Motorcycle on Oahu, Hawaii?

[oldapeman]

My son is being assigned to Schofield Barracks Army post on Oahu after he finishes his advanced training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He will likely want to buy a vehicle once he arrives. I would like to hear from others who have lived there whethdr it makes sense to get a motorcycle rather than car. He is an experienced rider. Cost is a factor since the pay of a PFC is modest. Looking at Craigslist it seems he could get a decent beater car for a few $ K, while motorcycles seem to be priced above California prices. There is also a safety issue since we know the island is full of tourists, drunken sailors and baked locals (joke, sorta).

So what say the BARF oracles? I will check back in a day or two to read your posts.

 

[OnFire]

My wife is from Kalihi valley, we go back to Oahu quite often, sometimes for periods as long as 3 weeks. I always rent a bike multiple times when I'm there. So take my option with a grain of salt since I'm not a permanent resident :cool

Traffic is slow. Really slow. There is no such thing as splitting lanes. So your son won't have an advantage there. It rains a lot. Did not bother me since it is warm, but maybe an issue if you need to go somewhere and arrive dry. Maybe easier to find parking which is always a pain in and around Honolulu.

I found people are friendly in traffic, way less aggressive than over here. I enjoyed riding on Oahu and felt safe most of the time. Need to be careful around the Waikiki area. I think a dual sport would be perfect, or even a scooter (keeps your legs clean and dry).

Maybe Hawaianrider can chime in, he's a member here on BARF.

 

[TTTom]

My brother had a KZ1100 when he was living there, which was totally stupid overkill. There's nowhere to go fast and you could pretty much ride every paved road on the island in a couple days.

IMO the perfect Hawaii bike would be a 250 dual sport.

 

[SLOspeed]

I've only visited there, but considered renting a bike when i was there. I didn't because:
-speed limits are super low everywhere.
-not many twisty fun roads.
-millions of tourists who seem to be driving for the first time, ever.
-AFAIK lane splitting is not legal.

 

[ratlab]

i worked there for about 2 years-wet,hot and sticky for bike only- beater car with a/c and 250 dual sport would be the way to go.

 

[MG6]

been to two island and rented most of the time. Recommend a 2x4 or 4x4 pick up, cheap Suzuki samurai, or anything that can go off road when rain hits.

most roads are pretty good in Oahu and it is fun to get for the road an trail yourself.. Only saw one hand full of two wheels that isn't a rental.

 

[JENX!!!]

I was stationed in Kaneohe Marine Base and lived in Pearl City for 5 yrs there. Rode my R6 most of the time to and from work.(about a 20 min ride each way) But if its for a primary vehicle, a car would be more practical i think. Like previously stated, it rains alot. And sometimes you wont get any warnings. Generally had no issues with drivers. There is a HUGE motorcycle presence there so most drivers are aware of the bikes on the rode. Used cars and bikes are more expensive there too.

 

[ST Guy]

I'd get a decent used 250 or 400 dual sport and a beater 4x4 pickup. Forget the Samurai as they aren't very stable.

 

[NoTraffic]

i heard a big problem for islanders is something really hard to prevent - rust (saltwater air)

 

[savan]

Tell him to walk

 

[monkeythumpa]

Get a 49cc scooter with a topbox. It is all you need. We rode from Waikiki to the North Shore and back in a day and split lanes for some of it.

 

[channelcat]

rent a harley

 

[c56&t789]

The 49cc scooter is the way to go if you need local transportation. Being under 50cc it is considered a moped. A moped is sort of treated like a bicycle while traveling on the road. You are allowed to use the shoulder/bike lane at all times. This can be extremely useful when the local traffic is backed up for miles and you on your scooter are allowed to zip on by using the far right of the road for travel.

I would forget about these guys while waiting in huge traffic lines on the Big Island. Sometimes sliding over near the right shoulder on the DRZ only to be buzzed by dozens of Honda Ruckus or Yamaha Vino riders zipping on by. A scooter is the way to go if you need cheap transpo and are Not taking a passenger along.
http://www.honolulupd.org/information/index.php?page=pedestrian <---click Moped Laws tab

 

[yodaisgod]

Hummer H2 and a 'turbo busa....neither of which are overkill for Oahu.

