
Mine isn’t into Beach camping with the sailboat.
Written from my wife’s version of camping the Norwegian Gem.
Michael
Mrs. Curmudgeon doesn’t enjoy camping all that much. So my camping trips are mostly solo.
We do a lot of picnics together though, usually with the dog too.
Now you have that “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” song going through my head. Thanks…
To me, it’s a pretty bike though.
You know, the PC800 is practically a Rorschach test. Online motorcycle forums call it the ugliest motorcycle ever. I think it’s good looking but assume I have no taste. But I keep meeting people that say it looks good. Style is a fickle thing.
Enjoy the earworm. 🙂
I’ve always liked the PC800. When I decide to add seventh bike (or, less likely, get rid of one I already have) it’ll be a PC800 or an ST1100/1300.
AC, if you don’t mind a link, this site has good info on the above-mentioned rectifier, as well as other mods:
https://www.douglasvanbossuyt.com/personal/hobbies/motorcycle/honda-pacific-coast-pc800-links-and-information/