I’ve always been a Billy Joel fan. I’ve seen him perform multiple times, including at Madison Square Garden, and even got to see him perform with his daughter. His music has been part of the soundtrack of my life, and his live shows are some of the best I’ve seen.
But there’s another side of Billy Joel that makes me like him even more:he’s a serious motorcycle guy.
Joel has been riding, collecting, restoring and modifying motorcycles for decades. He even opened20th Century Cyclesin Oyster Bay, New York, essentially creating a home for his collection and a place where other motorcycle enthusiasts could come see the bikes.
Now, a big part of that collection is going up for sale.
More than70 motorcycles from Billy Joel’s personal collectionwill be auctioned by Gooding Christie's at Rétromobile New York on November 20 and 21, 2026. Even more interesting,the motorcycles are being offered without reserve.
This Isn't Just a Celebrity Collection
What I like about Joel's collection is that it doesn't feel like someone simply bought a bunch of expensive motorcycles and parked them.
He actually rode them.
And the collection is all over the place, in a good way. BMW, Ducati, Triumph, Moto Guzzi, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and others.
That's how a motorcycle collection should be.
Among the bikes already highlighted for the auction are a beautiful1975 Ducati 750 Sport, an1982 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica, and a custom1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville.
That Triumph has a particularly cool story.
Madison Square Garden presented it to Joel to commemorate his150th sold-out performance at MSG. The bike was custom painted for him and even has a matching helmet documenting his performances there.
Having seen Billy perform at MSG myself, that would probably be the bike from the collection I'd want most. It connects two things I really enjoy, his music and motorcycles.
Someone Else's Turn to Ride Them
Joel spent decades putting this collection together, and I think what makes the auction special is that these bikes are now going back out into the motorcycle community rather than disappearing into storage.
Billy summed it up better than I could:
“I've loved building this collection. Now it's someone else's turn to hit the road.”
And that's really what motorcycles are supposed to do.
They should be ridden.
I’ll definitely be watching this auction. Not because I expect to come home with one of Billy Joel's Ducatis, although I wouldn't complain, but because it'll be fascinating to see where these motorcycles end up and what people are willing to pay for a bike withBilly Joel listed in its history.
For more information and the auction catalog as it becomes available, visitGooding Christie's Billy Joel Motorcycle Collection.