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one thing to consider for anyone seriously considering driving a vehicle or riding a motorcycle up to mauna kea is that the elevation there is over 13,700 feet.... ...normally aspirated gas motors don;t work well that high.. . most will lose between 40 to 50% of their horsepower above elevations of 9000 feet.... that alone can cause problems with handling even for off road vehicles....
when we went up there a few years ago it was with friends who live on the big island and who go up there all the time.... they have a 4 door - 4x4 truck with a turbocharged engine that automatically changes the fuel mixture and engine settings when the oxygen level and elevation changes.... . i have no idea how it works - and my thoughts and attention were on other things anyway as we travelled up the roads to the summit.. (the awesome view was one - equalizing the pressure changes in my ears was another)..... ..but if the motor had any problems i didn;t notice it....
the one thing i did notice was getting out of that comfortable heated cab and feeling the cold grab me like icy claws.... ....plus then a while later i realized breathing was a little harder - not really a problem for me personally - and we didn;t stay long. ... but someone with respiratory or cardiac issues could have serious problems very quickly up there....
i am not sure she would go for that - even if someone was willing to pay the shipping costs to get it from this island over to that one..... .. i also have no idea how it would handle up there... ..this current one she owns has only been ridden on this island - and it has no problem going over the pali pass - (1200 feet)... even with me on the back of it.....her husband has one that is the same model just a different color.... ..he would be the one most likely to try something like riding a motorcycle up to mauna kea.... ...
when we went up there a few years ago it was with friends who live on the big island and who go up there all the time.... they have a 4 door - 4x4 truck with a turbocharged engine that automatically changes the fuel mixture and engine settings when the oxygen level and elevation changes.... . i have no idea how it works - and my thoughts and attention were on other things anyway as we travelled up the roads to the summit.. (the awesome view was one - equalizing the pressure changes in my ears was another)..... ..but if the motor had any problems i didn;t notice it....
the one thing i did notice was getting out of that comfortable heated cab and feeling the cold grab me like icy claws.... ....plus then a while later i realized breathing was a little harder - not really a problem for me personally - and we didn;t stay long. ... but someone with respiratory or cardiac issues could have serious problems very quickly up there....
Leave the Goldwing stateside and see if you can borrow RWS's Ducati!
i am not sure she would go for that - even if someone was willing to pay the shipping costs to get it from this island over to that one..... .. i also have no idea how it would handle up there... ..this current one she owns has only been ridden on this island - and it has no problem going over the pali pass - (1200 feet)... even with me on the back of it.....her husband has one that is the same model just a different color.... ..he would be the one most likely to try something like riding a motorcycle up to mauna kea.... ...