Billy Joel’s Massive Motorcycle Collection Is For Sale
Musician Billy Joel hardly needs an introduction. The artist behind “Piano Man”, “We Didn’t Start The Fire”, “Uptown Girl” and more has created an incredible collection of songs over his career, selling over 150 million records in the process. But while he’s been churning out hits, it turns out he’s also created quite a collection of motorcycles, too, and he’s putting over 70 of them up for auction at Rétromobile New York on November 20 and 21 later this year.
Sing Us A Song, You’re The Motorcycle Man
Billy Joel’s love affair with motorcycles began back on his native Long Island as a teenager, when a neighbor taught him to ride on a BSA A50 twin. The first bike he himself owned, though, was a Triumph Tiger which suffered from the issues typical of a British bike from the 1960s … Still, this didn’t put him off vehicles of the two-wheeled variety, even singing about bikes in the 1980 song “You May Be Right”, saying “Even rode my motorcycle in the rain / And you told me not to drive / But I made it home alive / So you said that only proves I’m insane”.
Insane is certainly one word for his collection, as all 70 bikes going under the hammer will be presented without reserve. And, as you can imagine, that collection covers some pretty special bikes.
1975 Ducati 750 Sport – Estimate $25,000 – $35,000
One of Ducati’s first V-twin-engined bikes, the 750 Sport is one of the most beautiful motorcycles from the Bolognese bike manufacturer. Known for its lightweight design and stunning looks, Joel’s 750 is finished in a resplendent yellow and looks like it’s just rolled off the factory floor.
1982 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica — Estimated $15,000 – $25,000
Originally created by Ducati to commemorate the bike Mike Hailwood rode to a comeback victory at the 1978 Isle of Man TT, where he came from 50 seconds back in roughly two and a half laps to secure that win, the bike is everything an early 1980s Ducati should be. Bearing the “Mike Hailwood Replica” badge towards the front of the bike, it’s as much a piece of history as it is a fine-looking motorcycle. As with the 750 Sport, Joel has kept it in immaculate condition and, once again, it looks factory-fresh, so we assume it’s not the bike he rode in the rain in 1980.
1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville — Estimated $10,000 — $15,000
This particular Bonneville was presented to Joel by Madison Square Garden in honor of his 150th sold-out show in the venue on July 25th, 2024. The bike, a 750 cc parallel-twin originally produced between 1973 and 1983, eventually became one of the British marque’s most iconic Bonneville models, as it combined Triumph’s traditional looks with (at the time) improved performance and handling. Joel’s is even more special, though, as the T140 plate has been switched to “Billy Joel 150”, and the tank painted with piano keys in a reference to arguably his most famous song.
Other Legendary Motorcycles Up For Sale
In addition to the above bikes, Joel also appears to be selling a Ducati 900 Super Sport, a Ducati 900 SD Darmah, a custom-made Harley-Davidson Knucklehead created by his shop, 20th Century Cycles. Bikes from BMW, Moto Guzzi, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, and more are included. It’s a collection worthy of a museum that must be hard to see go up for sale, but the sale is for a good cause.
Proceeds from the sale will go towards Joel’s organization, The Joel Foundation, which is a charity focused on helping people to live connected, creative, and healthy lives. And while Joel seems sad to let the bikes go, he said that “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.” There are certainly some one-of-a-kind bikes in this incredible collection.
If you’re hoping it’s your turn to take one of these bikes on the road, make sure you’re ready to bid on November 20 and 21 at Rétromobile New York, while select offerings will be available for viewing at Christie’s Rockerfeller Center between October 8-12.
Sources: GQ, Gooding Christie’s
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