Moped HPP to Hilo?

[Canuck]

Hi Everyone,
My wife and I are in need of a second vehicle, and are toying with the idea of getting a Moped. In terms of value for reliability, we think it is a great proposition, and she's willing to put up with the rain. She'd be taking it to UHH 4 times a week from our place in HPP on 5th for her 8 am class. In terms of safety, however, there's no shoulder to speak of on Kaloli or 130 during rush hour. Do any of you know of anyone who safely makes this journey on a daily basis? Is it feasible? Are we nuts and should we just get a beater car and hope for the best?
Thanks!

[hikatz]

Would not recommend it, I have seen to many accidents on the highway. There is a bus that leaves Pahoa around 6:00am, arrive UHH at 7:20am. If you call, you can find the nearest pickup point to your area.

http://www.heleonbus.org/schedules-and-m...day-friday

http://www.heleonbus.org/contact-us

[getty62]

definitely not friendly to alternative modes of transportation. i personal know a couple of people who have been clipped by a car on purpose.

[csgray]

I drive into Hilo from HPP every day school is in session, the scooter ride within HPP would be pretty safe at that hour, especially if one takes the same route every day so people get used to you. I sometimes see both bicyclists and scooters trying to commute on the highway, but not many. I would consider it to be taking your life into your hands every day. Using the scooter to get up to the unmarked bus stop at the top of Kaloli or Shower would be a realistic solution, then chain it up to a tree and take the bus from there. The other alternative is to find someone to carpool with, gas is expensive enough that many people might really like the help with gas money.

Good Luck,

Carol

[ericlp]

I wouldn't recommend it.

I wouldn't let my wife take a moped to Hilo... I wouldn't do it myself unless there was a separate paved bike/moped lane. People are just too crazy to risk life and limb. It's not hard to find a new bumper or fender but try finding a new leg or arm.

Besides that, I have a Toyota that gets 45 MPG. I figure with the two of us going were doing better than a moped. Only a few get in the 100MPG range and that's not driving them at wide open.

If I were to go I'd want to get a honda 250CC minimum. I've seen only a few people do it.

The bus is FREE for students.

Good Luck!

[birdmove]

I ride to Hilo and back from our place in HPP on 23rd near Kaloli. I do it all the time. I don't go during peak traffic hours. But our two scooters are a Kymco People 150 and a SYM HD200, so we can ride either one at 50-55-60 mph on the main highway. Having said that, sometime when I go to Hilo I take the shoulder. I do it because I can hold my speeds down a bit and get even better gas mileage. We rode these two scooters to the Botanical Gardens north of Hilo.

I think after 9:00 AM or so the shoulder on the highway to Hilo from HPP is not open for cars. It makes a fine riding space for mopeds (under 50cc and tops out at 30 or less) and bicycles. I ride my bicycle on the shoulder also and have ridden to Pahoa and back and to Keaau and back and am working up to riding to Hilo and back (I'll be 50 in the morning).

If you must ride a motorized two wheeler during the early peak hours when the extra lane is open to cars, then you need a scooter or motorcycle that can do 55 mph. My 150cc Kymco People 150 can do it and get 80+ miles per gallon doing it.

Be aware that if you buy one of the cheaper Chinese made mopeds it's a crapshoot as far as reliability and longevity. Kiser's in Kona sells the Kymco line (and Honda/Kawasaki/Yamaha/KTM/Victory). Kymco's come with a two year warranty (the best in the business-longer than any Japanese maker, longer than Vespa and BMW). Kymcos are not made in China, but are from Taiwan along with SYM and PGO/Genuine scooters--all of which are very good quality and have a two year warranty. They are well made and are also more reasonably priced than the big four Japanese makers.

I'm an old motorcyclist and am thinking of trading my Kymco in on a mid sized dual sport motorcycle in the near future.

I paid about $2300 out the door for my new Kymco which was a leftover model from a year or two back. You'll pay more for a new Honda 49cc Ruckus (as an example) than for a new 150cc Kymco.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[Carey]

The big problem is the time, that is when there is still that second morning "rush hour" lane on what is normally the side of the road...

I have often seen vehicles using the right hand land to pass others even outside of the morning rush.... if she can bicycle up (even and electric assist that fits in the bus bike rack) & then take the bus that goes by just before 7, she would get to UHH in good time...(and if she is a student, the bus ride is free, just a buck a ride to take the bike...)

Even a full motorcycle can be pretty brutal here, as our old cycle was in an nasty "sign waver/distracted driver" accident were the car driver turned right into the motorcycle on Hwy 11... the new cycle owner was sent sliding along 11, luckily with helmut, but unluckily not with his leathers & cycle boots...& left a bit of himself on the pavement....

[spunky]

I have a friend with a moped on 5th - he rides it to town all the time. He hasn't reported any problems but he may not be going at rush hour.

Another friend of mine lives in Orchidland. He has a pick up truck but bought a scooter to take to work in town everyday to save on gas. Personally I thought he was crazy. Still do. But I have not heard him complain of any crazy drivers.

Your wife is a trooper but considering that a new scooter is about $1,600 and you can get a beater car for $3,000 or so. Ask yourself if your wife's life is worth that extra $1,500 and do you have the financial wherewithal to survive the medical bills that might arise from an accident (rain or not).

[ericlp]

I should have stated when I worked in Corrections on Maui I road a 50CC to work about 10 miles. I had a really good time on it... I took all the back roads to avoid the traffic the only time I ever had a spill was when a BIG dog ran out in my path and it was either hit the dog or lay down the bike. I chose to lay it down probably going 30-35. It's not like you have a lot of time to think about what do. I could imagine hitting that and doing a flip down the road... So I hit the brakes and went sideways (near miss) and did a few summer salts into the oncoming lane. Lucky my **** is late at night so no cars coming! Anyway, a bit shaken I think the bike got a few scratches and broke the mirror off but not bad... The only thing I really had to worry about was dogs.

Anyway.. I had a lot of fun on my 50CC even took it to the top of Haleakala 10.5K feet... Only had a few close calls from early sunday older drivers that could see a few inches over the steering wheel. But never broke any bones and I never drove in rush hour traffic.

Point to all this? I still wouldn't advise it. I've seen lot's of people pass on that lane that your not suppose to be driving on. Hell, I've even done it myself along with everyone else passing a slow driver. I always use that lane to pull off way before the dump to turn... and you know people are going to use it when they get a flat or what not. So don't think your gonna have an 'easy' ride just because the sign said it's not be used. Always be alert and check your mirrors. Speed kills and people going 60 mph won't even see you if someone jams on the breaks and they have to make a sudden decision to use that lane to avoid rear ending someone.

Stay safe and take the bus! 50CC's are too slow to be driving at freeway speeds 60+ is an death sentence for a 50CC that goes if your lucky get's up to 35MPH.

Call me paranoid but... I wouldn't let my wife ride one in to UH from Pahoa or HPP ... Maybe if we lived in Hilo ... Still iffy but I'd feel a heck of a lot safer.

[Punachiq]

Our son rides from Kapoho to Hilo everyday on a moped and I haven't heard any complaints about it, although I do worry about him