Motorcycles & I - Part 2
Updated: Aug 8
In part 1, I left you just as Dave was shopping for his dream motorcycle: the 115th Anniversary Harley Davidson Ultra Limited CVO... Here is how it unfolded:
Bike # 1
Dave's first lead was a beautiful 115th Anniversary Ultra Limited CVO located in Kamloops, British Columbia, about two hours northwest of Kelowna. The motorcycle was being sold privately, and the asking price was remarkable—roughly $6,000 less than anything else comparable on the market. There was only one problem: it was November; not exactly the ideal time to buy a motorcycle on the opposite side of the country. Fortunately, the seller was willing to store the bike until spring. Dave was excited. The seller was excited. Everything seemed to be falling into place—until Dave began looking into how he would insure a British Columbia motorcycle while residing in Ontario. What had seemed like a dream opportunity quickly turned into a bureaucratic nightmare. The more he researched, the more complicated it appeared. Before long, the whole arrangement felt nearly impossible.
Bike #2
A few days into his insurance investigation, another opportunity appeared. A second 115th Anniversary Ultra Limited CVO came up for sale, this time in Kelowna itself. Although it had significantly higher mileage, the price had just been reduced $6K and now matched that of the Kamloops bike. Better yet, it was being sold by a Harley-Davidson dealership. Unlike the private seller, the dealership had experience dealing with out-of-province buyers and was far more familiar with the insurance requirements. They also offered to store the motorcycle free of charge until spring. Sold! Dave called the owner in Kamloops to politely back out of the first deal, put a $500 deposit on the Kelowna motorcycle, and booked a return flight to British Columbia for early December to inspect the bike and finalize the purchase. At last, everything seemed settled. Or so we thought.
Bike #3
A few days after Dave had placed his deposit on the Kelowna bike, I was mindlessly scrolling through Facebook when something caught my eye. There it was : the exact same model, a 115th Anniversary Ultra Limited CVO. This one was sitting at Harley-Davidson Mississauga. (And yes, I know what you're thinking—our phones are definitely listening...) The dealership had just reduced the price by $10,000, bringing it down to virtually the same price as the motorcycle in Kelowna. The difference? This one had much lower mileage, was loaded with features, and was only about 300 kilometres from home. I immediately showed the ad to Dave. It was non-sense to fly to British Columbia to buy a motorcycle, and riding it home next year when this one was practically in our backyard. Even if it meant losing the deposit and eating the cost of the flights, the math was impossible to ignore. Dave wholeheartedly agreed. He called the Mississauga dealership that same day and arranged to see the bike the following morning.
On December 2, 2024, Dave became the proud owner of his dream motorcycle. As it turned out, the Kelowna dealership was incredibly understanding and refunded Dave his deposit. We still lost the cost of the airline tickets, but that seemed like a small price to pay to avoid a cross-country retrieval mission. The motorcycle was shipped to the Harley-Davidson dealership in Kingston at no cost and arrived at our home in early January 2025. It was a wonderful way to begin the new year.
Life with the new Harley
On Friday, June 13, 2025, Dave checked off one of the items on his motorcycle bucket list. He rode to Port Dover, Ontario, for the legendary Friday the 13th Motorcycle Rally.
I was still working at the time and, quite honestly, I was not mentally prepared for a four-hour ride on the back of a motorcycle, so Dave went alone. He stayed with a good friend who lives in Port Dover (Thanks, Jay and Laurie!) and had an amazing time. I was genuinely happy for him. He was taking a dream trip on his dream bike.
That first summer with the Ultra Limited, I agreed to a short ride from Kingston to Picton.
I have to admit, the difference between the Fat Boy and the Ultra Limited was like night and day. The new motorcycle was incredibly smooth, comfortable, and stable. For the first time, I didn't feel as though I needed to cling to the driver for survival. The passenger seat felt more like a La-Z-Boy recliner than a motorcycle seat. I could relax, enjoy the scenery, and even glance at my phone or answer a text without feeling as though I was risking my life. Don't get me wrong, I still preferred traveling by car. In a car, I can hear Dave clearly, hold a conversation, wear a seatbelt, and enjoy the comforting thought that being surrounded by steel somehow makes me safer. During that ride to Picton, a thought crossed my mind for the first time: Maybe I could do a longer trip with Dave... I knew how much it would mean to him.
Sometime in April 2026, my neighbour began planning her father’s 90th birthday celebration. She searched unsuccessfully for a venue large enough to accommodate her guests, and could not find one that made financial sense. That was when she thought of Dave and I (and of home exchange) and politely asked if she could rent our house for two or three nights over the August long weekend. Normally, I don’t rent out my home; I exchange it. But she wasn’t a Home Exchange member, and she was such a wonderful neighbour and friend that Dave and I were happy to let her use the house. Since she and her family were going to be at our place that weekend, we would need to be somewhere else. I immediately told Dave that this would be the perfect opportunity to take the long motorcycle trip we had always talked about. He was ecstatic!
Our first idea was ambitious. Dave would ride his Harley all the way to Nova Scotia while I would fly to Halifax and meet him there. Together, we would tackle the Cabot Trail on his motorcycle—one of the experiences that had long occupied a spot on Dave’s bucket list. I immediately booked a few accommodations along the route. However, the more I thought about it, the less appealing the plan became. The Cabot Trail on an August long weekend?! It would be crowded everywhere. Accommodations would be more expensive, and Dave would have to contend with heavy holiday traffic through Ontario and Quebec. In the end, we abandoned the idea, cancelled our reservations, and began searching for another destination.
Then, during the last week of June, inspiration struck. The previous year, we had attended the Stratford Festival and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Why not do something similar, but this time at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake? The idea felt perfect. I quickly booked a charming bed-and-breakfast in Niagara-on-the-Lake for two nights and reserved a hotel in Niagara Falls for our third night. I also managed to secure excellent seats for two productions: Funny Girl and Amadeus.
A few days before our departure, we checked the weather forecast. Riding a motorcycle means being at the mercy of Mother Nature, so the forecast plays a big role in any travel plans. The weather for our departure day looked spectacular. Rain was expected on Saturday and Sunday, but those were the days we planned to stay put and enjoy the theatre. Monday’s forecast looked equally promising for the ride home. The motorcycle trip was a go!
And so, on the morning of July 31, 2026, our adventure began. The sun was shining, and the day could not have been more perfect for a ride. We packed snacks for a picnic lunch and each filled a saddlebag with everything we would need for three nights on the road.
As I approached the motorcycle, I noticed that Dave had placed my helmet on my seat. Tucked inside was a pair of leather gloves. I picked them up and said, “I don’t think I’ll need these.” “You should wear them,” he replied. This would end up being the best advice Dave provided in 2026... (recency bias!)
To be continued...
Comments