PC800 – Page 8 – Not Your Average Engineer

April 18, 2020December 12, 2021

Honda Pacific Coast (PC800) Mud Flap Installation and Specifications

This page contains a description of how to install a front mud guard kit P/N: 08156-MR500 on a Honda Pacific Coast PC800 motorcycle.

Editor’s note: I am preserving Leland Sheppard’s PC800-related content after his passing. This is one of his pages that I felt the PC800 community would want to have preserved. Leland may be on his final Iron Butt ride but he is not forgotten.

Once upon a time, Honda produced a mud flap for the PC800. It was designed to fit the ’89 through ’96 models at least. Because the ’97 and ’98 models had an ST-like fender, this mud flap would probably not work with those model years.

Mark Fellure and Ross Vicencio graciously agreed to let me be the temporary recipient of a Hondaline PC800 Mud Flap still in its original package. The instruction sheets shown here were scanned from the instruction sheets included with the mud flap. The pictures of the flap were taken by yours truly.

The instructions are copyright Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and they are dated February 1989. The Honda part number for this product was 08156-MR500.

My hope is that between the information contained in the instruction sheets and the pictures and the dimensions listed below, that you will be able to reproduce this mudflap and/or install one you already have.

Please let me know if you have any questions on the information contained on this site: Leland Sheppard [Editor’s Note: Since Leland’s passing, I have been maintaining his PC800-related memories. Contact me if there are any questions.]

Mud Flap dimensions:

Overall width: 9 15/16 inches
Overall height: 4 1/2 inches
Extension below fender: 3 1/2 inches
Center to center distance of the mounting holes: 7 9/16

The square recesses are 3/16 deep by 1/4 wide; they start 2 13/16 inches
in from each end and are 3 3/4 inches apart.

Click on any of the images for a full-size version.

The page 3 linked photo is a full scale scan of an original template used to align the mounting holes when installing the mud flap in a 1989 PC800.

You need to find a program that will allow the image to be printed at actual size. Web browsers from Netscape and Microsoft do NOT print at the correct size and I couldn’t figure out a way to make them do it; I tried IE 5.5, Netscape 4.7 and Netscape 6.1.

I was able to print correctly using Canon Photo, EZPhoto 2.7, Kodak Imaging for Windows (comes with Windows 95 and 98) and Hotshots 1.5.08. If you find other programs that can be used to print correctly, please let me know and I will add them to this list. Please note that all of these programs are photo editors.

In order to print the image correctly, be sure your printer does NOT have “scale to fit” turned on. Either “print on letter size” without scaling or “print at 100% of original” should work fine.

In order to verify that yours printed correctly, measure the distance between the dots at the center of the bolt hole circles at each end of the template. The distance between them should be 7 and 27/32 inches or 19.93 centimeters. If you get a figure that is more than a hair smaller than this, your image was scaled and you should try again.

Once you have printed this image correctly, you should be able to tape the template in place on the back of the front fender and drill your holes for the mounting bolts in the appropriate place. The dotted lines should straddle the joints on each side of the center section of the fender.

April 18, 2020December 12, 2021

Map Case Instructions

I made my prior one with the baggie glued directly to the pad and the suction cups glued to the baggie. The problem is if you mess up and pull too hard on the baggie opening it the small diameter of the suction cup attachment rips a hole in the baggie and then you have to make an entirely new unit. That is why I tried to make it with Velcro this time so the baggie is replaceable. The only glue I have found that reliably sticks to the suction cups and the baggie is Krazy Glue. Even epoxy made for plastic pulled right off.

This is a picture of needed materials. The baggies are 1 gallon freezer bags. I wish there was a size between a gallon and a quart. I use the freezer bags as they are thicker. The rubber tool box liner I bought at Harbor Freight but Sears and other places should have it. I tried to find something solid that I thought would not scratch the shelter but could not find anything cheap. This is cheap and works. Note the alcohol pads. No glue sticks to the baggie if you don’t wipe it down with alcohol. I did not try the putting the Velcro on without wiping it down. The Velcro is probably the most expensive thing here. The nice thing is it removes all the writing on the freezer bags. Also wipe off the top of the suction cups where they will attach to the Velcro. The Velcro I used had some strong adhesive on it so I initially decided to just try attaching the suction cups to it. I had to Krazy Glue them on about an hour later as they popped off. So far that has held.

I then punched 6 holes to allow the suction cups to poke through and attach to the Velcro and I did not think I could get a strong enough attachment to the rubber pad. The pad is cut to exactly the size of the baggie including the slider so the slider cannot touch the shelter.

Here is the pad with the Velcro installed. Do I really need this much Velcro? After installation I doubt it but I figured if I used 2 inch wide on the pad and 1 inch wide on the baggie I could lessen the strain on the baggie if I stuff several maps into it by loosening the edges and moving them in slightly. This gives me room to do it

This is the bottom of the pad. Note the position of the removal tabs on the suction cups. It is much easier to remove the map case from the bike if you remember to point the tabs for removal of the suction cups outward so you can hook them with your finger when you pull them off.

