One of the inspirations for the trip was a book by Ted Simon called Jupiter's Travels. This book covers a journey Ted made in the 70s around the world, also on a 2 cylinder Triumph. The book is well known amongst motorcycle travellers and he followed it up with a repeat of the journey in the 90s covered in a new book "Dreaming of Jupiter". Essentially it repeats his journey and sees how the world has changed. (Actually while he was travelling in Australia for his second trip, I was too!)
Anyway when Ted crossed into the US from Mexico, and not seeing any obvious customs area, he just rode off from the border without picking up any paperwork. A feat I managed to replicate. If you don't have documents showing the bike entering the country then you can't export the bike back to the UK!
(In my defence the crossing point was for cars and there was no customs post. Apparently I should have crossed at the truck crossing point about 20 miles to the east where they are much more familar with the relevant legislation.)
So this left me with a few options, fly back to the US and ride the bike to a customs office and plead for the necessary retrospective documents, ride the bike out of the US via a land border (officials won't check) or contact a shipping agent to sort it out with associated fees. Covid killed any travel prospects so the shipping agent it was.
Anyway after many emails, fees and phone calls my motorcycle has now arrived! A day spent charging the battery, trooping off to the petrol station to buy a jerry can of fuel and she now lives and breathes. Journey over - all complete.
In retrospect I feel pretty fortunate to finish my travelling just before the Covid crisis hit, as a number of motorcyclists have just had to abandon their bikes in the country they were in and fly back to their respective home countries.
The Bonnie at the Bridge. Time for a burger at the Biker's Cove Queensferry.
I thought I heard a throaty roar coming from your driveway!!