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Billy Joel may be right, or he may be crazy as his prized motorcycle collection hits the auction block in the Big Apple.
More than 70 lots from the Piano Man’s personal collection will be offered without reserve during Gooding Christie’s inaugural auction at Retromobile New York next month.
Joel, 77, “is a genuine enthusiast who loves all sorts of motorcycles,” Gooding Christie’s founder, David Gooding, exclusively told Digital of the array of two-wheelers going up for sale, which includes “older bikes, bikes with side cars … a mixture of everything.”
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The “Piano Man” is an avid motorcycle enthusiast and will auction off over 70 items. (Billy Joel archives)
“The exciting thing is all the motorcycles are being sold without reserve,” Gooding said, meaning the auction will be sold to the highest bidder regardless of the final price.
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“And, a portion of the proceeds are going to benefit the Joel Foundation, which is a wonderful charity. It’s a great charity that supports non-profit music education, public women’s health … there’s some great initiatives that it supports.”
The collection includes a number of his most cherished motorcycles, including Ducati, BMW, Moto Guzzi, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Triumph, Honda, Kawasaki, and more.
Joel’s 1975 Ducati 750 Sport is up for auction through the Gooding Christie’s sale. (Mike Maez, Gooding & Company, LLC.)
“One of the stars of the sale is a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville that was gifted to Billy Joel by Madison Square Garden to commemorate 150 sold out shows,” Gooding said of the bike, which is expected to retrieve anywhere from $10,000 – $15,000.
“He still holds the record for the most sold out show of anyone ever at Madison Square Garden. And this bike is painted with a keyboard on the tank. It’s really, really a special, special item.”
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The custom-painted motorcycle was commissioned especially for Joel, and is accompanied by a matching helmet listing every single show and year he played at Madison Square Garden, according to Gooding.
Among the most captivating motorcycles in the collection is a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville gifted to Mr. Joel by Madison Square Garden on the occasion of his 150th sold-out show at the world-famous venue. (Mike Maez, Gooding & Company, LLC.)
The collection also includes an iconic 1982 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica, which is estimated betweeen $15,000-$25,000, marketed by Ducati to commemorate the motorcycle that Mike Hailwood rode to his legendary comeback victory at the 1978 Isle of Man.
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A restored 1975 Ducati 750 Sport is estimated at $25,000 – $35,000 without reserve, and is “one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever conceived,” according to the auction house.
Motorcycles from the auction – which is slated for Nov. 20-21 – will be on display at the Javits Center in New York.
Gooding Christie’s announced the world-famous Billy Joel Motorcycle Collection as a leading consignment for its upcoming inaugural sale at the Javits Center in New York City. (Billy Joel Archives)
Billy Joel has been collecting motorcycles for decades. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
“The great thing about this collection is it’s certainly going to appeal to Billy Joel’s fan base, but I also believe there are many people that are going to just be very passionate about motorcycles themselves,” Gooding said.
“So we’ve got this sort of dual pool of interested buyers because the bikes in and of themselves are really important and valuable and exciting, and then you’ve got the Billy Joel component.”
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“I’ve always been drawn to bikes built by people who cared about getting every detail right,” Joel said in a statement shared through Gooding Christie’s. “I’ve loved building this collection. Now it’s someone else’s turn to hit the road.”
The “Uptown Girl” singer underwent brain surgery after revealing his normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) diagnosis in May 2025. NPH affects his vision, hearing and balance, according to a statement Joel released on social media at the time.
Billy Joel announced his normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) diagnosis in May 2025. (Myrna M. Suarez/Getty Images)
During a recent appearance on his self-titled SiriusXM show, “The Billy Joel Channel,” the legendary singer said doctors told him that his rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle caused damage to his brain nerves.
At the time of the announcement, Joel was forced to cancel a number of shows and said his condition had been “exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.”
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NPH is a condition that happens when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain. This condition is most likely to occur in people over age 65. Treating this condition involves surgery to implant a shunt to drain excess fluid from the inside of the skull, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
