Donate a trail bike that has been behind the shed since the riding stopped

Where donated trail bikes come from

Riders who stopped riding and families whose kids grew up. A play bike gets used for a decade of weekends and then parked behind a shed with old fuel in the tank.

Estates and property clear-outs. A trail bike in a barn is a common find and a genuinely useful donation.

Owners thinning a group of bikes. If you have two or three, put all of them on the form; they travel on one trailer and the saving stays with the cause.

It rides in a truck bed

A trail bike goes in a pickup bed or on a small trailer. It does not need to run. This is one of the cheapest pickups in the whole program.

Tell us whether the engine turns over, whether the wheels roll and whether the front brake works. A bike that has sat with old fuel almost certainly needs a carburetor clean, which is entirely normal and expected in this category.

Leave the bike as it is. Do not drain it, do not clean it and do not strip anything off it. Take your helmet and gear.

What decides what a trail bike brings

• Engine size and category. The 100cc to 250cc air-cooled four-stroke trail range is the deepest market by far, because it is what beginners and families want.
• Whether it turns over. A bike that turns over with compression is a repair; a seized engine is a parts bike. That distinction is most of the price.
• Completeness. Original plastics, seat, exhaust, airbox and side covers. Missing bodywork is the hardest thing to replace on an older bike.
• Frame and forks. Straight forks, true wheels and no cracked frame welds. Bent bars and a scuffed tank do not matter much.
• Street-legal equipment. Lights, a horn and a plate bracket on a dual-sport-style bike widen the buyer pool considerably.

Makes we accept

This category is entirely brand and model driven.

• Honda: XR75, XR80, XR100, XR200, XR250, XR400, CRF50, CRF80, CRF100, CRF150F, CRF230F, CT and Trail 90.
• Yamaha: TT-R50, TT-R90, TT-R125, TT-R230, PW50, PW80, XT225, XT250, DT and IT models.
• Others: Suzuki DR-Z50, DR-Z125, DR-Z400 and DR200, Kawasaki KLX110, KLX140, KLX230 and KDX200, Honda and Yamaha vintage enduros, Coleman, Apollo and Taotao small imports.

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

The paperwork, and what you can deduct

Off-road machines are the category most likely to have no title, and that is normal rather than a problem. Some states title them, some issue an off-highway registration, and some issue nothing at all. What we need is the VIN or serial number off the frame and a bill of sale or the original purchase paperwork. We will tell you which applies where you are, and the state title rules page covers the process. A street-legal dual sport is the exception and usually does have a title, which we would need.

Giving Center sells the bike and your deduction is the gross sale proceeds on Form 1098-C. A running four-stroke trail bike in a popular size frequently lands between $500 and $5,000, where Form 8283 Section A applies and no appraisal is required. Machines in this class commonly sell for under $500. In that band your deduction is the lesser of fair market value or $500, and we send a written acknowledgment rather than a Form 1098-C. We would rather tell you that now than have you expect a 1098-C in January. The pickup still costs you nothing, and the cause still receives something.

Honest framing: these sell well for what they are, the pickup is free and easy, and the deduction is usually modest rather than large.