Maui mountain dew

[ScuRoo]

Aloha! What’s your experience?
I haven’t had the opportunity to ride the island… but years ago, I did ride with a couple of mates up to Big Bear outside Los Angeles and the dew at 6,800 feet is bad. Dew at any level is terribly treacherous.

Here’s the opening lines from a magazine review by Robert Smith.

“One the most memorable and exhilarating rides of my motorcycling life was on a Guzzi: a race-tuned 850 Le Mans Mk1. I rode it from Ha’iku, Maui (close to sea level) up to the Haleakala Park entrance at 6,800 feet on the volcano’s switchback access road, and back down again. With a race cam, lightened flywheels, flowed head, Bub exhaust and flat-slide Mikunis, that baby really flew, handled precisely and would stop on, if not a dime, certainly a nickel. But what was so seductive was the way the motor loved to rev. Below 3,000 rpm, it wouldn’t have pulled a fly off a cow patty; but when it came on the cam, it surged to the red line with a rush of booming power; but on closing the throttle, all was uncannily smooth and calm.”

Uncannily smooth and calm… stay strong Lahaina 💪

 

https://cdnbkr.ca/3893-2-motorcycle-review/moto-guzzi-breva-1200-2008/

[docc]

I've never ridden Maui, but leaving the South'n Spine Raid to cross the Appalachian Divide often takes us into the "cloud ceiling." Some call it "fog", and I suppose "dew."

The cloud ceiling often lies at 1500 feet above sea level. The pass over the divide is some 5800 feet. That is a long ride through the cold, damp "dew" with limited visibility.  Read: "sucky riding conditions."

[footgoose]

[GuzziMoto]

10 hours ago, docc said:

I've never ridden Maui, but leaving the South'n Spine Raid to cross the Appalachian Divide often takes us into the "cloud ceiling." Some call it "fog", and I suppose "dew."

The cloud ceiling often lies at 1500 feet above sea level. The pass over the divide is some 5800 feet. That is a long ride through the cold, damp "dew" with limited visibility.  Read: "sucky riding conditions."

Our craziest ride was on the Cherohala skyway, down that way. The fog, clouds, whatever you want to call them, were so thick we could not see both sides of our lane at the same time. My wife could see my tail light, and I her headlight. But I was either towards the left of the lane and could see the centerline, or if you were to the right of the lane you would see the line marking the edge of the road. I just followed the centerline, and could tell that if it was solid it was likely curves were coming while if it was dashed it was likely fairly straight for the time being.

In hindsight maybe we should have pulled over, but honestly I don't know where we would have pulled over. You could not see anywhere to pull over. And being stopped on the road in those conditions seemed riskier. But to keep moving, less chance of being hit by someone else.

[ScuRoo]

12 hours ago, docc said:

Some call it "fog", and I suppose "dew."

The cloud ceiling often lies at 1500 feet above sea level

Actually there’s about 1500 degrees of difference between fog and dew

 

One is ground level 😏

[billgreenman1]

'97 or '98 I was on Skyline Drive and the East sides of the mountains were bright sunshine and the west sides were rain and fog. Kinda exhausting with the hot/cold transitions, even with decent Aerostich gear...

[Scud]

I've rented bikes several times in Hawaii. Most recently an Africa Twin on Maui - up Haleakala and circumnavigated the island. The Road to Hana is a treat if you can catch it without traffic.

And as for fog (aka dew)... that can be scary. I recall descending the East Grade of Mount Palomar into near zero visibility fog. My visor and prescription glasses fogged up - that's four surfaces. Had to ride slowly with nearsightedness and no eye protection till it cleared. That was the day I decided to get laser eye surgery. Haven't looked back since (pun intended).