Obasan Marinda-no Biku wa doko desu ka? (Where is Aunt Marinda’s bike?)

In Japan, my nephews were excited about my motorcycle and would always ask that. In hindsight, I did not know that they provided me with a very apt name for my overall experience with this bike. So where is Aunt Marinda’s bike?

I am very excited that it was delivered yesterday to the port in Yokohama. The process has obviously been very slow since I had expected to receive it by the holidays, but there were delays (on both sides) in figuring out the logistics and trying to source the elusive IPPC wood. John was out of commission for a bit with vertigo, so not having this sorted before the holidays meant there was no way I would get it by the end of January.

In the end, the crate ended up being built from plywood, which was not my preferred method, but the IPPC route was not feasible. (it wasn’t just about sourcing the wood, it was also about taking it to a specialized facility to obtain a stamp of verification- a very expensive process).  It has been a little nerve wracking because I was removed from the process-obviously there is only so much I can do in Canada.

John from Apex really stepped up on my behalf by building the crate and ALSO (I just learned this ) dropping it off at the port in Yokohama! I would have paid extra to not inconvenience him like that, but I found out after the fact.

The vessel will arrive in Vancouver on the 28th of February, and in Ontario (via rail) on March 1st! I have simultaneously timed the arrival of a new fairings kit around the same time. I am disappointed that I was not able to work on the bike over the winter like I had planned and have it all dolled up for the 2020 riding season. But I am excited to get this project off the ground!  I will post all my DIY triumphs and failures in the spring!