Raine Devries | 28 September 2026
If you spent any time around Long Island two-wheel culture over the last 15 years, you already know the name 20th Century Cycles. Billy Joel’s Oyster Bay shop was never a typical dealership. It was a working garage, a restoration space, and a free public showcase for a personal collection built around one idea: mid-century motorcycles still look the way motorcycles should look.
That chapter is now closed. The shop’s lease ended in late 2025, and more than 70 motorcycles from the collection are headed to auction at the inaugural Rétromobile New York, November 19–22, 2026, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Gooding Christie’s is the official auction house. Auction sessions are scheduled for Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21, with public viewing beginning Thursday, November 19.
A smaller preview of selected bikes is expected at Christie’s Rockefeller Center showroom from October 8–12, giving collectors an early look before the Javits Center sale. The complete online catalogue is slated for late October.
This is not a random garage clear-out. Joel has been a committed rider and collector for decades, favoring Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Indian, BMW, and rarities such as a 1952 Vincent Rapide. Many of the machines were restored or reworked so they remained rideable while keeping that 1930s-to-1960s aesthetic he has talked about for years. The shop itself was built to share that look with anyone who walked in.
Standout lots already being discussed include a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville presented by Madison Square Garden to mark Joel’s 150th sold-out show there, along with a matching helmet listing those Garden dates. Also in the mix: a 1975 Ducati 750 Sport and a 1982 Ducati Mike Hailwood 900. Early estimates for many of the bikes have been cited in the $10,000–$35,000 range, though provenance and condition will decide the hammer prices.
Proceeds from the sale are designated for The Joel Foundation, the family organization that supports music education and humanitarian work. Updates and background on the Foundation appear on Joel’s official site.
The timing is personal as well as practical. After a 2025 diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, Joel canceled touring and chose not to renew the Oyster Bay lease. Balance, vision, and hearing issues made both performing and the day-to-day work of a large motorcycle collection harder to sustain. The decision to sell is being framed as a handoff: the bikes were built to be ridden, not parked forever.
For riders and collectors, the appeal is straightforward. These are not museum pieces locked behind glass. They are the machines Joel actually used, restored, and displayed for the public. Owning one means taking home a slice of New York motorcycle history with a direct line to one of the best-known rider-musicians of the last half-century.
If you plan to bid, register with Gooding Christie’s and watch for the late-October catalogue. If you simply want to see the bikes in person, Rétromobile tickets and auction viewing information are available through the official links (EDITOR NOTE: Details on how to register to bid are at the bottom of this article.) November in New York is about to get a lot more interesting for anyone who still believes a well-kept vintage motorcycle is one of the best things on two wheels.
If You Plan to Bid…
Register directly with Gooding Christie’s. That is the auction house running the Rétromobile New York sale, including the Billy Joel motorcycles.
Start here: https://www.goodingco.com/register.
You can complete the bidder application online or download the U.S. PDF from that page.
~Keep the shiny side up!