I finally made my reservations for me and the bike. Flying out of Montreal, possibly on the same flight as the bike, and landing in Frankfurt, Germany.
I have been delaying, waiting until I was sure both me and the bike will be ready. And just plain procrastinating. I think I am now ready. I was going to make reservations for the week of the 30th of June, but the flight prices were high towards the end of the week, and cheaper in the beginning. That would mean I would have next week to finish everything, and that would be it. So my flight date is July 4th. I will drop the bike off at Air Canada Cargo on the 3rd. I will get to Germany July 5th early in the morning. I don't really like overnight flights, but it was my best option. I may go to Montreal early, maybe July 2nd, just to reduce stress and get into travel mode early.
I got quite a scare when I called Canada Air Cargo to book the bike. The man said that they only accept bikes that fit within 56" high, 82" long and 42" wide. That would be one short bike. I suppose some sport bikes would make it. The shortest I could get my bike without disassembly is 96 inches. 14" too long. My bike is big, but not THAT big. The guy went and checked and found that the actual limit is 63" high and 125" long. Big difference. I can now fit my bike without any disassembly. The quoted price was $1,100 canadian which is $850 US, but if my bike is heavy, say with gear it might be more, and there are some fees, so I don't know the exact final price, but it should be about $1,000 US
I have been asked if I am excited, and looking forward to the trip. Frankly, no. I am almost dreading the trip. But then, I haven't really been excited about any trip in a long time. I tend to think about all the things that can go wrong. I was dreading my last big Motorcycle Trip to Ireland and Scotland last year. I loved every minute of it. That just seems to be the way it is. I won't really feel good about the trip until I land in Germany and pick up my bike.
The weird thing is, now that I have an actual date, I am more relaxed about everything that I have to do before I leave. I know what has to be done, I know how much time is left, and I know I can easily get it all done in time. Assuming no disasters. Imagined disasters is what keeps me up at night.
Bob L