Overseas Touring

In 1995 I purchased a motorcycle in Vancouver and was confident I could again purchase a motorcycle which was suitable for touring and which could be shipped back to Australia on completion of the tour . We started planning the trip a year ahead. I watched the Internet classified ads in the Motorcycles On-Line and GWRRA web pages. In November 96 I contacted motorcycle dealers in the possible arrival/departure cities to advise them of my requirements for a motorcycle (intended purpose, year range, models, price range). I also used the Internet to contact GoldWing Clubs and Associations and placed ads in two newsletters. This resulted in helpful advice and information on dealer and private sale motorcycles.

A month before departure from Australia I sent faxes and email thanking dealers for their help and advised that we would arrive in Toronto. Shortly after that the Vancouver (Surrey) British Columbia dealer advised that he had 2 motorcycles which would suit our requirements and that they could be crated and shipped for us. The sales manager was keen to do business, the price was competitive and no better prospects were revealed through my other contacts. Based on my previous purchase from the dealer, I was willing to risk the purchase of s sight unseen motorcycle. The bank charge for the telegraphic transfer of funds was $25.

Benefits of Good Communications

Effective communications methods helped to make the purchase and shipping process easier. The dealer arranged crating and shipping from Vancouver to Toronto – about 4800 kilometres. Arrival of the motorcycle in Toronto took about a week longer than I hoped. We visited friends and relatives in the time prior to arrival of the GL1200.

Arranging Insurance Was a Hassle

In 1995 I purchased and insured the motorcycle in British Columbia, where there is a government insurance scheme. Some of the liability insurance is compulsory and the agents for the Government Insurance are willing to provide the insurance. I was given a lower premium rate after submitting a letter of reference from my Australian insurance company. The three-month minimum term in British Columbia for the insurance helped to offset the high (by Australian standards) rates. In 1997 I was unable to register and insure the motorcycle in British Columbia from overseas through the post - personal applications only. I am not sure if I could have found an acceptable way to apply for the insurance without being there in person.

Ontario did not have a government insurance scheme in 1997. Agents were not interested supplying insurance to an unknown and out of province person. The agents used techniques including fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) to discourage me from dealing with them. - "This may take a long time" - "You don’t have a local drivers license - we can’t insure you" "If you have a quote from somewhere else, you should take it -". My conversations with the actual insurers showed no reasons why my application for insurance should not be approved. The insurance companies (not the agents) quoted a ‘reasonable’ price and advised the names of their local agents. Agents however, did not offer the same price.

I should have used all possible references: relatives, friends, clubs, etc in conjunction with vague promises (the opposite of fear uncertainty and doubt) to encourage the agents to sell me insurance at a reasonable cost. (EG "I’m not sure if my brother in law would renew his insurance with an agent such as you.") One of the local motorcycle magazines contained an ad from an insurance agent who specialised in motorcycle insurance. This company offered me insurance, but demanded payment up front. I had to send a bank check/draft as payment, credit card was not acceptable. Later I received a refund for a rate reduction related to my letters of reference from my Australian insurer.

Good communications - fax, answering machine, phone, email helped to reduce the waiting time. Express post is available outside of the main cities but is more expensive than in Australia. Because I already had letters of reference from my current insurer I was eventually able to get a no claim bonus. The Insurance Certificate was faxed and we departed on our tour before the original insurance certificate arrived.

Motorcycle Registration

Registering an out of state motor vehicle requires an inspection by an approved person. Dealers seemed very uninterested and expected that I should be willing to leave the motorcycle with them for a week. Australian businesses seem more willing to offer service. The Government Registration people were helpful. I required an address in the state/province - I used my in-laws address. I was able to complete part of the registration paperwork before the safety inspection was completed. Note that the registration and insurance have change of address requirements.

Pre Departure Inspection

Prior to departure we read the operator’s manual, checked the fluid levels, etc. We gave the Aspencade shake down drives - solo, two up and packed. The GoldWing has less storage space than the BMW R80 that we use in Australia. Personal clothing items were deleted. I later found that we had a loaded mass of 550 kilograms about 25 kg over the manufacturers load limit. The higher load rating of the Avon tyres allowed an increase of the theoretical load by 60 kilograms (at the H speed rating). The first day’s ride was 350 kilometres, we visited a former biking buddy. On his recommendation we shortened the GL1200’s windshield by about 40 mm so that I could see the road ahead to within 50 metres looking over the windshield. The bug-free view more than compensated for the slight increase in wind.

Purchase Before Arrival

Arranging the purchase of the motorcycle prior to our arrival gave us time for visiting prior to our departure on the first leg of our tour. It introduced shipping delay and probably contributed to insurance and registration hassles.

Introduction and Overview

Clothing and Equipment

Routines and Procedures

Tips and Traps

Last modified 13/06/2009