Some info re the Dangerous Goods cert: After you have booked with A/C and have the (AWB) Email confirmation from them, forward it to Dangerous goods Packing Dangerous Goods Packing Crating | Consultants Service Mississauga. They will complete the DG certificate and Email it to you with the 'weight' blank. When you tender the bike at AC Cargo they will fill in the exact weight per their scales. The DG people advise that it will be required to disconnect the battery leads. (PITA on an 800GS!). Payment for the DG cert can be made via Paypal. They will take $125 cdn taxes in for the service one way.

Anyone know of a dangerous goods consultant in Calgary? I was told by AC over the phone it would be $250? A lot more than you were quoted in Toronto! I'm looking to ship early June to Frankfurt.

The Air Canada referred DG consultant wants to charge an additional $35 if I want to ship my bike with a used fuel pack (Rotopax). It's a sniff test, but they dont care. So I started shopping and ran across this website (havent called any of the numbers):

http://www.aircargoportail.com/en/dealers/4

Let us know your results, yeah?

why not just ship MotoEx and have all the paperwork and fees be done for you, for a reasonable penalty of approx. $500 bucks?
just wondering and scheming for a trip in the near future.

So you never meet the DG people? They dont need to see the bike?

This in important to me because I will most lekely be out of the country when I book and I will arrive in Canada just a few days before departing.

__________________
Alaska 2014: Hotel Budget ZeroXmas in Death Valley, New Year in Urique

Rsd, I can really recommand using Motorcycle Express. I had an excellent service from them and they were quick to get everything together to ship the bike.

One advantage of Motorcycle Express is that you can ship your bike any time during the year for a reasonable price (Montreal to Paris in mid-december = 1135$US, Air Canada at that time = 4400$CAN).

One disadvantage is that panniers have to be empty.

Patrick

I was also surprised, but answer is no they don't need to see the bike. Just turn in colour copies (4) of the competed form that they Email you when you tender the bike. Give dangerousgoods a call or Email to confirm...

Tendered the bike yesterday afternoon. 580 lbs 'soaking wet' after a rainy 1 hour ride. Process was pretty much as described by EvilE, go directly to the mandoor adjacent to Door 50 at the end of the warehouse building and the pretty/pleasant girl there will take your DG Cert and your $$. The ramp by door 46 was closed so I had to ride the bike to another ramp about 100 m away and then walk it through the warehouse to the weigh scales where I was able to re-organize my gear, disconnect the battery and tape up the leads, etc. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, they went through the saddlebag and topcase contents carefully, not concerned with anything I had. I think they were just looking for flammables, etc. Nobody compared my list of contents with what was actually there (there were a few discrepancies). Total cost was $1000 even.

I fly out today, will report on pick-up procedures in Frankfurt when I get a chance.

I'm looking forward to your pickup report. I'm flying my bike to Frankfurt in early June. I'd like to know how long it takes to get the bike on the road, and how the procedures are handled.

Frankfurt pickup was a breeze....you need to get to 'Tor (Gate) 26' where the ACC office is located. Just take the AirportRing Shuttlebus (Free) which stops at stop #12 outside the arrival level (C). It's free and runs about every 15 minutes or so. You want the "West" shuttlebus. It's about 4 km to Tor26 where you will get off. Bear left and you will see the ACC office. They give you a to carry to the customs 'import' office about 100 m west of the ACC office. The customs guy stamps the form there, you fill out another one, and then take them back to ACC. Walk back into the warehouse with the ACC person (Nice Guy from Pakistan) and find your bike. connect the battery and reorganize your crap and you're ready to roll. Procedure with ACC and customs maybe 1/2 hour or so. Beware that on weekends I'm told the the Customs office close to ACC is closed and you need to go to Luftthansa customs which is further away. Stefan at Knopff Tours told me this. So best to arrive on a weekday.

I stayed at Knoff tours in Heidelburg first night. About 80 km ride south from Frankfurt. Met some cool people from Malasia, Conneticut, Vermont, and Kuwait there. A great first night stopover if you don't want to ride far in a state of Jetlag! Stefan is a good head.Be prepared to pay 'cash' for room there (I was surprised).

Pic of Gherkin as received in Frankfurt...


I rode first day to Knopf, next day to friend in Switzerland (Lachen) and today over some beautiful passes to Tirana Italy. Photo at Bernina Pass Today....

Great, thanks for the info. I'm staying my first and last night at Stefan's. Booking my bike in with AC on Monday.

Does anyone have the name of an agent who can issue a dangerous goods certificate in London? I plan to fly myself and my bike to Vancouver, does anyone have recent experience of doing this?

I have just noticed on the air Canada website says in relation to a dangerous goods certificate.

"Obtain Dangerous Goods consultant name and contact number to schedule an appointment (exceptions: UK, DUB, and CDG)" I will phone them tomorrow and find out what this means.