Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

I think this deserves a bit better bid than the current US$75 in spite of its mixed parentage and incorrect description (pretty certain it is a 500). I did email the auctioneers for more info and help with finding the numbers but no response.
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/ ... =algolia_2

Someone might be going to get a bargain....!

SG

hi that is what i think or it may take off when the biding starts

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I did have a very quick look into what's involved in getting something like this back to the uk, and you need to go into it with an idea of the likely total bill. There are several internet bidding sites that these auctioneers use as well as their own, not just "invaluable" so the bid is now more than $75. Proxybid is another bid site that charges a lower buyers commission at 20% (Invaluable its 25%) and the bid level on Proxybid last time I looked was asking for a next bid of $1200. On the day of course it may well climb higher. On top of your bid plus commission there's sales tax of 5% in Wisconsin . (Sales tax varies state to state - there's no national uniform value) A quick internet trawl of shipping agents brought up Shippio who mention typical USA to UK port to port cost is c £750 - £1000 plus transport from an inland location like Wisconsin to nearest shipping port (probably Chicago in this case) plus shipping from UK port to your house - lets say £1500-£2000 total Shippio bill. It will take about 4 to 7 weeks to come here after they have the necessary paperwork sorted which can also be delayed by US customs. They also mention they need a notarised bill of sale and a title document to enable the US customs to release it. ( I don't know if this is true for all shipping aganets and for all states in the USA).The auction site says this bike will come with a straight bill of sale (no title) and when I asked, they are not used to dealing with motorbikes so won't be much help getting it crated up and shipped - so you will have to employ a shipping agent like Shippio or similar and organise notarising the bill of sale (getting a lawyer to sign it off- probably not too much but still $$ and a delay) and also get a title document (modest fees and more $$), which can be refused if they suspect there is anything dodgy, and which itself takes a few weeks to arrive - so meanwhile its got to be kept somewhere (more $$ unless you can sweet talk the auctioneers). UK customs will charge you 5% VAT (but zero duty) on total sales cost plus shipping cost (more ££) to release it. I'm not trying to put anyone off but for those who have not done this (of which I count myself as one) you have an export/import process to go through and extras to account for on top of your bid price. (oh yes - you will also need a NOVA cert from customs but Shippio would sort that for you.)

"Title" in the USA = "V5C" in the UK. The bike is identified by the engine number in the USA but by the frame number in the UK. These things can get quite complex.

I thought somebody in North America might be tempted. I have imported parts from the US but not bikes and I would agree that it is a bit of a nightmare. We employ fellow member Neal Hooper of Oakbridge Logistics to take care of everything, always a top job neal@oakbridgelogistics.co.uk

The bike sold to an onsite bidder for $3500.

I watched it go by yesterday and noted the Velocette’s were not too bad either.
Frank