What I hadn't considered when I did this is that volcanoes limit the ride-able roads. You can't just shoot through the middle of an island. I was on Maui and it was my first trip to Hawaii. The open roads (non-city, non-residential) were fairly limited to the outside boundaries of the island. We stopped and found a few places to explore along the way. Stumbled upon a small waterfall and pond. Very beautiful. The wife and I enjoyed it and it was an experience we are grateful to have had.

Let us know how it goes and post some pics.

 

Here is the Kauai dealership. Most of the rentals were touring bikes.

 

I've been to Hawaii but did not rent a Harley.
Sounds reason enough to go back to me!

 

I rented one in late February of last year from Chase rentals. Road Glide and it was a little over $200 for 24 hours IIRC. Not as bad as I expected. It wasn't a bad experience once I got out of Honolulu.

 

Rented in Maui this past October. Great HD shop in Lahina. Had a great time. I would highly recommend it.

 

Big island, AWESOME!

Maui, AWESOME!

Kauai, meh... Small and roads are so-so.

Oahu which is where Honolulu is... WARNING. These guys nailed it.

SPOT ON! Worse drivers in the US. Now let one million of them congregate in a small area...Which leads to:

Hawaii is AMAZING. Honolulu/Oahu, not so much. Not worth a bike rental. Sure, spend a couple of says in Waikiki. It's a must see, but gets old after a day or three. Pearl Harbor is a must. Give yourself TWO days to do it right. Ford Island and the Mighty 'Mo are a few hours each to do right. The Arizona only takes an hour or two. IMHO, nothing else on Oahu is worth it. If your are in shape, you can walk to and hike up Diamondhead from your hotel in Waikiki. Want to go to the north shore? You will spend two plus hours in traffic EACH WAY.

 

I disagree with Oahu, Tantalus Drive is awesome. So is the ride up to the North Shore and around the island. Stop at Dole, watch some surfers and grab a bite at a shrimp truck along with some shaved ice.

Hawaii drivers? I also disagree with the statement that they are the worst drivers in America. You have to get into the vibe of island time, if you don't, you will not enjoy driving there.

 

I rented a Harley on Maui just this past November. There's an Eagle Rider shop off the main drag near Lahaina. Maui has plenty of room to ride, but like anywhere, there's good hours and not so good hours to ride. Early is better. There's a bypass road that goes around Lahaina that is convenient mid-day if you want to skip the traffic in town. Traffic piles up on hwy 30 going south towards Kihei during rush hours but it's not so bad, and once you get into the middle of Maui it's pretty chill all the time. North side of the island has *very* twisty roads but also lots of sights to see. Kihei is a busy city with lots of traffic but also plenty of places to hang out.

The big island has tons of places to ride. Back in 2012 I rode from Kona to Mauna Kea, and then on to Hilo, across the middle of the island on the 190, then took the north side hwy 19 back to Kona - all in one very long day. Kona was sunny beaches, Mauna Kea was bitter cold, and Hilo was torrential rain for a while. It was an adventure. Lotsa weather there. If you don't want to get into rain, just stay away from the east side of the island and its mostly perfect weather all the time.

Oahu is great for riding as soon as you get out of Honolulu. Cruise right up the middle to the north shore on H2 to 803. If you're feeling very adventurous, ride the 83 back around the east side of the island, or just go back the way you came. Ride early and get home before dark.

 

Worst may be harsh. But by far the slowest. I think the cops there are uber aggressive on speeding tickets. Also add to the fact there are a lot of old people, ricers, pot heads (basically everyone under 30), tweakers and “Hawaii time” mentality and you get a lot of slow drivers and enraged drivers passing. And weaving through them out of frustration. It’s maddening to drive through traffic in Hawaii. This why I’d avoid Oahu.

 

Yeah what I came away from Maui with that impression too, did a 4 day rental which was turning boring until I hooked up with a local biker club .

On Maui you can do the island sights in 2 days easy on a bike, and yes the locals can be very standoffish to downright rude.