Here is the pad and baggie with the Velcro installed.

Installed on the bike with a map folded up in it.

April 18, 2020December 12, 2021

Spring Mountain Motorcycle Camping Trip Report

Date of trip: Annually – mid-May to mid-June

Day One:

Start from Placerville.

If Mormon Emigrant trail is open:

Take US50 east to the Sly Park Road exit in Pollock Pines.
Take Sly Park Road south to the junction with Mormon Emigrant Trail.
Turn left (east) on Mormon Emigrant Trail to the junction with CA88.
Turn left (east) on CA88.

If Mormon Emigrant Trail is closed:

Take CA49 south to Martell.
Turn left (east) on Ridge Road toward Volcano.
Turn left (east) on CA88.

If we are meeting someone in Jackson:

Take CA49 south to Jackson.
Generally pull off at the junction of CA49 and CA88 and wait there.
Turn left (east) on CA88.

Go east on CA88 past Silver Lake to the sign for Carson Spur. This is the first summit at 7990 feet.

Continue east on CA88 past Kirkwood Ski Resort and Caples Lake to Carson Pass. This is the second summit at 8574 feet.

Continue east on CA88 through Hope Valley, past the junction with CA89 to Tahoe, down the canyon to Woodfords.
Turn right (south) on CA89/CA4 (toward Markleeville).
Continue south on CA89/CA4 until CA89 splits.

Continue west on CA4 to Ebbetts Pass. This is the third summit at 8730 feet.

Continue west on CA4 to Pacific Grade Summit. This is the fourth summit at 8050 feet. (no picture available)
Continue west on CA4 through Arnold and Murphys to Angels Camp and the junction with CA49.
Turn left (south) on CA49 at the stop sign.
Go south on CA49 to Sonora and the junction with CA108.
Take CA108 east.
Continue on CA108 east to Sonora Pass. This is the fifth summit at 9624 feet.

Continue on CA108 east to the junction with US395.
Turn right (south) on US395. Continue on through Bridgeport and Lee Vining to the junction with CA120.
Turn right (west) on CA120 and climb up to the top of Tioga Pass (9945 feet). This is the sixth summit.
The pass will be closed so when we’ve gone until the road is blocked, turn around and head back for Lee Vining.
Turn left (north) on US395.
Turn left into Mono Vista RV Park. This is where we pitch our tents for the night. Park has nice grassy sites. They have nice bathrooms and showers as well. Clean, well kept up park. There are also motels in Lee Vining, if you don’t feel like tenting.

Total distance for day 1: 381 miles

Day Two.

Turn right (south) on US395 to the junction with CA120.
Turn right (west) on CA120 and ride to the top of Tioga Pass.
Turn around and head east on CA120 back to US395.
Turn right (north) on US395 and go to the junction with CA270 (Bodie Road).
Turn right (east) on CA270 and ride 13 miles to Bodie; the last 3 miles are washboard gravel.
Tour Bodie – last of the gold mining camps – largest ghost town in California.

Leave Bodie and head west on CA270.
At the junction with US395, turn right (north).
Turn left (west) on CA89.

Continue west on CA89 to Monitor Pass. This is the seventh summit at 8314 feet.

Continue west on CA89 to the junction with CA4.
Turn right (north) on CA89/CA4.
Continue on CA89 (through Markleeville) to the junction with CA88 (at Woodfords).
Turn left (west/north) on CA88/CA89.
Continue on CA88/CA89 to the junction with CA89.
Turn right (north) on CA89 (toward Lake Tahoe).

Continue north on CA89 to Luther Pass. This is the eighth summit at 7740 feet.

Continue north on CA89 to the junction with US50 (at Meyers).
Turn left (west) on US50.

Continue west on US50 to Echo Summit. This is the ninth and final summit at 7382 feet.

Continue west on US50 to Placerville.

If you count the two crossings of Conway Summit at 8125 feet on the way to and from Lee Vining, that makes eleven summits total. And if you count the second day’s climib up Tioga Pass, that makes twelve. We counted all of them.

Total distance for Day 2: 245 miles.

Gasoline:

There are a number of other gas stops along the way.

Cautions:

The roads through the passes, particularly Ebbetts and Sonora, are VERY narrow. In some places it is one wide lane. You need to watch carefully for oncoming traffic.

If you are going very early or very late in the season, you might find sand on the road (as I did) in many places as you get near the tops; they use it to give traction when it is slippery…

If you are going early or late in the season, dress very warmly.

Summary:

The views are breathtaking at every turn. Pure eye and soul candy. Great motorcycling on these roads. Lots of corners for folks like me that love them.

We do this trip every year that we can.

Most of these passes are closed in the winter so it pays to check with Cal Trans Road Information before going to be sure that the roads are open.