The best motorcycle roads in Hawaii

The twistiest paved roads in Hawaii, from Kahekili Highway in Maui County on down. Distances, how twisty each one is and how to string them into a ride.

Straight roads are for commuting. We checked 16 named paved roads in Hawaii to find the ones that twist, wind and keep you busy.

The headliners

Kahekili Highway

In Maui County. 9.7 miles, about 20 minutes at a relaxed pace.

Twistiness: ●●●●● Hairpin heaven

Hana Highway

In Maui County. 19 miles, about 40 minutes at a relaxed pace.

Twistiness: ●●●●● Hairpin heaven

Kahekili Highway

In Maui County. 10 miles, about 20 minutes at a relaxed pace.

Twistiness: ●●●●● Hairpin heaven

Hilina Pali Road

In Hawaiʻi County. 8.6 miles, about 20 minutes at a relaxed pace.

Twistiness: ●●●●● Hairpin heaven

Kōkeʻe Road

In Kauaʻi County. 9.5 miles, about 20 minutes at a relaxed pace.

Twistiness: ●●●●○ Very twisty

When you want to settle in

Not every ride is about hairpins. These are longer paved roads that keep twisting the whole way, good for a long cruise where you can find a rhythm.

  • Kohala Mountain Road, in Hawaiʻi County: 17 miles
  • Mamalahoa Highway, in Hawaiʻi County: 15 miles

How we picked them

We looked at the shape of every named paved road in Hawaii and measured how much each one bends along its length. Then we ranked them by bends per distance, so a short hairpin road and a long mountain highway are compared fairly. Gravel, tracks, residential streets and anything under about 6 miles are left out.

What this does not tell you: how nice the scenery is, how good the surface is, how busy the road gets, or whether it is closed for snow. Check before you go, especially in the mountains and in winter. Then ride it and see for yourself.

Turn it into a ride

Open the MotoRidez planner and link a few of these into a loop, or hit Surprise Me and let it pick a twisty route from wherever you are. Every ride you record is remembered, so next time it can send you down roads you have not tried yet.

Questions riders ask

What is the twistiest motorcycle road in Hawaii?

Kahekili Highway in Maui County. It is 9.7 miles long and bends more for its length than any other named paved road of that size in Hawaii.

How do you work out which Hawaii roads are twisty?

We measure how much each road bends along its length from its shape on the map, then rank roads by bends per distance. Gravel, tracks and residential streets are left out.

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