Motorcycle donations
Donate a motorcycle you are no longer riding
Most bikes that come to us have not been ridden in years. A cruiser that stopped being comfortable, a touring bike after a change in health, a project in the garage that was never finished, a bike inherited from someone who loved it. All of them have a buyer who will ride again.
- Picked up in a truck or trailer at our expense, not ridden away by a stranger.
- Running, non-running and project bikes all accepted.
- Titled or with a bill of sale; we will tell you what your state needs.
Year, make and model is all it takes. Call (888) 228-7320.
What kind of bike do you have
A touring bike and a vintage project sell to different buyers, and what matters about them differs too.
Not on the list? We also accept bagger and dresser conversions, supermotos, trials bikes, mopeds, project bikes in pieces, and collections of several bikes at once. One bike or a garage full. Related: off-road vehicles, motorcycle and ATV trailers, no title.
The reasons bikes get donated
Riders stop riding for reasons that have nothing to do with the bike. Shoulders, knees, eyesight, a family's quiet request. A garage gets reorganized and the project that has been in pieces for six years finally has to go. Someone inherits a bike and has never ridden; selling it means fielding calls from strangers who want to test ride it, which is an uncomfortable proposition on a machine you cannot evaluate yourself.
Donating takes that whole exchange away. We come with a truck or a trailer, load the bike, and handle the sale. Nobody test rides it in your driveway, nobody arrives with cash and an opinion, and the title work is done for you.
Loaded onto a truck, never ridden off by a stranger
Bikes travel in a truck bed or an enclosed trailer, strapped down properly. A running bike is still loaded rather than ridden, which protects both the machine and you. Non-running bikes and disassembled projects are loaded by hand or with a ramp and a winch. Giving Center arranges and pays for it.
If the bike is in pieces, gather the parts in boxes and tell us roughly what is there, because a complete project is worth considerably more than a partial one. If it has been sitting on a flat tire or a seized chain, that is expected. Garage, storage unit and back-of-a-shop pickups are all routine.
Every make, and the VIN tells us the rest
Bikes are shopped by make and model, and the VIN on the frame or steering neck gives us the year and displacement. Both belong on the form.
- American: Harley-Davidson Sportster, Dyna, Softail, Touring and Trike, Indian Scout, Chief and Roadmaster, Victory, Buell, Boss Hoss.
- Japanese: Honda Gold Wing, Shadow, Rebel and CB, Yamaha V Star, Star Venture, YZF and MT, Kawasaki Vulcan, Ninja and Z, Suzuki Boulevard, GSX and V-Strom.
- European: BMW R, K, F and GS series, Ducati Monster, Multistrada and Panigale, Triumph Bonneville, Tiger and Rocket, KTM, Husqvarna, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield, Norton, Ural sidecar rigs.
- Scooters and electric: Vespa, Piaggio, Genuine, Kymco, SYM, Honda and Yamaha scooters, Zero, LiveWire, Energica, Can-Am Ryker and Spyder.
Not seeing yours? The list above is a search aid, not a restriction. We accept any make or model in this category, named here or not, including orphan brands and builders long out of business. What decides a donation is the condition and the paperwork, never the badge, so put yours on the form even if it is not listed.
Manufacturer names appear here so you can find your own vehicle. No manufacturer sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with this program.
What you can deduct for a donated motorcycle
Bike values run from a few hundred dollars to well past the appraisal threshold, so the case matters.
| Your situation | What you deduct | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|
| Giving Center sells the motorcycle, as is typical | The gross sale proceeds | Form 1098-C from Giving Center |
| The bike sells for under $500, common for projects and older small-displacement bikes | The lesser of fair market value or $500 | Written acknowledgment from Giving Center |
| Proceeds are $500 to $5,000, the most common outcome | Gross proceeds | Form 1098-C plus Form 8283 Section A |
| Proceeds exceed $5,000, seen with late-model touring bikes, trikes and collectible models | Gross proceeds, and the IRS requires a qualified appraisal you obtain | Form 1098-C plus Form 8283 Section B, signed by your appraiser and by Giving Center |
| You donate several bikes from a collection | Each is documented separately | One Form 1098-C per titled machine |
Giving Center does not provide tax, legal or financial advice. Donations are deductible to the extent allowed by law. See IRS Publication 526, Publication 561 and Publication 4303, and consult a tax professional.
Title, lien and the bike that has been apart since 2015
Motorcycles are titled in every state, though older and off-road-only machines sometimes have none. If the title is missing, a duplicate goes to the registered owner in one to four weeks; see state title rules. A bill of sale plus a notarized affidavit is often workable for a very old bike.
A project bike with no title and no paperwork is the hardest case, and honesty helps: tell us what you have and we will say whether it can be sold or only parted out. A financed bike needs the lien released first, and a bike with a rebuilt or salvage title is accepted as it is.
What raises what a bike brings
- Mileage and model. A well-known model with modest mileage sells fastest and widest.
- Running condition. A bike that starts and idles is worth substantially more than one that does not.
- Completeness. On a project, every original part that is present raises the price; missing tins and wiring lower it sharply.
- Original versus modified. Tasteful upgrades help; heavy custom work shrinks the buyer pool.
- Tires, chain and battery. Age matters even at low mileage.
- Title status and keys. A clean title and both keys are worth real money.
Motorcycle donation questions
More in the full FAQ.
Will you take a bike that does not run?
Yes. Non-running and project bikes are accepted and loaded at our expense. Tell us how complete it is, since that drives the value more than the fact it will not start.
Do you take bikes in pieces?
Yes. Put the parts in boxes and describe what is there. A complete disassembled bike sells considerably better than one missing tins, wiring or a carburettor.
Will someone test ride it in my driveway?
No. The bike is loaded into a truck or trailer and strapped down. Nothing is ridden off your property.
I inherited a bike and know nothing about it. Can you help?
Yes. Send photos of the bike, the VIN plate and the engine case and we can usually tell you what it is, roughly what it is worth, and what paperwork your state needs.
Do you take scooters and mopeds?
Yes, though small-displacement machines often sell below $500, which caps the deduction. We will tell you if that is the likely outcome.
Can I donate more than one bike?
Yes. Collections are picked up in one visit and each titled machine gets its own 1098-C.
Tell us about the bike
Year, make, model, whether it runs, and where it is. A few photos help more than anything else.
Part of vehicle donations. Related: off-road vehicles · collector cars · trailers