 

[Variable]

My wife is from Kalihi valley, we go back to Oahu quite often, sometimes for periods as long as 3 weeks. I always rent a bike multiple times when I'm there. So take my option with a grain of salt since I'm not a permanent resident :cool

Traffic is slow. Really slow. There is no such thing as splitting lanes. So your son won't have an advantage there. It rains a lot.

Hey, me too! :cool

Agree with this ^^^

Only place I've ever seen with a highway "minimum" speed sign :laughing (which is 45mph btw)

Saw a terrible accident involving a scooter and car (car t-boned scooter). Girl riding with her groceries and then wham! in the intersection.

Bunch of people on vacation, so they're not totally paying attention to their driving, especially in Waikiki area. Be aware of this if you are planning on riding on the island :thumbup

 

[ST Guy]

i heard a big problem for islanders is something really hard to prevent - rust (saltwater air)

Yep. That's why you buy used and beat up. (Though not too beat up.)

 

[larry kahn]

Well this thread certainly ends any daydreams I may have had about moving to the Islands. Not that I can conceive leaving SLO/Cali anyway.
Think I'll just go take a blast on "Rossi's Driveway" now.

 

[Cincinnatus]

I was there from '80-'82 at Schofield and rode my RD400 everywhere, even into the sand/lava-block roads to the King Kamehameha lighthouse. :teeth

Hot, muggy, wet, and you had a hard time riding for more than 45 minutes without having to look at the Pacific. Rock fever was an issue for me. :rofl

Since he's military (Go Army!!!) he'll be able to go out on Schofield's Trimble Road, over Kolekole Pass and down into the Naval Munitions site. Pull up Google Earth for a tour. :teeth Have him read & heed the signs!!!

My advice would not be a scooter, but the prototypical Ninja 250/500. Cheap on gas, too, since all fuel has to be imported to the islands. Or he can get a scoot & a Ninj, riding whichever is more appropriate at the time.

:thumbup

 

[Hawaiirider]

Well....

As a 27-year Oahu resident that moved here as a 21-year old motorcyclist I have to say there is good and bad.

The good - you can ride year-round, there ARE some nice places to ride & explore, and riding day-to-day is entirely doable.

The bad - You DO eventually run out of new roads on one island - ( shipping bikes interisland is fun but not that easy, the Ferry was great while it lasted) and the heat makes wearing gear a BIT of a humbug. Because of climate and peer-acceptance and LOT of young riders don't wear gear, and we all know where THAT can lead.

I like to ride - I prefer it to driving, even though I own a car and need it for work some days and for boat stuff, I'd rather be on 2 wheels anyday -it just makes me feel better. So, if the riding is nothing more than a driving-alternative that's fine with me. As far as WHAT you ride - I always recommend riding what you like - some don't feel the stoke at all even considering my lowly Wee-Strom commuter, I don't 'get' most cruisers - to each his own, ya know ?

As far as the drivers - there ARE a lot of distracted drivers out there, but I honestly can't say the visitors are any worse than anyone else on the roads, at least rental cars are easy to spot. That means you, late-model Mustang convertible. The Tuner-car race boys, blacked-out gangsta trucks, NPR-listening Prius moms, rust-bucket swerving mokes and idiot delivery trucks are all not to be trusted, as we know.

As for the economic aspect - yeah, it's hard to save money if you ride a sportbike, but you can ride pretty inexpensively if you really want to - I did as a college student back in '86 with a wrecked '82 Suzuki GS650E I bought from a roomate for a case of beer. If he is on base a scooter might be fine there (ride a bike) but won't have the legs to be truely useful.

You can certainly ride 'recreationally' here if you don't mind running the same routes frequently, and that is unacceptable to a lot of you - I get that, heck for fun on most weekends you'll find me offshore under sail, not squidding it up Tantalus, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun riding here - it's always better to ride when you can, in my view.

As far as 'getting out on new roads' goes, I actually keep a FJR1300 on the mainland for my yearly road-trip fix - I too need several days worth of new roads a year to keep sane. While the bike has been based in the bay area twice, it's near Philly now.

Feel free to have him look me up, btw - always glad to know another rider.

Oh, the REALLY good part ? Excellent vented gear has never been more affordable - you kids these days, you don't know how good you have it....

 

[ilikefood]

I've never been to Oahu, but I spent a month on the Big Island (no bike; I was driving a Geo Tracker 4x4). If Oahu is anything like that, I'd get a dual-sport for sure. There are way too many awesome off-road spots to be stuck on pavement.