There’s no denying that the best dirt bikes were made years ago.

There’s just no way to replicate the look and feel of a vintage dirt bike. If you are anything like us, looking at old bikes is spellbinding. In fact, you likely waste as much time as we do gawking over these ancient machines. While we won’t deny that modern bikes have a lot to offer, nothing looks as good as vintage dirt bikes do.

Everything on the market today appears to look the same, wouldn’t you agree? Sure, they have different colors, but when you get down to it, they are all similar. Side by side, these bikes could be confused for one another if you took off the plastic. That’s just not the way it is supposed to be. 

Back in the day, manufacturers were still playing around with their designs. That left the consumer with an array of options to choose from. It also produced some of the best looking motorcycles ever made. 

While we can’t possibly discuss all of the best looking vintage dirt bikes from years gone by, we were able to narrow down the options to the top ten. These are ten dirt bikes we would look at all day if we could.

Which one is your favorite? Did you ride one back in the day? Let us know in the comments.

1968 Bultaco 250 MK4 Pursang 

If dirt bikes were a work of art, then the 1968 Bultaco 250 MK4 Pursang would be a Picasso. It would have to rank the highest on our list simply because of its beauty. 

If you look beyond the appearance, you know this bike has several other things going for it. First of all, it was fast as hell. It also handles like a dream and is durable. Here we sit, more than 50 years later, and the Bultaco still has a massive following. 

Most people are mesmerized by the futuristic fiberglass bodywork, but it was tough to keep looking nice. 

While it’s possible to find some of the later models more easily, this one is a real gem. A quick search on the Internet yields very few results and anything that is available for purchase is priced quite high.

1974 Yamaha YZ360

Vintage racers often look for the YZ360. It’s been a fan favorite for many decades, mainly because it looked like a clone of European racing bikes.

There were very few made, which increased the demand for this classy vintage dirt bike even further. 

Take a look at the fuel tank. That’s a true work of art if we ever saw one, and we love the nylon straps that hold it on. One year later, Yamaha introduced the Monoshock, which was a huge mechanical improvement to the previous setup.

What’s notable about this YZ is the exhaust note. It has the typical two-stroke ping combined with a throaty roar. Of course, many people didn’t run right out to buy one because all the top publications listed it as being for top-level pro riders. Even if that hadn’t scared people away, the $1,700 price tag would have considering the average cost of a car in 1974 was about $3,000.

1977 Can-Am MX3 Black Widow

If we were judging bikes by the name, this would be the top pick for sure. No one can deny that this bike is bad-ass and fully deserving of a wicked name.

I would have loved to ride around, telling everyone I had a Black Widow. 

If you think back to 1974 (if you were even around then), you might remember how well the Canadian bikes did during the 250 Nationals. This led to many improvements for motocross and enduro bikes. If you don’t know the names Marty Tripes, Jimmy Ellis and Gary Jones, we recommend taking some history lessons. 

Anyway, the Can-Am just didn’t make the cut. While it was famed for its speed, it didn’t handle well. The extra power combined with longer travel suspension should have made this bike a long-term winner, which is sad because we love to look at it, but these days it simply adds to the Black Widow’s rarity.

If you can’t live without it, you can find some examples of the Can-Am MX3 Black Widow on the used market for a reasonable price.

1979 Husqvarna 390 CR/OR

European bikes didn’t want to adopt long travel suspension, so they didn’t come until late into the 1970s. When Husky finally jumped on board, we were graced with the massive 390. This black and gold beauty had some popular riders on it, including Larry Roseler and Dick Burleson.

And even with some weather on it, this bike looks great. Considering its accolades, the patina is more than welcome on the Husky 390.

If you didn’t know, this bike took not one but 11 Baja 1,000 championships.

A model of this legendary Husqvarna was once showcased on the History Channel series Pawn Stars. Sadly, they just aren’t easy to find these days, but it doesn’t stop vintage collectors from trying to find one of the best looking vintage dirt bikes of all time.

