Billy Joel is putting more than 70 motorcycles from his personal collection up for sale at auction next month in New York City, with the bikes going without reserve, meaning each will sell to the highest bidder regardless of price.
The sale will be held during Gooding Christie’s inaugural auction at Retromobile New York, with the collection on display at the Javits Center ahead of the Nov. 20-21 event.
Gooding Christie’s founder David Gooding told Fox News Digital that Joel, 77, “is a genuine enthusiast who loves all sorts of motorcycles,” describing the lineup as “older bikes, bikes with side cars … a mixture of everything.”
The collection spans brands including Ducati, BMW, Moto Guzzi, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Triumph, Honda and Kawasaki.
Among the most notable items is a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville that Madison Square Garden gave Joel to mark his 150th sold-out show there. Gooding said the bike, expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000, is painted with a keyboard on the tank and comes with a matching helmet listing every show and year Joel played at the venue.
“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,” Gooding said.
Other highlights include a 1982 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica, estimated at $15,000 to $25,000 and marketed to commemorate Mike Hailwood’s comeback win at the 1978 Isle of Man race, and a restored 1975 Ducati 750 Sport estimated at $25,000 to $35,000, which the auction house calls “one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever conceived.”
Gooding said a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Joel Foundation, which he described as supporting nonprofit music education and public women’s health initiatives among other causes.
“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, adding that the sale draws “this sort of dual pool of interested buyers.”
In a statement shared through Gooding Christie’s, Joel said: “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.”
The auction comes after Joel revealed in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a condition that affects vision, hearing and balance and most often occurs in people over 65. He underwent brain surgery following the diagnosis and canceled a number of shows, saying at the time that his condition had been “exacerbated by recent concert performances.” Treatment for the condition typically involves implanting a shunt to drain excess fluid pressing on the brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
