'Piano Man' Billy Joel's prized motorcycle collection hits the auction block
'Piano Man' Billy Joel's prized motorcycle collection hits the auction block
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 Fox News Digital of the array of two-wheelers going up for sale, which includes "older bikes, bikes with side cars ... a mixture of everything."
"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.
"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.
"One of the stars of the sale is a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville that was gifted to Billy Joel by 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."
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.
The collection also includes an iconic 1982 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica, which is estimated between $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.
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.
"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."
"Ive 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. "Ive loved building this collection. Now its someone elses turn to hit the road."
The "Uptown Girl" singer underwent brain surgery after revealing his diagnosis in May 2025. NPH affects his vision, hearing and balance, according to a statement Joel released on social media at the time.
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.
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