Donate a standard motorcycle, the bike that sells to everyone

Where donated standards come from

Riders who stopped riding, and there is no single reason. Age, health, a move to a city, a partner who worried. Standards are frequently somebody's only bike and it gets parked rather than sold.

Estates. A standard in an estate is straightforward for us and often a relief for the family, because a running motorcycle in a garage is a liability nobody wants to manage.

Owners of older Universal Japanese Motorcycles, the 1970s and 1980s air-cooled fours and twins. Those have a real following and sell well even in rough condition.

Cheap and straightforward

It rides on a trailer or in a truck bed with a chock and straps. It does not need to run or be registered. Motorcycle pickups are among the least expensive in the program.

Tell us whether the engine turns over and whether the wheels roll. A bike that has sat for five years needs fuel, a battery and probably carburetor work, which is entirely normal and not a reason to decline anything.

Leave it as it is. Do not drain the fuel, do not clean it up and do not remove parts. Take your helmet and gear and anything personal from the tail bag.

What decides what a standard brings

• Displacement and era. Modern middleweight standards are the volume market. Vintage air-cooled bikes are their own market and sometimes a better one.
• Whether it runs. The single biggest variable on a bike this simple, because a running standard goes straight back on the road.
• Mileage and service history. Valve adjustment and carburetor or fuel injection service records matter on older bikes.
• Originality, on vintage. On a 1970s standard, original exhaust, side covers, seat and tank badges are genuinely valuable and getting scarce.
• Tank and frame condition. Tank rust inside is common on a bike that sat with old fuel; say so. Frame rust and a bent front end matter far more than cosmetics.

Makes we accept

Standards cover a very wide range and buyers search by model.

• Modern: Yamaha MT-07, MT-09 and FZ series, Honda CB300R, CB500F, CB650R and CB1000R, Kawasaki Z400, Z650, Z900 and Versys, Suzuki SV650 and GSX-S, Triumph Street Triple and Trident, KTM Duke.
• Vintage air-cooled: Honda CB350, CB500, CB550, CB750 and CB900, Yamaha XS650 and XS750, Kawasaki KZ400, KZ650 and KZ1000, Suzuki GS450, GS550, GS750 and GS850.
• European: BMW R-series airheads and oilheads, R1200R, F800R, Moto Guzzi V7 and V50, Ducati Monster, Royal Enfield Interceptor and Classic.

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.

The paperwork, and 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.

Giving Center sells the bike and your deduction is the gross sale proceeds on Form 1098-C. A running modern standard with a clean title usually lands between $500 and $5,000, where Form 8283 Section A applies and no appraisal is required. A late-model or larger bike can clear $5,000, where the IRS requires a qualified appraisal at your expense.

An older non-running standard with a rusty tank may sell under $500, where the deduction is the lesser of fair market value or $500 and we issue a written acknowledgment instead of a 1098-C. Vintage bikes are the exception worth flagging: a complete original 1970s four can bring considerably more than its condition suggests, so do not assume.