More than 70 motorcycles from Billy Joel’s personal collection are scheduled to go under the hammer in New York this November. The two-day sale will take place on Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21, as part of Retromobile NY, with Gooding Christie’s responsible for the auction.

The headline lots include a 1982 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica and a restored 1975 Ducati 750 Sport. The catalogue is not limited to Italian motorcycles: the collection also includes machines from BMW, Moto Guzzi, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Triumph, Honda, Kawasaki and other manufacturers. That breadth gives the sale a wider appeal than a single-marque collection, while retaining a clear selection of historically notable motorcycles.

A Triumph with a personal history

Among the most distinctive motorcycles is a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville commissioned specifically for Joel. Madison Square Garden gave him the bike to mark his 150th sold-out appearance at the venue, tying the motorcycle directly to one of the defining stages of his career. It will be sold with a matching helmet listing every Madison Square Garden show he played and the year of each appearance.

David Gooding, president of Gooding Christie’s, said the company was honoured to present the collection in New York, a city closely associated with Joel and his career. The auction house also describes Joel as a major motorcycle enthusiast, while the location places the sale near the setting connected to the Bonneville’s story.

The sale follows Joel’s diagnosis with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, or NPH, which led him to cancel all upcoming shows. Around the same time, the closure of his 20th Century Cycles motorcycle shop was also announced. Together, those developments provide the context for the dispersal of a collection built around a notably broad mix of motorcycles rather than a single manufacturer or style.