Picking Up A Trio Of Vintage Honda Dirtbikes For Only $300 Is The Best Investment

These little XL75s are dead simple single cylinders, and are friendly and unintimidating. But will they run?

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Janaki Jitchotvisut

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Sep 18, at 7:15am ET

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Most things are admittedly easier when you have the proper tools and a solid workshop to begin tackling things in. It also doesn't hurt to have a couple of like-minded buddies who are willing to delve into the wonders and/or horrors that lurk beneath that Facebook Marketplace purchase you just plunked down your hard-earned money on.

But at $300 for a trio of little late-70s Honda dirt bikes, it's difficult not to see why this purchase seemed like a good idea. Maybe not for me (I don't have the room, sorry), and maybe not for you either. Still, if you have the room, tools, and inclination to see if you can make one or maybe even two good-running bikes out of the set, that works out to around $150 apiece, give or take whatever consumables and/or parts you add into the equation from your own personal stash.

Plus, you know, a hands-on learning experience, and one that might even be made more fun if you're tackling it with a buddy or two. Obviously, in the Bearded Mechanic's case, it's also a solid base for some content for their YouTube channel. But even if you're not recording a single thing and you're just trying to get some old bikes running for giggles, that still seems like some pretty solid value for money. Especially in 2026.

What do you think?

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So then, the question becomes: Will any of these bikes run? At the beginning, Craig says the plan is to get two runners out of the trio, with the third being earmarked as a parts bike to supply the other two. Amazingly, after going over the basics, both of the two that seem like the most likely candidates to run again are in pretty reasonable shape, considering their age. Obviously, some things need addressing; stuff like carbs that need cleaning, new spark plugs, oil changed, chain changed, tube changed, tires aired up, valves checked; you get the idea.

The good news is, there's nothing terribly strange or horrific to be found here. They're almost 50 years old, but they're honest bikes that haven't been beaten on too badly, so there's definitely a good reason to hope they can become total valid little rippers once more. And because they're so simple, keeping them around and in the ecosystem is potentially a gift to future riders in the community, too. Bikes like these are a gift that keeps on giving, and the kind of thing that can hopefully continue sparking interest and joy in newer riders down the line.