I had the pleasure of touring the Hawaiian Island of Kauai this past December. My wife, Nora and I decided that the best way to experience the roads of Kauai would be on a bike. So we devoted one day to riding on two wheels.

Ray shows Jim the, "Rules of the Rent"

We turned in our convertible for a custom '97 HD Heritage Springer at Ray's Motorcycle Rentals in the little village of Kapaa. Ray, the owner greeted us and gave us a short tour of his small, full service dealership. He specializes in renting a selection of all of the different HD models. Ray was a very colorful character who offered advice on everything from how to ride to how to live your life! We went through the normal per-rental checklists and headed out for a day of adventure. We were a little concerned because it was cloudy and rain was in the forecast. However, we pressed on because rain is always in the forecast in Kauai.

Hanalea Bay

We were already familiar with the island and had mapped out a route that would give us the most scenic views on the island. Kauai is a small island that is essentially a large volcano in the center of the island with beaches on all sides. There is only one main road, Highway 50, which circles most of the island, hugging the coastline. The interior of the island is mountainous and mostly inaccessible. The mountainous interior is mostly rainforest, with Mt. Waialeale receiving over four hundred inches per year. This qualifies it as the wettest area on the earth. There are seven main rivers that flow to the sea with many wonderful waterfalls.

Poipu Beach

Our route would take us down the eastern and southern coastlines through several small towns and villages. We headed south from Kapaa via the Coconut Coast. We traveled under huge hundred-year-old palm trees. This area hosted the filming of the Elvis Presley movie, Blue Hawaii. Since it was the beginning of winter, the surf was up and the waves were rolling in. We crossed the Wailua River and headed on south. After about twenty minutes of riding, I was becoming more familiar with the Heritage Springer.

We traveled through the town of Lihue skirting the east side and continued east and south until we reached the "Tunnel of Trees". This is where the narrow road passes between two rows of tall, hundred year old eucalyptus trees. It is a fantastic experience to travel between these giants at 50 mph on a motorcycle. After we passed the tunnel we continued on to the town of Lawai. We pulled over to eat breakfast in a quaint little café. After eating, we saddled up in the middle of a short rain shower. We were a little disappointed with the weather, but after two miles, the sun was out again. In Kauai, it rains several times a day, but most showers only last minutes.

Waimea Canyon

We continued on through the village of Hanapepe slowly heading westward. Hanpepe has the most beautiful flowers. Most of the farms that we had passed so far were huge sugar plantations, but now we began to pass mile after mile of coffee plantations.

As we continued past the village of Waimea, we had wonderful views of the southwest coastline. At Waimea, we turned north toward the mountains. We started up the Waimea Canyon and began the climb from sea level to four thousand feet. The road up this canyon is full of twisties and scenic turnouts. The Waimea Canyon is one mile wide, 10 miles long, and 3,657' deep. The road travels right up to the edge. If you look one way you are provided with vistas of the canyon and looking the opposite direction will provide you with magnificent views of the ocean.

About noon, we reached our final destination of Kekee State Park. It is located at the top of the canyon. We passed the large U.S weather station and the NASA Tracking Station. The tracking station sits at the furthest point west in the U.S. The road ends at the Kalalau Lookout with the absolutely picture perfect view.

Napali Coast

Here you lookout over a drop off of 4,000 ft. to the Pacific Ocean over Napali Coast. This truly is one of the most beautiful views on earth. The Napali Coastline is very famous for hosting many movies such as Jurassic Park, 6 Days and 7 Nights, South Pacific and King Kong. Kauai is the mecca for Hollywood scenics, having been spotlighted in over 49 movies.

We hated to turn around and head back, but we were running late to get the bike back before nightfall. Actually, after herding that Springer up and down the coastline and mountain roads riding two up, I was going to be very glad to jump in the ocean back at the hotel.

Waimea Canyon

After having lunch at the Kokee Lodge, we started to reverse our morning drive traveling back the same route. Riding down the canyon brought us views of the Pacific that would take your breath away. Actually, one time it did take my breath away. As I stared at the ocean a second to long I wandered off the pavement for a few feet. Visions of dumping a custom rental bike and draining my wallet flashed before my eyes.

We continued down the winding canyon road, stopping frequently to enjoy the views. One of the biggest problems with riding in Kauai is that the roads are so twisty and steep; you cannot concentrate on the views without stopping at a turnout.

South Coast, Coming Down from Canyon

How can I sum up a ride in Kauai? Words can't describe it. I have traveled to several tropical islands in the Caribbean. None of them come even close to the beauty of Kauai. Kauai has the rugged coastlines similar to Oregon. It has the mountains of the rain forest. It has so many long, picture perfect beaches that you can't make a decision on which one to use. It has the history of an ancient culture. It has some very tall waterfalls. And yes, it has the flowing lines of hula girls. Whoops, lost my track for a second!

Kauai is an island of many dimensions. Try to see it from the air by helicopter, on land by bike and the sea by scuba diving.

Safety tip for the island: Watch out for those chickens! Wild chickens run loose everywhere on the island. They pick up seeds along the side of the road, so you never know when a chicken is going to dart out in front of you.