just got back from a 5 day stint in maui. rather than tourist my way around with snorkeling, golf (peh), fancy dinners and such, i decided to rent a bike and tour the island. i'm so glad i did.

though i had to rent a bike, i enjoyed every minute. day one was on a fatboy, which i didn't care for - traded on day two to a road king. in hindsight, i should have stuck with the fatboy. the RK had 10k miles, but what a POS. warped front rotor, clutch required the strength of arnold, not tuned properly ... but on to the riding.

a little sketchy at first about riding without a helmet, but after a coupla miles there was no problem, and it quickly became my preference.

almost every road in maui has sweepers and switchbacks - and ALL with absolutely beautiful scenery, both coastal and inland. i hit every road with the exception of one which wasn't paved (lots of gravel and big rocks).

started with a trip to haleakala, the large dormant volcano. made it to the summit in time to view the sunrise from ~12k feet. sun coming up over the clouds with colors everywhere. you can see the big islands volcanos from there as well.

then took the road to hana from kahului. you can read more about this road here, but suffice to say i've never ridden a better road anywhere. took my time going up (about 3 hours), with stops along the way for waterfalls and breathtaking views. made the 60 mile ride back to the hotel in 1.5 hours.

obligatory trip to lahaina (tourist shopping town), but going all the way around the west half of the island was second only to hana. very little traffic (once you get through lahaina), and views you just don't get on the mainland.

had to take another trip to hana, this time got seriously wet. it is a national rainforest after all. however, the roads don't slick up like they do here, so the wet pavement was not a problem - falling leaves are another matter, those things stick to everything (your shield, your head, your face). made it out to the seven pools - a two mile hike from the road, and a fantastic waterfall.

what i didn't do but should have was take the ferry to an adjoining little island (forget the name) and ride there ... next time.

i'm seriously contemplating buying a place in maui (probably paia), maybe rent out, but mostly for vacation. might have to buy a bike to store there as well

i'll have some pics on a website soon, i'll post back when they're up for anyone interested.

 

Hey Murray, sounds like you had a great time. Eveyone I've talked to that "rode" the Island had said how great it is. Thanks for sharing!!

 

Can't wait to see some pics. Sounds like an awesome trip. The one thing I regreted when I got back from my vaction in Kauai was not renting a Harley. Won't make that mistake twice.

 

i may have just had a bad experience, but both rentals really sucked - much worse than rental cars. my buddy's EG was even worse. maybe its the rental place not taking proper care.
but - i'd rent again.

 

Pics, pics, me want pics![sm=bounceybounce.gif] I’m big-time jealous; cold and rainy here in Indy! To bad about the @#$%y rentals, but must have been an awesome trip! Be safe.

John

 

i'll get some up soon and post the link here. i miss maui already ...

 

Joker...I was in Maui and Kauai this July for 2 weeks. I saw the same stuff you did in Maui. Never before have I seen anything like it and like yourself, I'd love to buy a place there to spend my free time. If you thought Maui was beautiful you should see Kauai! Its like Maui only not as touristy and expensive and it has these awesome canyons. I would have loved to rent a bike while I was there but I was the only rider in my group and didn't want to leave the others so we rented Jeeps instead. Next time I'm there alone with my lady, I plan on renting a Harley for a few days so we can experience it that way. Out of all the places I have been, I can honestly say nothing compares to Hawaii. Would love to see your pics! Ride on and Ride safe....