Billy Joel Is Auctioning Off More Than 70 Motorcycles From His Collection

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Thursday, 1 Oct 2026 15:10 0 4 autotech

Billy Joel is parting with a significant portion of his motorcycle collection, with more than 70 bikes scheduled to cross the auction block in New York this November. Gooding Christie’s will offer the Billy Joel Motorcycle Collection during the inaugural Rétromobile New York Auctions at the Javits Center on November 20 and 21. Every motorcycle will be offered without reserve, meaning there will be no minimum sale price. Proceeds from the collection are intended to support The Joel Foundation.

One Triumph Has A Particularly Personal Story

Gooding Christie’s

Perhaps the most distinctive motorcycle in the collection is a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville, although its significance has less to do with rarity than provenance. Madison Square Garden commissioned the custom-painted Triumph as a gift for Joel after his 150th sold-out performance at the venue. It also comes with a matching helmet listing the years and individual shows he performed at MSG. Gooding Christie’s estimates the Bonneville at between $10,000 and $15,000. For collectors interested in the connection between Joel’s music career and his motorcycles, it is arguably one of the collection’s most personal machines.

There Are Some Serious Ducatis, Too

The collection also includes a 1982 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica, estimated at $15,000 to $25,000. The production model traces its roots to Mike Hailwood’s remarkable comeback victory at the 1978 Isle of Man TT, where he returned to the event after more than a decade away and won aboard a Ducati prepared by NCR.

Ducati introduced the road-going 900 Replica the following year, basing it on the 900 Super Sport and giving it bodywork inspired by Hailwood’s racebike. Its 864cc bevel-drive L-twin, Dell’Orto carburetors, and period racing-inspired styling have since made it one of Ducati’s better-known classic models. Another Ducati may command even more money: A restored 1975 Ducati 750 Sport carries a pre-auction estimate of $25,000 to $35,000.

Harley-Davidson Is Well Represented, Too

Harley-Davidson also has a strong presence in Joel’s collection, which is fitting given his long-running interest in American motorcycles. Rather than focusing exclusively on traditional cruisers and touring machines, his collection includes Harleys from some of the brand’s more unusual chapters.

One of the most interesting is a 1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR, the factory café racer developed under Willie G. Davidson. Based around the Sportster platform, the XLCR combined a 1,000cc V-twin with low handlebars, rear-set controls, cast wheels, triple-disc brakes, and distinctive black bodywork. The XLCR was a major departure from Harley-Davidson’s usual formula at the time, and its short production run has made it a particularly recognizable model among collectors. It also fits neatly with the rest of Joel’s collection, which tends to favor motorcycles with strong identities and interesting stories rather than sticking to a single type or brand.