We're rooting for you! Some concern about the road up the mountain.
Does Mercedes make helicopters?
Gerry
Craig would not be on the mountain. no concern about roads. Saddle
road is not as bad as the rental places would have you believe. You
just need to understand it and stay alert. I believe the
observatory still runs vans up the mountain for employees who work
there. The saddle road was built during WWII to get supplies side to
side on the island. It was built narrow, for one way convoys, and
with lots of switchbacks to minimize possible target areas for
strafing enemy planes. There are lots of people who commute daily
over the saddle road. There have been many parts of the road
straightened and widened. The Hilo side has a wonderful stretch of
twisties that would be great for a BMW R series mortorsickle. The
road around the island that the car rental places will let you drive
also has some wonderful twisties.
I ran my 200D over the saddle road and up the road to the
observatory. Biggest problem is overheating. The observatory and
tour vans have oversize radiators.
The saddle road is so named because it crosses the "saddle" between
Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.
That said, you need to be alert. My cousins each rolled and
destroyed a vehicle on the saddle road when they met someone coming
around a corner too fast. One rolled the Scout and destroyed it,
and the other rolled a early Isuzu trooper that replaced the scout.
The road to Hana is famous for its twisties, and the rental car
places let you drive it. The saddle road just didn't get the
positive spin in the "press" that the Hana road got. People used to
burn up brakes on the saddle road if they were not smart enough to
downshift and use compression braking. THe road got the blame for
peoples' stupidity.
_______________________________________
http://www.okiebenz.com
For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com
To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/
To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to:
http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
