Billy Joel Is Auctioning Off His Motorcycles, And You Might Even Be Able To Afford A Few Of Them

I'm too young and fun to be a true Billy Joel fan, especially since my dad's taste in music is more "The Scotsman" than "Piano Man." But my love of motorcycles is no secret, and you know I appreciate any artist who plays actual instruments, so Joel's always been one of those musicians I felt like I should be more into. And what better place to start than buying one of his old motorcycles this fall? In November, Gooding Christie's will be auctioning off more than 70 motorcycles in Joel's collection, and despite his celebrity status, you might actually be able to afford buy a few of them. 

As cool as it would be to own a Billy Joel bike, sadly, he's liquidating his collection for a pretty depressing reason. Joel was recently diagnosed with a condition known as NPH that causes fluid buildup in the brain, screwing up balance, causing cognitive issues, and generally making it unsafe to ride. It sucks, but it's still cool that he's offering these bikes to the public instead of quietly offloading his bikes to a wealthy collector. The 77-year-old singer may be worth a bajillion dollars, but clearly, he's still a man of the people. 

While some celebrities stick to a single brand, it sounds like our boy Billy just liked bikes, and because of that, his collection is pretty broad. Motorcycles being auctioned off include BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, Triumph, and Yamaha. Plus, while a lot of the bikes being sold are vintage and likely come with more than their fair share of maintenance costs, he's also selling a few more modern bikes that should be much more reasonable to own.

And while you probably won't find a Billy Joel bike you can pick up for a six-pack and a tow like you might on Marketplace, even the highlights from the auction look like they should still be affordable-ish. A restored 1975 Ducati 750 Sport, for example, is expected to go for between $25,000 and $35,000, and that's the most expensive bike mentioned in the press release. The release also mentions a 1982 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica valued between $15,000 and $25,000, as well as a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville valued between $10,000 and $15,000. 

If those are the highlights, you have to assume plenty of other bikes will sell for less than $10,000. And while not everyone has a spare ten grand burning a hole in their pocket, how many other celebrity-owned vehicles can you reasonably expect to buy for less than the price of a 15-year-old Toyota Corolla? Plus, if you need a little time to get the money together, don't worry. Gooding Christie's says the Billy Joel Motorcycle Collection will be on display at the Rockefeller Center from October 8-12, and the auction starts November 20-21.

September may almost be over, but that's still plenty of time to sell a watch, return your kids' Christmas presents, postpone your honeymoon, or take out an unsecured personal loan. If you're just looking to window shop or aren't sure which Billy Joel bike you want, you can check out the auction here.