1980 Honda CR125

Do you remember the days when Honda introduced the Elsinore lineup, or are you too young for that as well? It was back in 1978 and the red paint had everyone going crazy.

Suddenly, no one wanted anything other than a red bike. It wasn’t uncommon to find teen boys spraying their bikes down with red paint to fit in. If you didn’t have a red motocross bike back in the day, you weren’t good enough to hang around.

Maybe it’s just psychology, but when you are on the back of a bright red bike, everything seems to go by faster. Riding on this bike was a good way to get a girl’s attention at the time. While the demand for red has changed today, nothing compares to the iconic appeal that a 1980 Honda CR125 can offer.

If we could fill our garages with them right now, we would, and we would ride them proudly remembering the days when red was king.

1981 KTM 495

Did you know that the 495 KTM held the record as the fastest dirt bike in the world?

Modern models certainly beat it shot for shot, but still, a dirt bike was the world’s fastest bike? Holy cow!

It’s hard telling if that’s an official fact or not, but plenty of people boast about it, so it must be at least close to true, right? Legends live on in our hearts after all, just as the KTM 495 does as a vintage dirt bike today.

Either way, this KTM is a complete beauty. We can’t get enough of the white and red/orange scheme. Plus, who can deny that the number plate rear fender is the coolest thing that ever happened to dirt bikes? It makes us want to get out there and race just to say we did. That gorgeous exhaust does, too.

The great part about this bike is you can find them out there hiding in garages. You might just be lucky to stumble upon one of the best looking vintage dirt bikes ever made, and now you will know when you do.

1981 Maico 490 Mega 2

To start the 80s off right, Maico continued the tradition of red and attached a number plate on the rear as well. This bike was the company’s highlight and it handled better than anything else at the time. 

Aside from the stellar appearance, this motorcycle had some other things going for it. It featured some amazing speed and was winning races all the time.

Restoring them is a big business. Recently a fully restored example sold for more than $16,000 at the Mecum Auctions’ Las Vegas Motorcycle Event.

If you can find one for cheap and have the patience to restore it, you can sock some money away and have a stellar bike to stare at, too.

1981 Suzuki RM125

At the time, this bike was so futuristic. It came with a liquid-cooled engine that was lightweight and fast. It also came equipped with a Full-Floater rear monoshock which offers superior suspension and handling.

It didn’t take long though for Yamaha, Kawasaki and Honda to catch up, making the RM nearly non-existent just a couple of years later. 

If nothing else, we can credit this bike with pushing the other companies to work harder, and looking pretty good doing it. That was a win-win for everyone and one of the best looking vintage dirt bikes of all time, especially in that signature Suzuki shade of yellow.

1983 Honda CR480R

As with many of the vintage dirt bikes on this list, the CR480R wasn’t around for long, only two years. If you have a choice between buying a 1982 and a 1983 model, go with the latter. It was more reliable and stable.

This bike came during the Open class two-stroke period, and it earned a lot of love during its short stay. Despite the fact that it had a left-side kick-start and drum brakes, it even received solid scores from Evolution-class racers. It’s a shame that bikes don’t come like this anymore; we would buy a bike with quirks and features in a heartbeat.

1986 Honda CR250R

We are going to end our list of the best looking vintage dirt bikes with one more beautiful Honda model. While 1986 isn’t vintage to everyone, it’s getting there quickly. 

1986 was also a year when Honda was killing it with their racing team. Production bikes were in high demand and everything Honda touched seemed to excel.

For this model, the Japanese company introduced an updated 250 motor that had a better power valve. It also featured a front disc brake and cartridge fork.

The next year, Honda upgraded the bike with a rear disc as well. 

Yamaha and Suzuki didn’t let the company take top honors for long, and they both jumped right back in the game by 1987. Still, this bike is what made many people consider motocross in the first place, and it has a rightful place not only among the most historic dirt bikes of all time, but the most attractive as well.

Do you have a favorite vintage dirt bike?

We would love to hear about what’s sitting in your garage right now. Do you have a model that you think looks better than anything that’s ever been created? Leave a comment and let the world decide.

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