PC800 Sold - And Crashed

"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54) 10/11/2016 at 17:02 • Filed to: None

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Red Dwarf in its heyday just a few months ago

First off, everyone’s OK, aside from some bumps and bruises on the rider (not me), and the bike is completely repairable. The rider has posted about this herself, so I guess it’s OK for me to tell the story too.

I’ve sold my ‘98 Honda PC800, which I’ve written about here before. Amazingly it isn’t even changing residence - our friend/tenant is buying it. We went out for a quick ride together last night so she could get a feel for it. She liked it a lot. We were turning out of a parking lot to head back home, and she accidentally twisted the throttle locker along with the throttle. She ran wide, ran over and jumped off a short roadside pole, and dumped it upon landing. The brake pedal is bent, and the right mirror and windshield are broken. We managed to limp the bike home (a mile up the road) after I gathered up the busted parts. It still runs fine, despite the rear brake dragging due to the bent pedal.

The bent pedal should be able to be unbent. The Clearview windshield is broken, but she can choose from a wide variety of replacement styles and heights. She might as well get whatever will work best for her. The mirror is the tough part, since these bikes were never common and neither were their parts, but she seems to have found some options. Beyond that, it’s just minor stuff, like re-aiming the driving lights whose brackets got bent but not broken. We can rebuild it. We have the technology.

I can’t even tell you how soul crushing it was to watch the bike I’ve put so many miles on and had so many adventures with over the past 4 years get crashed, even if it is sold. But at least the damage is limited to three key areas, all of which we have a plan to repair. I’ll probably feel better about it once the progress begins. And we’ll definitely be removing the throttle locker, at the new owner’s request, to ensure that this problem doesn’t happen again.

loki03xlh > Justin Hughes 10/11/2016 at 17:10

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I’m glad no one was seriously hurt. Bikes can always be repaired/replaced.

bob and john > Justin Hughes 10/11/2016 at 18:00

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That sounds fun. Note: never sell a bike with a throttle lock to anyone. Removr and let them get their own

McMike > Justin Hughes 10/11/2016 at 20:07

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We are getting ready to visit Mrs McMike’s brother in Houston here in a few weeks. We were going to rent a car, but were reminded that the car we sold to him last fall was available.

It was spotless when we sent it down to him. I’m scared of what it looks like now, and honestly.... I think it will break my heart to see it because I know it will be 12 months of neglet. :(  

Justin Hughes > bob and john 10/12/2016 at 09:26

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I’ve never had a throttle lock before this bike. In fact, the guy who sold it to me didn’t know it had one either - it was his dad’s bike, and the son was selling it after he passed away.

But yeah, difficult lesson learned.

Justin Hughes > McMike 10/12/2016 at 09:28

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I’ve had it go the other way, too. Granted, I wasn’t as attached to my work truck with 401k miles when I hit a deer on the highway. The company sold it to a friend of mine for $200. He put another $200 worth of body parts into it and put it back on the road. It was strange, riding in that truck with him after I’d put so many work miles on it myself. But he did well with it.

McMike > Justin Hughes 10/12/2016 at 09:59

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I just remembered selling my first motorcycle.

When I bought my 1100ACE, I had to get rid of a 500 Shadow, and a friend of the ACE seller wanted a motorcycle.

She strung me along for a few weeks with several “I’ll have the money next week” telephone calls (it was 1999). When she finally picked it up, she stalled it three times in my driveway before finally making her way down my street in first gear. I’m not sure if she ever got it out of first gear, but I didn’t care. It was gone, and I had $750 in my hand.

When I picked up some parts from the ACE seller a few months later, I asked about the 500, and he said something like, “Last I heard, she dropped it a bunch of times, and one day it stopped starting”

I was more relieved than it broke after I sold it than heartbroken .

Justin Hughes > McMike 10/12/2016 at 10:09

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1100 ACE, you say?

I’m loving my ‘95!

McMike > Justin Hughes 10/12/2016 at 10:13

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Yeah, we talked about this before.

I sold my 1100 back in 2012. I was sad to see that one go. Lots of trouble-free commuting and bike trips with that one.

Hope you enjoy it.