Pirsig introduces Phaedrus slowly and with great trepidation. The first mention of him is in the foreword, in a quote from Plato. "What is good, Phaedrus, and what is not good; need we ask anyone to tell us these things?" After this brief namedrop, Phaedrus isn't mentioned for almost sixteen pages, and even then he is called a ghost, caught in the corner of Pirsig's eye. This ghost haunts Pirsig, and reminds him of what he could become again.
When Pirsig and Chris climb the mountain, for example, Pirsig decides against reaching the summit. He tells Chris he fears a rock-slide, and to some extent, he does. However, what he really fears is the possible return of Phaedrus; he sees his previous nights ramblings as warnings akin to the falling pebbles he hears, and rather than push his luck, he heads back. This powerful scene is a dramatic show of how Phaedrus is something to be feared and respected.
I believe Pirsig is a reliable narrator of his own insanity. He has memories of a man who is not him, and has full access to a lifetime of notes and writings. It could be said that he knows Phaedrus better than anyone else in the world. When he looks back on what Phaedrus wrote, the insanity is clear to him, and is the cause of his fears.
I believe Phaedrus was insane. He was committed in an asylum for almost two years, and delivered electroshock therapy. This is very strong evidence pointing to Phaedrus' insanity.
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