Billy Joel’s motorcycle collection auction is headed to New York on Nov. 20-21, with more than 70 bikes going up for sale at Gooding Christie's. He says he cannot drive right now, and the sale follows a year in which health issues forced him to step back from touring.
Joel says he is putting the collection into the market without reserve, a setup that should draw bidders who want a cleaner shot at the lots rather than a safety net from the seller. He also says the proceeds will support the Joel Foundation, turning a personal collection into a funding source rather than a private stash of memorabilia.
More than 70 bikes
More than 70 motorcycles are in the sale, and Joel said he accumulated over a hundred motorcycles over decades of riding. That number matters because it signals a broad dispersal, not a cherry-picked release of a few prized machines. For buyers, it also means the auction is likely to be judged lot by lot, with the strongest pieces setting the tone for the rest.
77 motorcycles are specifically tied to Joel’s years on the road in the sense that he says he was not collecting for display; he was riding them. “I was not a collector. I was actually a rider,” he said, which frames the sale as the thinning of an active personal fleet rather than a curated trophy case.
Javits Center dates
Nov. 20-21 is the window for Gooding Christie's at the Javits Center, where the Rétromobile New York auction will handle the offering. The New York setting gives the sale a public, high-traffic stage, and the lack of reserve removes one layer of caution from the room. Bidders will not be looking at a floor set by the seller.
The collection includes a custom 1978 Triumph Bonneville T140 that Madison Square Garden gave Joel to mark his 150th sold-out show at the venue. That bike gives the sale a clear headline lot, but the broader interest should come from the fact that the collection spans decades and includes a rider’s bikes, not a museum’s inventory.
Hydrocephalus and driving
Early 2025 surgery and a May cancellation of his remaining tour dates set the backdrop for the auction. Joel said hydrocephalus has affected his balance and makes driving “a little bit iffy,” and he added, “I can’t drive right now. I’m not allowed to drive.”
He also said, “What the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you’re getting a concussion,” and doctors have advised him against performing for now. That leaves the auction in a blunt position: he is off the road, off the stage, and turning assets into support for the Joel Foundation while he waits to learn whether he can perform again. “I have to take a series of tests before I know,” he said.
