My biker father passed away - can I get some biker advice?

[bulletism]

First, my apologies for joining your forum just to ask depressing questions.

My father passed away last week. He was a biker since his teens, toured Europe several times, did pre-65 trials, went to the TT as long as he was able to - just an all round bike nut for all his life. Unfortunately, the addiction didn't pass on to me - I am not a biker.

Although Dad hadn't been able to ride for several years, he still has four bikes in the garage. I don't live in the UK, but am visiting for a while, and need to help my old mum deal with Dad's many toys, including these bikes.

The bikes are as follows, and none will have run for several years. They are stored in a dry garage, and look OK to me - just dusty:

Kawasaki Zephyr 1993
Suzuki SP370
BSA 350 trials bike from 1963
Royal Enfield Bullet Trials 350T

So, I have two questions:

1. Are the bikes best going to auction? If so, is there one you would recommend? Do auctions collect?
2. My Dad always said he wanted his ashes scattered on the TT circuit. Does anyone know a way to arrange this? My mother's too old to take this on, and I am only in the UK for a short time.

Any hints on this would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

[Easy-X]

How long will you be here? You could stick 'em on an eBay auction but you'd probably need to run it a week and winter isn't the best time to sell bikes, spring is better. That's the cheapest/easiest option as the buyer would pick up the bike(s). If you hand them off to an auction house all the value will get eaten in fees.

As for the TT thing, it's probably something they get all the time. I wouldn't know who to contact about it but you would have to get yourself to the island to do it.
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[stinkwheel]

The bikes are probably nothing amazingly special/valuable.

The zephyr is a "universal japanese bike", moving towards the lable of "modern classic". A lot were made and owned so you'd get a good idea of list price from a price guide/completed ebay auctions. Probably best sold on ebay/auto-trader.

The SP370 is quite desirable as bikes of that era go but unless it's in extra specially good condition, probably isn't worth all that much. You'd need to find someone who was into them. It's probably considered a "modern classic" but again, probably not worth a whole lot, probably easiest shifted as above.

The BSA, would depend what exactly it was. A home-built modification of a road bike, a factory special or a rare works bike. If it's a full-on trials bike you'd be looking for someone who was into pre 65 trials. People are still doing these competatively. A special interest group would probably be the best outlet for this kind of thing, either a BSA owners group or a pe 65 trials group. Maybe drop some a note for advice like you have here. The Motor Cycling Club (The MCC) is one such club who run several competative long distance trials or see if there's a local branch of the the Association of Classic Trials Clubs (The ACTC).

The Bullet was an Indian bullet imported by Watsonian Squire and modified for sale as a "special edition" in the UK. They aren't a particularly capable/specialist trials bike. More of a road biased styling exercise but for someone in the market for a bullet of that era, probably quite a desirable bike because they had some more attention to detail and higher quality extras on them. They seem to sell quite well on ebay (certainly for more than they were originally sold for) if the right buyer is looking. Or you could get in touch with one of the owners groups which have a self-selected interest in them for selling advice, they might know someone who wants one. The Royal Enfield Owners Group (REOC) is one such. Although given their demographic, the wheels of communication can turn quite slowly, I was a member fo a while and a lot of their buying and selling took place via their monthly magazine.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Ariel Badger]

Try contacting Mike Davis at H&H auctions.
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[A100man]

Condolences..For the ashes try contacting the tourist board..

https://www.visitisleofman.com/information/contact-us

They are generally very helpfuland probably not that busy right now.

If you can post some pics up here of the bikes then folk maybe able to make even more informed comment, generally though ebay will work well if they are described accurately.
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