Billy Joel’s Motorcycle Collection Goes Under the Hammer With No Reserve

• More than 70 lots from Billy Joel’s collection, all offered with no reserve
• Auction on November 20 and 21, 2026, at the Javits Center in New York
• Proceeds go to The Joel Foundation

Musician Billy Joel is selling his motorcycle collection at auction. On September 28, 2026, auction house Gooding Christie’s confirmed that more than 70 lots from his private collection will be offered at the first Rétromobile New York auction. Every machine will be sold without reserve. It marks the end of a story that began a year earlier with the closure of his workshop, 20th Century Cycles, on Long Island.

Joel himself bids farewell to his motorcycles with a short statement: “I’ve always been drawn to bikes built by people who cared about getting every detail right. I’ve loved building this collection. Now it’s someone else’s turn to hit the road.”

Which motorcycles from Billy Joel’s collection are going under the hammer?

The auction includes motorcycles from many eras and styles, among them bikes from Ducati, BMW, Moto Guzzi, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Triumph, Honda and Kawasaki. So far, the auction house has presented three machines with estimates.

1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville

The Bonneville was a gift from Madison Square Garden. Joel received it to mark his 150th sold-out concert at the New York arena. According to the auction house, he still holds the record for the most sold-out shows there. The bike was painted especially for him. It is blue, the tank features piano keys, and the airbox carries the lettering “Billy Joel 150”. It comes with a matching helmet listing every show and every year Joel performed at Madison Square Garden. The estimate is $10,000 to $15,000 (approx. €8,800 to €13,200).

1982 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica

Ducati launched this model to commemorate Mike Hailwood’s comeback victory at the 1978 TT on the Isle of Man. In red and green, the Replica mirrors the superbike Hailwood won on back then. This gives the collection a direct link to the history of the Tourist Trophy. The auction house expects $15,000 to $25,000 (approx. €13,200 to €22,000).

1975 Ducati 750 Sport

The yellow and black 750 Sport has been restored. With an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000 (approx. €22,000 to €30,800), it is the most valuable of the three machines presented so far.

Which other vehicles come from Joel’s collection?

In addition to the three headline lots, further vehicles from Joel’s collection are expected to be offered. At the time of the announcement, the lot pages contained very little detail, so it was not always possible to tell which consignor each lot came from. Lots that could be attributed so far include:

• a Nymans moped from Sweden with a 31 cc two-stroke engine
• a 1954 NSU Max with a 250 cc single-cylinder engine
• a Norton build by New York workshop NYC Norton, combining the frame of a 1962 Atlas with the engine of a 1975 Commando
• a 2014 Yamaha Bolt
• a 1941 Chevrolet AK-series truck

The Yamaha Bolt shows that Joel did not only collect old machines. According to his mechanic Alex Puls, he bought the Bolt right at its launch in model year 2014 and rode it a lot. Among the attributed lots, the range therefore spans from the early 1940s to 2014. Whether the 1952 Vincent Rapide, which Joel himself counted among the most valuable pieces in his collection, will also be auctioned has not yet been announced. The full online catalog is due to be published at the end of October.

What does a no-reserve auction mean?

No reserve means that every machine is sold to the highest bidder, no matter how high the final bid is. The seller cannot set a minimum below which the motorcycle would be withdrawn. The auction house estimates are therefore only a guide and not a guarantee.

A buyer’s premium is added to the hammer price. For vehicles, it is 12 percent up to a hammer price of $250,000 (approx. €220,200), and 10 percent on the amount above that. An example: if the hammer falls at $10,000 (approx. €8,800), the buyer pays an additional $1,200 (approx. €1,060) premium, for a total of $11,200 (approx. €9,860).

Why is Billy Joel selling his motorcycles?

According to his spokesperson Claire Mercuri, the sale is due to the musician’s illness. In May 2025, Joel announced that he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus. The condition causes fluid to build up in the brain, which can affect thinking, memory and movement, among other things. Joel subsequently cancelled all scheduled concerts. In summer 2025, he said that he mainly had problems with his balance but otherwise felt well.

When the sale was announced in August 2025, it was already clear that the collection would be auctioned. At that point, however, no date had been set.

20th Century Cycles: 15 years of an open workshop in Oyster Bay

Joel opened 20th Century Cycles at the end of 2010 in Oyster Bay on Long Island, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Manhattan. He grew up in nearby Hicksville. At the workshop, his motorcycles were serviced, repaired, restored and customized. At the same time, the collection was open to visitors free of charge on weekends. More than 75 motorcycles were on display. The machines were not just cosmetically restored: they were meant to look like bikes from the past, but be rideable every day thanks to more modern technology. Joel is also said to have deliberately bought run-down motorcycles in order to rebuild them.

In a 2013 video, Joel explained his idea: “I like older style. I like the automotive style from the ’30s to the ’60s.” He wanted to show these motorcycles in one place because, in his view, this aesthetic was in danger of being lost. He also wanted to bring more visitors to downtown Oyster Bay. In 2023, part of the street where the workshop is located was renamed Billy Joel Way.

20th Century Cycles closed at the end of September 2025. The lease had expired, and the motorcycles had already been moved out. During the final weekends, only spare parts were sold there.

Motorcycles have accompanied Joel for decades, including in his music and videos. At the end of the “Uptown Girl” video, he rides off on a motorcycle with Christie Brinkley. In 1982, while riding on Long Island, he was hit by a car that had run a red light. He injured his hands and spent around a month in hospital. Later, he repeatedly took part in charity rides, for example for 9/11 first responders and for breast cancer research.

When and where will the auction take place?

The sale will be held on Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21, 2026, at the Javits Center in New York. It is part of Rétromobile New York, running from November 19 to 22. The show is the first North American offshoot of the well-known Paris classic car exhibition, and Gooding Christie’s is its official auction house.

The lots can be viewed from Thursday, November 19, to Saturday, November 21, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time each day. Anyone with a Rétromobile ticket can see all vehicles on display. Close-up inspection and participation in the auction, however, are reserved for registered bidders. Before that, Christie’s will show a selection of the motorcycles at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan from October 8 to 12. Appointments are available from the auction house on request.

David Gooding, president of Gooding Christie’s, says there is no more fitting place for Joel’s collection than New York, a city closely linked to the musician. He describes Joel as one of the best-known motorcycle enthusiasts in the world.

Where do the proceeds go?

The proceeds go to The Joel Foundation. The foundation is run by Billy Joel and his wife Alexis. It supports non-profit organizations in the areas of music education, public and women’s health, humanitarian aid and environmental protection. According to the foundation, its roots lie in Joel’s own school days, when a dedicated music teacher encouraged him. In New York, the foundation has funded, among other things, a recording studio for public schools and a music therapy program at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.

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