Billy Joel is selling his bikes and closing his shop following a rare diagnosis

The pop and rock music icon, Billy Joel, is set to auction off his extensive motorcycle collection later this year, following a diagnosis of Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).

NPH, which is also referred to as malresorptive hydrocephalus, can have the effect of increased spinal fluid pressure and can cause the person to have memory impairment, urinary issues, and balance problems. Following this diagnosis, earlier this year, Joel cancelled all upcoming shows. The news of the sale of his bikes and bike shop shows he is taking that one step further.

20th Century Cycles is located in Oyster Bay, New York, and while it is called a ‘shop’, that isn’t strictly true. While its outward appearance from the street is of an old-school bike shop from the ‘50s or ‘60s, no bikes, parts, or services are available for sale to the general public. Instead, 20th Century Cycles is a capsule, a vessel to help share Joel’s passion for motorcycles with fans, like-minded bikers and the general public. Joel first opened the shop to the public in 2010, and in 2023, the street on which it resides was renamed ‘Billy Joel Way’.

As collections go, it’s an extensive and eclectic mix of metal. And while you’d be forgiven for assuming that Harleys and Indians dominate the space, that isn’t strictly true. Just having a quick scan of the bikes, which you can check out here, I can see BSA, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield, and Triumph, to name but a few. And those are on top of the obvious swathe of American-made metal on display. In total, Joel’s hoard of bikes nears the triple-digit number, with the ‘Holy Grail’ bike being a 1952 Vincent Rapide.

It’s not yet known when and where the collection will be heading to auction. We’ll keep an ear to the ground for when that information becomes known.

Images - 20th Century Cycles

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