Donate a custom or chopper, and let us check the title question first

Where donated customs come from

Builders who finished and moved on, and builders who stopped partway. Both come to us. A finished, titled, running custom is a real asset. A partly assembled build in boxes is a much harder item, and we will be honest about which yours is.

Estates, frequently. A custom in an estate is the hardest motorcycle for a family to deal with: no guide book value, often incomplete paperwork, and nobody who knows what was done to it.

Owners who cannot sell privately. Customs attract endless tire kickers and buyers who want to negotiate in your driveway, and a lot of people are simply done with that process.

The part that decides whether this can happen

Most customs are built from a donor bike, and the title follows the frame in most states. If the frame was replaced with an aftermarket hardtail and the title still describes the original frame, the paperwork and the machine no longer match. Some states have a process for that: a rebuilt or specially constructed vehicle inspection, a state-assigned VIN, a bonded title. Some states make it very difficult.

So tell us three things up front: what the title says, what the frame actually is, and whether the VIN on the frame matches the VIN on the title. If it does not match, or if you have a title for an engine and no title for a frame, say so. We will check your state before anything is scheduled.

This is not us looking for a reason to say no. It is us avoiding a situation where a truck arrives, the bike is collected, and then it cannot be legally transferred to a buyer. That outcome is bad for you and worse for the cause.

What decides what a custom brings

• Paperwork. Ahead of everything else. A clean matching title is worth more than any amount of chrome.
• Build quality. Weld quality, wiring neatness, brake and fastener choices. A buyer who knows bikes reads this in thirty seconds.
• Engine and transmission. What it is, whether it runs, and whether it is a known combination that a shop can service.
• Finish work. Hand-laid paint, flake, pinstriping, plating and machining are real labor and they do show up in the sale, though rarely at what they cost.
• Rideability. A chopper that actually steers, stops and can be ridden a hundred miles sells far better than a show piece that cannot.

Makes we accept

Customs are built from named components even when the whole bike has no badge.

• Engines and drivetrain: Harley-Davidson Evolution, Shovelhead, Panhead and Twin Cam, S&S, Ultima, RevTech, Baker and Primo transmissions.
• Frames and rolling chassis: Paughco, Santee, Kraft Tech, Daytec, Rolling Thunder, Independent Cycle, Tolle and Sugar Bear front ends.
• Known builders and shops: Big Dog, American IronHorse, Ultra Cycle, Titan, Saxon, Thunder Mountain, Orange County Choppers, plus countless one-off shop and home builds.

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 bike. No manufacturer sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with this program.

What you can deduct

A street motorcycle is a titled vehicle and the title has to transfer. If it is lost, most states have a duplicate process and the state title rules page walks through yours. If there is a loan against it we need the lien release. The VIN is on the steering neck and usually on the engine case as well. On a custom, read the section above first: the match between title and frame is the deciding factor here.

Giving Center sells the bike and your deduction is the gross sale proceeds on Form 1098-C. A finished, titled, running custom with quality work can clear $5,000, where the IRS requires a qualified appraisal and Form 8283 Section B at your expense. Most customs land between $500 and $5,000, where Section A applies with no appraisal.

The hard truth about this category: money spent on a custom build is very rarely recovered on resale, and the gap is wider here than anywhere else in the motorcycle world. Your deduction follows what the bike sells for, not what the build cost. We would rather say that plainly on this page than have it come as a surprise.